Tag: Ike Hilliard

Talking with 5 former Gators about their NFL draft-day experiences

Pat Dooley catches up with five former Gator greats and talks with them about their draft-day experiences.

For both NFL and college fans, Thursday night is a national day of importance.

College fans want to see their players drafted because it helps with recruiting and validates their belief in those players when they were wearing the uniform.

For NFL fans, they know the NFL draft can change a franchise — for the better or the bust.

Of course, then there are the actual players. They want their time in the sun to come as quickly as possible, celebrate it and then start playing football for a living.

(Although the way NIL is going, it’s getting harder to differentiate between college and pro players).

It won’t be a big draft for the Gators, which is one reason Florida has a new coach. But we wanted to give you a look at five guys (five players, not the burger chain) and what the draft days were like for some former players.

Auburn in final eight for 2023 wide receiver from Florida

The Tigers are one of eight finalists for wide receiver William Fowles.

On Monday, 2023 wide receiver William Fowles listed his final eight schools on Twitter and the Auburn Tigers were one of the eight schools listed. Other schools included were Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida State, Michigan State, Florida, and South Florida.

In his junior season at Dade Christian, he hauled in 47 catches for 1,100 receiving yards. Along with those jaw-dropping numbers, he also found the end zone 19 times. In the best game of his high school career, he netted seven receptions for 204 receiving yards and one touchdown.

The Tigers could certainly use Fowles at the wide receiver position in 2023. Wide receiver coach [autotag]Ike Hilliard[/autotag] is trying to build a receiving room that is one of the best in the Southeastern Conference. In the 2022 class, Auburn added wide receivers Omari Kelly, Camden Brown and Jay Fair. All three have the ultimate opportunity to earn a starting spot entering the fall. The coaching staff could certainly use open competition to lure in a guy like Fowles.

Film

William Fowles’ Recruiting Profile

Ex-Giant Ike Hilliard takes assistant coaching job at Auburn

Retired New York Giants WR Ike Hilliard has been hired to coach the wide receivers at Auburn University.

Former New York Giants wide receiver Ike Hilliard has been hired as the new receivers coach at Auburn, the school announced.

Hilliard, 45, was the Giants’ first-round draft pick out of Florida in 1997 (No. 7 overall) and played eight seasons in blue, catching 368 passes for 4,630 yards and 27 touchdowns. He is sixth all-time in receptions for the Giants and tenth in receiving yardage.

In 2005, Hilliard moved on to Tampa Bay for four seasons before retiring and heading into coaching. He has coached receivers professionally since 2009 and has made stops in Miami, Washington, Buffalo and, most recently, Pittsburgh.

Hilliard was a three-time SEC champion at Florida and a member of the Giants’ team that lost Super Bowl XXXV to the Baltimore Ravens in 2001.

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A look at the new Auburn staff under Bryan Harsin

The on-field coaching staff is now complete.

Following the addition of new wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard, head coach Bryan Harsin has officially filled all of his vacancies ahead of spring football.

The most recent vacancy was created when Eric Kiesau moved over to quarterbacks and accepted a promotion to be the offensive coordinator. Harsin brought in a very respected wide receivers coach from the NFL level. How he is on the recruiting trail remains to be seen. Hilliard’s entire coaching career has been at the professional level.

On defense and special teams, the Tigers needed to act swiftly to replace Bert Watts’ vacancy. The special teams coordinator and edge linebackers coach left to rejoin the Denver Broncos staff. Harsin countered by promoting Roc Bellantoni into that role.

We break down the on-field new staff under Bryan Harsin for the 2022 college football season.

Former Gators standout Ike Hilliard joins Auburn Tigers staff

You hate to see an ex-Gator go to a hated rival but we wish the best of luck to him.

Former Florida football standout Ike Hilliard has returned to college football after spending the past decade on various National Football League sidelines. Having coached for the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Gator alumnus is set to take over the wide receivers coaching duties for the Auburn Tigers.

His recent two-year stint with the Steelers ended following the 2021 season when the team declined to renew his contract, opening up the field for new opportunities. Hilliard’s new gig with the Tigers is his first coaching job at the collegiate level.

Florida fans are quite familiar with his pedigree dating back to his days in Gainesville, where he played from 1994 to 1996 under Steve Spurrier and was instrumental in the Gators’ first national championship in his final season. Taken with the No. 7 overall pick of the 1997 NFL draft by the New York Giants, Hilliard spent eight years in the Meadowlands before spending his final four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished his pro career with 546 receptions for 6,397 yards and 35 touchdowns over a total of 161 games played.

Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin had the following to say about his newest staff addition.

“Ike is exactly what we are looking for to lead our wide receivers room. His credentials really speak for themself – All-American in the SEC, NFL First Round pick, 12 years as a very productive player in the league and a decade plus coaching in the NFL,” Harsin said. “Amongst all of those accomplishments one other thing really stood out showing who Ike is as a person and leader. He made a commitment to his family that he would graduate from college, and he never lost sight of that, finishing up his degree while also being a full-time NFL coach. Ike, without a doubt, possesses the same values that we want our Auburn program to be known for – character, discipline, toughness and conviction. We are excited to welcome Ike, his wife Lourdes and their children to the Auburn family.”

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Former Florida star WR Ike Hilliard named Auburn’s wide receivers coach

Auburn adds Florida legend as their new wide receivers coach.

The Auburn Tigers have officially named their new wide receiver coach. Ike Hilliard who played for the Florida Gators and New York Giants in the NFL will now be over the young wide receiver corps.

Hilliard has coached at the NFL level since 2011. He last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008. He coached the Florida Tuskers as the wide receivers coach before moving to the NFL with the Miami Dolphins as the assistant position coach for WR. Hilliard was last with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

This makes it Hilliard’s first shot at coaching the collegiate level. The position came available when Eric Kiesau was promoted to offensive coordinator and moved over to coach the quarterbacks.

Hilliard has familiarity in the SEC as he played for Florida from 1994 to 1996. He was drafted by the Giants with the No. 7 overall pick of the 1997 NFL draft. As a Gator Hilliard was a national champion, All-American wide receiver, and is a member of the Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.

He will bring a wealth of knowledge to the group as someone who played the position at a high level and over a decade as an NFL position coach.

“Ike is exactly what we are looking for to lead our wide receivers room. His credentials really speak for themself – All-American in the SEC, NFL First Round pick, 12 years as a very productive player in the league, and decade-plus coaching in the NFL,” Harsin said. “Amongst all of those accomplishments, one other thing really stood out showing who Ike is as a person and leader. He made a commitment to his family that he would graduate from college, and he never lost sight of that, finishing up his degree while also being a full-time NFL coach. Ike, without a doubt, possesses the same values that we want our Auburn program to be known for – character, discipline, toughness, and conviction. We are excited to welcome Ike, his wife Lourdes, and their children to the Auburn family.”

Report: Detroit Lions interviewed Steelers WR coach Ike Hilliard for OC position

MMQB’s Albert Breer is reporting that the Detroit Lions have interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard for their offensive coordinator position.

MMQB’s Albert Breer is reporting that the Detroit Lions have interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard for their offensive coordinator position.

Hilliard was drafted 7th overall in the 1997 NFL draft by the New York Giants and played with them the first eight of his 12 years in the league — his other four seasons were with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005-08).

Hilliard’s playing days in New York would overlap with Lions coach Dan Campbell (1999-2002), and the two would once again team up during the 2011 season, this time as coaches with the Miami Dolphins.

Miami offered Hilliard his first NFL coaching opportunity as an assistant wide receiver coach and after one season Washington came calling and offered him a wide receiver coaching position in 2012. In 2013, Hilliard moved on to the Buffalo Bills as their wide receiver’s coach for a year, then went back to Washington for the 2014-19 seasons. In 2020, he became the Steelers wide receivers coach, where he remains today.

Hillard’s work with Washington 2019 rookie Terry McLaurin and Steelers 2020 rookie Chase Claypool has garnered well-deserved attention. He is also recognized for helping JuJu Smith-Schuster bounce back from a 2019 injury-plagued season — he is a potential free agent this offseason — as well as helping James Washington and Diontae Johnson improve their overall game.

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Chase Claypool’s measurables too good to pass up for Steelers WR coach Ike Hilliard

You can tell Ike Hilliard is excited about working with Chase Claypool.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard built himself an impressive resume as a player. He had 105 career starts and 546 career receptions. Since his retirement, he’s built another impressive resume coaching wide receivers.

Hilliard joins the Steelers for 2020 and based on his Zoom conference on Monday is excited about working with this talented group. One player, in particular, he spoke highly of is rookie Chase Claypool. Hilliard, like everyone who watched him at Notre Dame and leading up to the draft marvel as his measurable and potential.

You can’t teach 6’4, 238 [pounds], 4.41 [40-yard dash] time. It is just something that doesn’t fall off of a tree. You get the chance to harness that kind of talent and kind of shape it and mold it into something that could be really, really special. I think as an organization, we all chomped at the bit. And he can do so much for the football team and effect the football team in a positive manner, outside of playing receiver. We love that, we love his physicality, his playmaking ability and his speed.

The real question this season is if Hilliard can coach Claypool up and have him ready to go will there be a spot for him this season. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson are entrenched as the starters so Claypool’s best bet might be to work in as the team’s No. 3 and possibly a hybrid role somewhere between wide receiver and running back.

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Former Redskins coach Ike Hilliard joins Steelers

A former Redskins coach now has a new job.

Former members of the Washington Redskins continue to find new homes.

This time it’s former Redskins wideouts coach Ike Hilliard, who will now assume the same position with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hilliard played a prominent role for the Redskins over the years, serving in that position from 2014 to 2019, as well as a stint in 2012. Perhaps most notably, he played a role in getting Terry McLaurin, then helping to orchestrate his big breakout season.

Now with the Steelers, the team there probably hopes the veteran coach can help get the absolute most out of JuJu Smith-Schuster and others as the unit still recovers from the Antonio Brown-sized gap in production.

Hilliard wasn’t in the plans for the Redskins under new head coach Ron Rivera.

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Steelers hire ex-Giant Ike Hilliard as wide receivers coach

The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired former New York Giants first-round pick, Ike Hilliard, as their wide receivers coach.

After spending the past six seasons in the NFC East with the Washington Redskins, former New York Giants wide receiver Ike Hilliard will be taking his coaching talents to the AFC.

The Pittsburgh Steelers announced on Tuesday that they have hired Hilliard to become their next wide receivers coach.

A first-round pick of the Giants in the 1997 NFL Draft, Hilliard spent the first eight seasons of his career in East Rutherford before moving onto the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005 until his retirement following the 2008 season.

In 98 career games (92 starts) with the Giants, Hilliard hauled in 368 receptions for 4,630 yards and 27 touchdowns, adding 120 yards on 14 rushes.

Hilliard’s best season came in 1999 when he fell just four yards short of the 1,000-yard mark, but did manage to eclipse 1,000 yards from scrimmage.

Following his retirement in 2008, Hilliard joined the Florida Tuskers (later known as the Virginia Destroyers) of the United Football League (UFL) as their wide receivers coach. He remained there for two seasons before being hired as the assistant wide receivers coach of the Miami Dolphins.

In 2012, Hilliard had his first stint as wide receivers coach of the Redskins before joining the Buffalo Bills in 2013 and then returning to Washington for the aforementioned six-year stint.

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