Ced Douglas is in his first season with Utah State as the defensive run game coordinator and defensive line coach. In all, Douglas has 11 years of collegiate coaching experience and has coached in three bowl games, while winning one conference championship.
Douglas came to Utah State after spending the past three years as the defensive line coach at Buffalo. During the 2023 season, Douglas helped coach a Bulls defense that allowed just 187.2 passing yards per game to rank 21st in the nation. Furthermore, defensive end Max Michel ranked fifth on the team in total tackles with 46, while posting 5.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. He also ranked third in the nation with four forced fumbles.
During the 2022 season, Buffalo won just its third bowl game in program history with a victory against Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl. Defensively, the Bulls scored three touchdowns during the season to rank 12th in the nation. Buffalo also allowed opponents to convert just 35.6 percent of its third downs, which ranked 41st in the nation.
Following the 2022 season with the Bulls, Douglas was selected to participate in the 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
The Bulls had an aggressive defensive line in 2021 under Douglas, ranking second in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in sacks per game (3.1). In Buffalo’s win over Akron, the Bulls had a program-record 11.0 sacks, including a school-record 3.5 sacks by one defensive lineman, breaking Khalil Mack’s school record.
In 2021, defensive tackle Daymond Williams was named second team all-MAC as he led the Bulls and ranked sixth in the conference with 6.5 sacks, while adding 46 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.
Prior to joining Buffalo, Douglas spent two seasons (2019-20) as defensive line coach at Massachusetts.
Douglas worked with a youthful defensive line throughout the 2019 season, that featured 13 different starters due to injuries. In total, the defensive line accounted for 215 tackles during the year, including 22.0 TFLs.
Prior to his time at Massachusetts, Douglas helped Arkansas State reach back-to-back bowl games in 2017 and 2018, during which he was a graduate assistant working with the defensive line. His efforts in guiding the defensive line led to a pair of major awards for Red Wolves standouts, as Ja’Von Rolland-Jones was named the 2017 Sun Belt Player of the Year and Ronheen Bingham was named the 2018 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.
The 2018 Arkansas State team went 8-5, including five wins in the Sun Belt and earned a berth in the Arizona Bowl. The defensive line featured prominently into the team’s success as the Red Wolves’ defense ranked 13th in the nation in tackles for loss, 17th in total defense, 21st in first down defense and 27th in red zone defense.
Arkansas State finished Douglas’ first year with a 7-5 record, including a 6-2 mark in the Sun Belt and an appearance in the Camellia Bowl. That defense ranked sixth nationally with 8.8 tackles for loss per game.
Douglas spent the 2016 season as defensive line coach and academic liaison at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. That year, the Blue Dragons ranked 12th in the nation in scoring defense (18.0 ppg), 10th in total defense (242.0 ypg) and 13th in rushing defense (91.0 ypg). Hutchinson’s defense also led the conference and ranked 14th nationally in sacks with 44, and the defensive line accounted for 24.5 of those to go along with 74.5 tackles for loss.
Douglas went to Hutchinson after serving as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas in 2015. The Red Ravens posted an 8-3 record, while their offense ranked fifth in the nation in scoring (over 50 ppg) and eighth in total offense (over 480 ypg). He coached second team all-Jayhawk Conference selection Trevor Neloms, as well.
The 2013 and 2014 seasons saw Douglas coach at Ave Maria University in Florida in multiple roles. Working as the running backs and return specialist coach in 2013, Douglas was part of the staff that achieved the program’s first winning season while also being recognized as the NAIA Independent Conference champions.
In 2013, Douglas tutored USCAA All-America running back Scott Jones, who led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns, while the kick return unit averaged 23.2 yards per attempt. Ave Maria went 8-2 on the year, the most wins in the history of the program.
Douglas was promoted to recruiting coordinator in 2014 and moved from running backs coach to wide receivers coach. The 2014 season saw his receiving corps post over 2,200 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, both of which led the conference.
Douglas began his coaching career at Lincoln High School in the fall of 2012, operating as the varsity outside linebackers and running backs coach.
The Milan, Mich., native was a member of the Northern Michigan football team from 2007-11, appearing in 35 games as an outside linebacker and defensive end, while recording 89 tackles, 9.0 sacks and two interceptions.
Douglas earned his bachelor’s degree in special education/secondary education from Northern Michigan in 2011.
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CED DOUGLAS FILE
Coaching History
2024-              Utah State – Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line
2021-23          Buffalo – Defensive Line
2019-20          Massachusetts – Defensive Line
2017-18          Arkansas State – Graduate Assistant
2016               Hutchinson CC – Defensive Line
2015               Coffeyville CC – Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends
2014               Ave Maria University – Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2013               Ave Maria University – Running Backs/Return Specialist
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Bowl Games (3)
Buffalo (1): 2022 Camellia Bowl
Arkansas State (2): 2018 Arizona Bowl; 2017 Camellia Bowl
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Conference Championships (1)
Ave Maria (1): 2013 NAIA Independent Conference
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Playing Experience
2007-11          Northern Michigan – Outside Linebacker
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Education
2011               Northern Michigan – Special Education/Secondary Education
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