Anthony Tucker is in his third season as a Red Wolves assistant coach, including his second as the running backs coach after serving as wide receivers coach in 2013.
Tucker helped lead the Red Wolves to their third consecutive Sun Belt Conference championship in 2013 and back-to-back GoDaddy Bowls the last two seasons.
His first season as the running backs coach saw the Red Wolves break the school records for total offense (6,194 yards), average yards total offense (476.5 yards per game), total plays (1,024), points scored (477) and touchdowns scored. A-State ranked No. 18 in the nation in scoring offense, No. 25 in rushing offense and No. 30 in first downs.
The squad recorded over 200 rushing yards in six games, including a season-high 469 during its regular-season finale that were the 11th most in the nation for a single game during 2014. A-State’s 9.2 average per carry against the Aggies ranked as the fourth highest in school history. The team also averaged 4.9 yards per carry for the entire season, which tied the seventh highest ever at A-State. The Red Wolves amassed 35 rushing touchdowns, their most ever as an FBS member and most at any level since 1987. Additionally, A-State rushed for 2,813 yards, including 1,836 by the running backs, for its third most since joining the FBS in 1992.
Tucker coached second team All-Sun Belt Conference pick Michael Gordon, who rushed for a career-high 1,100 yards that were the eighth most in school history for a single season despite missing over two full games with an injury. Gordon averaged 100.0 yards per game to rank fourth in the Sun Belt and 29th in the nation. Under Tucker’s direction, Gordon also compiled a career-best 13 rushing touchdowns that were the seventh most in school history and ranked as the 26th most in the nation. Gordon averaged 6.9 yards per rush to rank seventh in the nation as well.
Tucker also tutored walk-on redshirt freshman Johnston White, who was named Sporting News’ “Biggest Overachiever” in the Sun Belt Conference after rushing for 514 yards and six touchdowns. White was a Burlsworth Trophy Award nominee for the top walk-on player in the nation.
Tucker led the Red Wolves’ receiving corps in 2013, and the group was responsible for 71 percent of the team’s receiving yards and touchdowns and 68 percent of its total catches. A-State’s top three receivers all recorded at least 29 receptions, including J.D. McKissic with a team-high 82 that ranked as the third most in school history. Additionally, Julian Jones enjoyed the best season of his career with 52 receptions that were the 10th most in A-State history. Jones signed a rookie free agent contract with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in 2014. McKissic racked up 662 receiving yards and Jones posted a career-high 641. The duo, along with fellow receiver Allen Muse, was responsible for 10 of the team’s 14 touchdown catches.
McKissic was recognized as first team All-Sun Belt Conference for his efforts and named the GoDaddy Bowl Offensive MVP, while Muse was responsible for scoring the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds left in the contest. Both Jones and Muse were ranked among the top-10 players in the league in receptions and McKissic also made the list for receiving yards.
Tucker came to Arkansas State after spending the previous two seasons at Idaho State, where he coached wide receivers for a squad that ranked among the top 10 in the nation in passing yards in back-to-back years. Led by All-America wide receiver Rodrick Rumble, the Bengals averaged 351.6 passing yards per game in 2012 to rank fourth nationally, while the 2011 team held the nation's ninth-best average at 300.6 yards per game.
The Tucker-coached Rumble later signed with the Indianapolis Colts and was named to multiple All-America teams during his career, which he finished as Idaho State's all-time leader in receptions (223) and receiving yards (2,863). Rumble finished among the top-10 players in the nation in receptions and receiving yards as both a junior and senior.
Prior to joining Idaho State, Tucker served the 2010 season as Colorado's Offensive Technical Assistant under then-head coach Dan Hawkins. Tucker went to Colorado after spending the 2006-09 seasons as Lakewood (Calif.) High School's Passing Game Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach. He also coached the wide receivers in the Best of the West Quarterback and Wide Receivers Skills Camp in 2008 and 2009 in Lakewood.
Tucker spent four seasons in the NFL, signing as a free agent with the New York Giants in 1999 and later earning a spot on the team's practice squad in 2000. He was allocated to NFL Europe from the Giants in 2001 and played for the Amsterdam Admirals. He signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2002 and then suffered a career-ending leg injury.
A three-year letterman at Fresno State, Tucker started at wide receiver his last two seasons with the Bulldogs. Tucker earned his bachelor of science degree in criminology in 1999 from Fresno State, where he was a WAC Scholar-Athlete, member of the dean's list three times and earned President's List honors one time for having a 4.0 GPA.
Tucker was a football and track and field star at Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, Calif., under coach John Barnes, the winningest coach in Orange County history. Tucker helped his team complete a perfect 14-0 record his senior season in 1993 to win the school's third straight CIF championship. He was a team captain on the track, where he participated in hurdles and sprinting events.
