Calvin Magee joined the Lobo football program in January of 2018 as offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Magee is a coaching veteran at the collegiate level, with the upcoming 2018 season his 23rd in coaching, and his 14th straight as offensive coordinator.
He has spent 12 of his previous 13 seasons as the offensive coordinator on Rich Rodriguez staffs, and he has managed the spread option offense which Rodriguez has been widely credited for innovating. He spent the last six seasons at the University of Arizona as co-offensive coordinator, associate head coach and running backs coach. He also served as offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Pittsburgh, Michigan and West Virginia.
While at Arizona the offense has broken Wildcat records for team scoring, total offense and rushing offense. In 2017, Arizona was third nationally in rushing at 309.3 yards per game, and they were led by quarterback Khalil Tate, who despite only playing 11 games, was a four-time Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (all consecutive) and finished seventh in rushing yards per game and amassed 1,411 rushing yards.
Overall, Arizona finished 12th in total offense in 2017. He coached two-time All-America Ka’Deem Carey, who played for three seasons with the Chicago Bears. With Arizona, Magee helped the Wildcats to five bowl appearances, including two Gildan New Mexico Bowl wins and a 2017 berth in the Foster Farms Bowl. All told in his career, Magee has coached in 13 bowl games, including a pair of Fiesta Bowls and a Sugar Bowl.
Under Magee’s direction, Arizona has established the school’s single-game records for team scoring, total offense and rushing offense. In addition, the Wildcats have produced three of their 10 highest single-game rushing performances. Individually, Ka’Deem Carey reestablished the program’s individual game rushing record, while current backs Nick Wilson and J.J. Taylor own six of the 10 best single-game freshman rushing performances.
In 2016, Arizona’s rushing attack overcame numerous injuries to lead the Pac-12 Conference in rushing with 235 yards per game, which was the ninth-best average in UA history. The Wildcats set the school single-game rushing record with 511 yards in the Territorial Cup victory over Arizona State. Included in the record-breaking performance were three individual 100-yard rushers in the same contest for only the second time in program history.
The 2014 season saw a true freshman successfully emerge at running back in Wilson. He collected seven games with 100+ yards and with his 1,375 markers, setting the UA freshman rushing record. Magee’s running backs totaled 2,067 yards and 21 touchdowns during the year, with redshirt senior Terris Jones-Grigsby chipping in 567 yards and three scores. He put together a 115-yard outing with one touchdown in the Wildcats’ 31-24 road victory at No. 2 Oregon.
In 2013, Carey paced the Wildcats and anchored an offense that posted an 8-5 record and a second-straight bowl win (AdvoCare V100 Bowl). He was a consensus All-American again in 2013, a Doak Walker Award finalist and the 2013 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. Carey departed as Arizona’s all-time career rushing leader (4,239 yards) and all-time all-purpose yardage leader (5,483). He finished the season with 1,885 yards (No. 3 nationally) on 349 carries and 19 touchdowns while averaging 157.1 yards per game (No. 2 nationally) and 29.08 carries per game (No. 1 nationally). Carey recorded 16-straight games in which he eclipsed the century mark rushing, the longest streak in Pac-12 history and the longest for any FBS player in the last 10 seasons.
Magee’s first campaign with the Cats in 2012 was a banner year for the Wildcat offense. Carey led the nation in total rushing yards (1,929) and yards per game (148.38) while rewriting the Arizona record book. For his efforts, Carey was named first-team All-Pac-12 and a consensus All-American, UA’s first on the offensive side of the ball.
UA led the Pac-12 in total offense for four-straight weeks (weeks 6-9) and ranked as high as fourth nationally in weeks three, seven and nine. Arizona’s offensive triple-threat attack featured a 3,000-yard passer (Matt Scott – 3,620 yards), a 1,500-yard rusher (Carey – 1,929 yards) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Austin Hill – 1,364 yards).
Magee served as assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator at Pittsburgh in 2011 after coaching under Rodriguez for three years at Michigan (2008-10) and seven years at West Virginia (2001-07). He was associate head coach, offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Michigan, and coached running backs throughout his tenure in Morgantown while adding the coordinator post his final three seasons and assistant head coach his last year at West Virginia.
He began his college coaching career at South Florida where he coached tight ends (1996), running backs (1999-00) and served as running game coordinator the final two years.
Magee was an All-American tight end at Southern University, earning first-team honors in 1983 and 1984. He led the Jaguars each of his four seasons (1981-84) and was MVP of the 1985 Freedom Bowl. A three-time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection, he was inducted into the Southern University Hall of Fame in 2000.
Following his playing tenure at Southern, he had a five-year stint in the National Football League with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1985-89).
A native of New Orleans, Magee earned a bachelor’s degree from South Florida in 1990. He and his wife, Rosie, have two daughters, Jade and Jasmine, a son, Bryson, two grandsons and a granddaughter.
The Magee File
Birthdate: Sept. 30, 1959
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
Alma Mater: B.S. South Florida ‘90
Playing Experience: Southern, 1981-84; Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1985-89
Family: wife Rosie; daughters Jade and Jasmine; son Bryson
Coaching Experience
2012-17: Arizona (Assoc. Head Coach/Co-Off Coord./RBs/TEs)
2011: Pittsburgh (Asst. Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator/RBs)
2008-10: Michigan (Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs)
2007: West Virginia (Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/RBs)
2005-07: West Virginia (Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs)
2001-06: West Virginia (Running Backs)
1999-00: South Florida (Running Backs/Run Game Coordinator)
1997-98: South Florida (Running Backs)
1996: South Florida (Tight Ends)
Bowl Games
2017 Foster Farms Bowl, 2015 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, 2014 VIZIO Fiesta Bowl, 2012 Gildan New Mexico Bowl, 2011 BBVA Compass Bowl, 2010 Gator Bowl, 2007 Fiesta Bowl, 2006 Gator Bowl, 2005 Sugar Bowl, 2004 Gator Bowl, 2003 Gator Bowl, 2002 Continental Tire Bowl