NASHVILLE, Tenn. —The Titans have added two assistants to their coaching staff, including Frisman Jackson as the team's new wide receivers coach.
Jackson, who previously served as Temple's passing game coordinator and receivers coach, is a former NFL receiver with over 20 years of football experience.
With the Titans, he'll be reunited with offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie, his former coach when he played for the Cleveland Browns. At Temple, Jackson worked under offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas, an offensive assistant with the Falcons when Titans coach Mike Mularkey and Robiskie coached in Atlanta.
The Titans have also hired Craig Aukerman as assistant special teams coach. Aukerman was special teams coordinator with the San Diego Chargers last season after serving as assistant special teams coach the previous three seasons with the Chargers. Aukerman served as assistant special teams coach and a defensive assistant with the Jaguars prior to that, and also served a year as a defensive assistant with the Broncos.
Steve Hoffman will remain the team's special teams coordinator after replacing Bobby April in October 2016. Under Hoffman, who joined the team in 2013, the Titans made solid improvements on special teams in the second half of the season.
"I was very impressed with Frisman during his visit," Mularkey said. "He is passionate about coaching, smart and detailed. The system they ran at Temple was similar to our system with their offensive coordinator spending time at the Falcons when Terry (Robiskie) and I were there, which should help his integration into our system and staff. Terry also had experience coaching him as a player in Cleveland, so he knows what is expected from the wide receivers. I am excited to have him join our staff."
Aukerman has 17 years of coaching experience – 10 on the college level and seven in the NFL.
"I have worked with Craig in the past and he will be a good fit for this staff," said Mularkey. "He is a very good young coach, who has high energy and is a great teacher."
Jackson will take over a group paced by receiver Rishard Matthews, who led the Titans with 65 catches for 945 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his first season with the team in 2016.
Jackson joined Temple's staff in 2015 as receivers coach, and then added the role of passing game coordinator. Prior to that he spent two seasons as the receivers coach at North Carolina State. In 2014, the Wolfpack had five different receivers with at least 20 receptions and one touchdown.
He also previously coached at Western Illinois (2008-09), Akron (2010-11) and Northern Illinois (2012).
While at Northern Illinois, Jackson coached Martel Moore, who earned first-team All-MAC honors as the Huskies won the conference championship and played Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Moore produced 1,083 receiving yards and 13 touchdown receptions that season.
Jackson played four seasons in the National Football League as a wide receiver after initially joining the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played in 34 games for the Browns from 2002-05, where Robiskie served as both his receivers coach and offensive coordinator. During that time, Jackson totaled 40 receptions for 490 yards and one touchdown.
A quarterback/receiver in college, Jackson starred at Northern Illinois before transferring Western Illinois.
With the Titans, Jackson inherits a group that's certain to add some new faces during the course of the offseason.
In addition to Matthews, veteran Harry Douglas also remains under contract for 2017. Tajae Sharpe is coming off a rookie season when he produced 41 catches for 522 yards and two touchdowns, and Tre McBride is headed into his third year. Receivers Kendall Wright and Marc Mariani both have expiring contracts.
Earlier this month, the Titans parted ways with wide receivers coach Bob Bratkowski and assistant wide receivers coach Jason Tucker.
FRISMAN JACKSON COACHING TIMELINE
2016 Temple – Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2015 Temple – Wide Receivers
2013-14 North Carolina State - Wide Receivers
2012 Northern Illinois - Wide Receivers
2010-11 Akron - Wide Receivers
2008-09 Western Illinois – Wide Receivers
CRAIG AUKERMAN COACHING TIMELINE
2016 San Diego Chargers - Special Teams Coordinator
2013-15 San Diego Chargers - Assistant Special Teams
2012 Jacksonville Jaguars – Assistant Special Teams
2011 Jacksonville Jaguars – Defensive Assistant
2010 Denver Broncos – Defensive Assistant
2009 Kent State - Linebackers
2005-08 Miami (Ohio) - Linebackers & Co-Special Teams Coordinator
2003-04 Western Kentucky – Linebackers & Special Teams Coordinator
2001-02 Miami (Ohio) – Graduate Assistant
2000 University of Findlay – Wide Receivers
