By Blake dowson | [email protected]
The number of wide-receiver flameouts at Iowa over the past five years vastly outnumbers the success stories at the position. For every Matt VandeBerg, there are three or four Jay Scheels.
A couple of things could be to blame — Iowa doesn’t use wide receivers all that much in its power-running offense, so it’s inherently difficult to persuade highly touted receiver recruits to come and catch 30 balls per season.
Iowa also doesn’t have the talent pool in-state to have wide receivers fall into its lap. Kirk Ferentz runs a developmental program, and it’s been a lot easier to find big in-state linemen to mold into all-conference players than it is to find skill position players who can be split out wide and make an impact.
Of course, coaching the position has something to do with the development of the players as well, and the football program announced on Tuesday that Kelton Copeland will be the guy to buck the recent trend of wide receiver fallouts.
“Kelton … has been an assistant coach who has played a key role in the success of the programs he has been involved with,” Ferentz said in a release. “His players and special-team units have posted great accomplishments, and he is very well respected as an up-and-coming assistant coach. Both Tim [Polasek] and Kelton add vibrant personalities to our staff. We expect both will be a great fit for our entire program, the university, and the community.”
Copeland comes to Iowa City from Northern Illinois, where he coached the wide receivers and coordinated the special teams in 2016. Before that, he served as the running-back coach for the Huskies from 2013-15.
He graduated from Emporia State in 2002, and he has moved his way up the coaching ladder rather quickly since then.
Copeland has made coaching stops at alma mater Emporia State, Northwood University, Coffeyville Community College, South Dakota, and Northern Illinois.
“It has been a goal of mine to advance my coaching career to this level,” Copeland said in a release. “I have admired and respected Coach Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa program, and I am extremely thankful to join the Iowa football staff.”
Copeland was in charge of Kenny Golladay last season at Northern Illinois, a first-team All-MAC selection at wideout.
Golladay racked up 1,156 yards and 8 touchdowns last season on 87 receptions, and ended his career with almost 2,300 yards with 18 touchdowns and 160 catches.
Now, Copeland takes over a receiving corps at Iowa that underperformed last season.
VandeBerg is back for another season, which will help the first-year coach immensely. Beyond that, there is work to do.
Jerminic Smith is still a promising player, though he didn’t have the breakout year many expected from him in 2016.
The rest of the receivers who will likely see the field — sophomores Ryan Boyle and Devonte Young, and juniors Adrian Falconer and Nick Easley — have yet to prove themselves.