Steve Farmer - Football Coach - Texas Tech Red Raiders

Steve Farmer

Title:
Offensive Line Coach

Steve Farmer enters his third season as the offensive line coach at Texas Tech, bringing 22 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level, including nine seasons as an offensive coordinator.

Over his two seasons, Farmers has mentored one of college football’s top offensive lines as the Red Raiders have allowed only 34 sacks during that span despite attempting 929 passes. Texas Tech has ranked in the top 30 for fewest sacks allowed in both of Farmer’s two seasons as the Red Raiders have been steady in protecting the quarterback even with the high number of pass attempts.

Five different Red Raiders have garnered All-Big 12 accolades under Farmer as Travis Bruffy was a second-team honoree in 2019, while Jack Anderson was named to the first team in 2020 with Dawson Deaton earning second-team recognition. Deaton was previously an honorable mention pick alongside Terence Steele in Farmer’s debut season, while Weston Wright collected the same honor the following year.

Texas Tech had not previously had two offensive lineman named to either the first or second teams prior to 2020 when Anderson and Deaton, two former high school teammates, were recognized. It was the first time the Red Raiders had both a first team and second team honoree in more than 20 years since the 1999 season early in Texas Tech’s tenure in the Big 12.

The Red Raiders have sent two offensive lineman to the NFL under Farmer as Steele signed as an undrafted free agent agreement with the Dallas Cowboys following the 2019 season. He was a regular at right tackle as right tackle in 2020, becoming only the fourth offensive tackle in the Super Bowl era and the ninth in NFL history to start at least 14 games as an undrafted free agent.

Anderson, meanwhile, was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, which marked the first time a Red Raider offensive lineman had been picked since Le’Raven Clark in 2016. He was the first Red Raider to be chosen by the Bills since 1988.

Farmer followed head coach Matt Wells to Lubbock shortly after his hire at Texas Tech as he was previously in a similar capacity at Utah State. Farmer served three seasons as Utah State’s offensive line coach, helping build the Aggies into one of the top offenses in the country.

Utah State boasted one of the top offensive lines nationally in 2018, ranking tied for fourth in the FBS after only allowing 10 sacks despite attempting 465 passes on the year. Farmer’s unit trailed the likes of Army, Air Force and Florida International in sacks allowed, all of which ranked among the bottom 50 teams nationally in fewest passes attempted.

In fact, the Aggies were one of only three teams in the country to rank in the top 10 for fewest sacks allowed and the top 30 for pass attempts, joining both Washington State and N.C. State. Utah State surrendered only four of its 10 sacks allowed during Mountain West play alone.

Backed by its offensive line, Utah State averaged 47.5 points per game in 2018, finishing second nationally only behind Oklahoma thanks to a balanced attack on the ground and through the air. The Aggies were one of just three teams in the FBS to rank in the top 20 for passing and the top 35 for rushing offense, joining both Oklahoma and Houston.

Utah State closed the 2018 season at 11-2 overall, matching the single-season school record for wins. The Aggies ended the year at No. 21 in the final Amway Coaches’ poll and 22nd in the Associated Press poll, marking only the fourth time in school history Utah State has finished a season in the AP rankings.

Under Farmer’s guidance, four Aggie offensive linemen received 2018 All-Mountain West honors. Quin Ficklin collected first-team accolades, while Roman Andrus was tabbed to the second team and Rob Castaneda and Sean Taylor were named honorable mention selections. It marked the first time Utah State placed multiple offensive linemen on either the All-Conference first or second teams since 2012 when the Aggies were members of the Western Athletic Conference.

Over his three-year tenure, Farmer tutored a total of nine offensive linemen who earned All-Mountain West accolades as Roman Andrus and Quin Ficklin were recognized in 2017, while Austin Albrecht, Jake Simonich and Austin Stephens were honored in 2016. Simonich and Stephens both went on to sign NFL free agent contracts with the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers, respectively.

Prior to Utah State, Farmer spent six seasons as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe from 2010-15, his second stint with the Warhawks. Farmer was also on Monroe’s staff from 2004-08, beginning as the offensive line coach from 2004-06 before earning a promotion to co-offensive coordinator in 2007. He was the sole offensive coordinator during his final season.

In his second stint at Monroe, Farmer mentored 17 offensive players who garnered various All-Sun Belt Conference honors, including quarterback Kolton Browning, who was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2012. Browning helped lead Monroe to eight wins that season and an appearance in the Independence Bowl, the school’s first postseason trip since transitioning to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level in 1995.

Browning was named a Freshman All-American by College Football News in 2010 after throwing for 2,552 yards and 18 touchdowns. He tied the Monroe school records for touchdown passes in a game (5) and consecutive games with 200-plus passing yards (8) before closing his career as the school’s all-time leader for passing yards (10,263), pass completions (951), pass attempts (1,577) and touchdown passes (81).

During his first stay in Monroe, Farmer produced one of the best offensive lines in school history as his 2007 unit paved the way for Calvin Dawson, a two-time Sun Belt rushing champion, to his best season as a Warhawk with 1,414 yards on the ground. Dawson ended his career with 3,378 rushing yards, the most in Monroe history.

The Warhawks led the Sun Belt in fewest sacks allowed from 2004-06 after combining to surrender only 28 during that stretch. Monroe ranked second in the FBS with seven sacks allowed in 2004 before finishing fourth with only eight sacks a year later and then fifth in 2006 with 13 sacks given up.

Monroe shared its first Sun Belt title in 2005 after finishing 5-2 in conference play. The Warhawks added a historic victory two years later, traveling to Tuscaloosa to shock Alabama, 21-14, in the regular-season finale. The victory marked only Monroe’s second victory over an SEC opponent in its history at the time.

In between his two stints in Monroe, Farmer returned to his alma mater, Illinois State, where he served as the offensive coordinator in 2009. Farmer was previously a first team All-Missouri Valley Conference honoree at center for the Redbirds in 1998 and a member of Illinois State’s 1998 FCS playoff team.

Farmer, who began his collegiate career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, remained on the Illinois State staff for two seasons, coaching the tight ends in 1998 and then the defensive tackles in 1999. Illinois State reached the NCAA FCS semifinals in 1999, his final year on staff.

Farmer moved from there into his first offensive line position at Eastern Illinois where his unit allowed only 17 sacks over the 2001-02 campaigns. Eastern Illinois averaged over 35 points per game en route to winning the Ohio Valley Conference titles each of his two seasons. Farmer mentored eight All-Ohio Valley linemen during that stretch as the Panthers made two appearances in the NCAA I-AA playoffs. Farmer departed the Eastern Illinois staff in 2003, moving to Eastern Michigan for one season.

Farmer earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Illinois State in 1999. He and his wife, Amy, have a daughter, Rebekah, and a son, Luke.

STEVE FARMER COACHING HISTORY
2019-Present – Texas Tech Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
2016-18 – Utah State Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
2012-15 – Louisiana-Monroe Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator (Offensive Line)
2010-11 – Louisiana-Monroe Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator (Tight Ends)
2009 – Illinois State Offensive Coordinator
2008 – Louisiana-Monroe Offensive Coordinator (Offensive Line)
2007 – Louisiana-Monroe Co-Offensive Coordinator (Offensive Line)
2004-06 – Louisiana-Monroe Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
2003 – Eastern Michigan Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
2001-02 – Eastern Illinois Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
1999 – Illinois State Assistant Coach (Defensive Tackles)
1998 – Illinois State Assistant Coach (Tight Ends)

What a great night of fellowship with the HOGS! I’m looking forward to working with them this year! Family! #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/8dWNYra0Lt
— Coach Steve Farmer (@CoachFarmerTTU) February 20, 2020