(STILLWATER, Oklahoma / January 27, 2019) – Sean Gleeson is Oklahoma State’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, head coach Mike Gundy announced today. 

Gleeson comes to OSU from Princeton, where he engineered one of the most explosive offenses in the Football Championship Subdivision and helped the Tigers to an undefeated 2018 season. In Gleeson’s six years on staff, Princeton won three Ivy League championships.  

In addition to posting a perfect record in 2018, Princeton led the FCS in scoring offense by averaging 47.0 points per game and ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense (second with 536.8 yards per game), rushing offense (sixth with 295.5 yards per game), third-down conversion percentage (second with a mark of 53.4 percent) and pass efficiency (seventh with a mark of 161.26). The Tigers’ 470 points scored in 2018 set an Ivy League record.

Coached directly by Gleeson, Tiger quarterback John Lovett excelled as a dual-threat performer in 2018. Lovett led the Ivy League by averaging 303.0 yards of total offense per game – passing for 203.7 yards per game and rushing for 99.3 yards per contest. He ranked second in the league in both of those categories. Lovett threw 18 touchdown passes against just three interceptions and completed 66.1 percent of his passes. 

Lovett won 2018 Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors over his teammate, Jesper Horsted. It marked the first time in Ivy League history that two teammates were finalists for Offensive Player of the Year award.

In his first year as offensive coordinator, quarterback Chad Kanoff earned Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year honors, but did it in a different way than Lovett. Kanoff was a pro-style passer who set the Ivy League single-season record with 3,474 passing yards. 

“We are excited to have Sean join our staff,” Gundy said. “He comes with expertise in quarterback play. Both his offenses the last two years have dominated the Ivy League and have produced two different quarterbacks who were named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year.”

During Gleeson’s time as offensive coordinator, 18 members of the 2017 and 2018 Princeton offenses earned All-Ivy League honors, including first-team honors for Kanoff in 2017, Lovett in 2018, Horsted (twice), and OL Mitchell Sweigart. Horsted ended his career with several single-season and career receiving records, while Sweigart became Princeton’s first lineman to earn multiple first-team All-Ivy honors since 2000-01.

The 2018 Princeton recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the FCS by 247sports.com and included four-star quarterback Brevin White, who turned down an offer from Alabama to be coached by Gleeson at Princeton.

“What attracted me to Oklahoma State was Coach Gundy and his leadership,” Gleeson said. “You look around the landscape of college football and see how long he has been there. He’s built a consistent winner and has a great staff to work with.  Now I’m excited to get pointed in the direction of the players and get to work.”

Gleeson joined the Princeton staff in 2013 in the role of running backs coach. He held that position before being elevated to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2017. 

In his first year on staff, the Tigers won the Ivy League and ranked second nationally in scoring offense with 43.7 points per game. 

In Gleeson’s six years at Princeton, the Tigers’ offense averaged 36.9 points per game, which marked the program’s highest output over a six-year stretch in program history.

“There’s a ton of overlap between the system that I have been in and Oklahoma State’s,” Gleeson said. “As a coordinator, I believe in an offensive system that allows our players to be fast and physical. But, most of all, I think what will be noticed on Saturdays is how hungry we play the game.”

Gleeson played quarterback at Williams College, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in English. 

While at Williams, Gleeson was the highest-rated passer in the New England Small College Athletic Conference in 2005 (minimum 100 attempts), with a rating of 163.6. His team finished 8-0 in 2006. He received the Farley Award that year, which is presented to the member of the football team who demonstrates superior qualities of dedication, loyalty and sacrifice for the betterment of the team.

His first job after graduation came at Delbarton School in New Jersey, where he served as a teacher and coached football, baseball and bowling. His first job in college football came as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Fairleigh Dickinson from 2011-12, before he moved on to Princeton.

Personal

Gleeson and his wife, Lauren, have two sons, Eamon and Patrick. 

 

Year by Year

2017-18: Princeton – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks

2013-16: Princeton – Running backs. Also special teams coordinator in 2016.

2011-12: Fairleigh Dickinson – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks

2007-11: Delbarton School – Teacher and coach (football, baseball and bowling)

 

Prominent Pupils

John Lovett, Princeton 

Jesper Horsted, Princeton

Chad Kanoff, Princeton

Joe Rhattigan, Princeton