Temple University Athletics

Football

Stan Hixon
Stan Hixon
Stan Hixon joined the Temple Owls in March 2017 as wide receivers coach. A 37-year coaching veteran with 10 seasons in the NFL where he helped both Houston and Washington reach the playoffs, he spent the 2016 season consulting at both the professional and college ranks.

Hixon is reunited with Temple head coach Geoff Collins. Hixon was the Georgia Tech wide receivers coach in 1999 while Collins was a graduate assistant. Hixon has spent many years under Bill O’Brien and Chan Gailey, two of Collins’ mentors.

Hixon spent four seasons under O’Brien including two with the Houston Texans after following him from Penn State.

In 2014, Hixon coached one of the top wide receiver duos in the NFL in DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson. Under Hixon, Hopkins had a breakout second season in the pros, setting career highs with 76 receptions for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns. He also managed to eclipse 2,000 yards receiving for his career and became the second-youngest player in NFL history to do so. Additionally, veteran Andre Johnson led the team with 86 receptions and had 936 yards receiving in his 12th season in the league. Johnson and Hopkins had the third-most combined yards receiving of any teammates in the AFC with 2,146 in 2014. Johnson departed in 2015 as a free agent but Hopkins continued to develop setting team records in receptions (111), receiving yards (1,521) and touchdowns (11) en route to the playoffs and his first Pro Bowl berth.

In his time at Penn State (2012-13), Hixon coached Allen Robinson to two of the most prolific seasons for a wide receiver in PSU history as Robinson set school records with 97 receptions and 1,432 yards during the 2013 season. Robinson finished his three-year career at Penn State ranked second in career receptions (177) and third in receiving yardage (2,474) despite only having three catches for 29 yards in the season prior to Hixon’s arrival.

Hixon spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as wide receivers coach of the Buffalo Bills under Gailey. In 2010, he helped Stevie Johnson breakout on the NFL scene, posting career highs and leading the Bills in receptions (82), receiving yards (1,073), and touchdowns (10) and was only the fourth wide receiver to post 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in a season in team history. 

From 2004-09 Hixon was with the Washington Redskins where he guided a veteran unit, led by Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El. Under Hixon’s tutelage in 2008, WR Moss had 79 receptions for 1,044 yards and six touchdowns. This marked the third 1,000-yard receiving season of Moss's career, and his second with 75 or more catches. Additionally in 2008, Randle El recorded 53 receptions for 593 yards and four touchdowns. Hixon guided Moss to a breakout season in 2005 that ended with his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Moss set a new Redskins’ franchise record with 1,483 receiving yards on the season finishing second in the NFL.

Prior to joining the Redskins, Hixon coached four years at LSU (2000-03), where he coached eight players at the college level that went on to careers in the NFL. He served as associate head coach in addition to wide receivers coach and was part of the Tigers’ 2003 NCAA National Championship team. Under Hixon’s guidance, three Tigers had 1,000-yard receiving seasons and he had a player named All-SEC three times.

In 2001, Hixon coached Josh Reed to one of the most dominating seasons ever by a receiver in SEC history. Reed caught a school-record 94 passes for an SEC-record 1,740 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named an All-American and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to college football’s top wide receiver. Reed completed his three-year college career, two of which were coached by Hixon, with a then-SEC record 3,001 receiving yards on 167 receptions.

Prior to LSU, Hixon coached wide receivers at Georgia Tech (1995-99), developing a pair of All-ACC receivers in Kelly Campbell and Dez White. He previously coached running backs for two seasons at Wake Forest (1993-94).

Hixon served as wide receivers coach at South Carolina (1989-92), producing All-American Robert Brooks and Eddie Miller, and at Appalachian State (1983-88). He began his college coaching career overseeing running backs at Morehead State (1980-82).

Hixon was a standout receiver at Iowa State. He starred in the Peach Bowl in 1977 and the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1978. A native of Lakeland, Fla., he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Iowa State and earned his master’s degree at Morehead State. Hixon and his wife, Rebecca, have three children - son Drew and daughters Adele and Avis - and seven grandchildren.