Wagner joins the staff after nearly 20 years between varying levels as a coach, including a stint among the professional ranks, as well as a player in the NFL and NFL Europe. His most recent outing was at Alabama A&M from 2016 to 2017 where he spent two years coaching the offensive line for the Bulldogs.
Prior to his time at AAMU, Wagner coached the offensive line at North Carolina A&T State from 2011 to 2015 that saw the Aggies compile a 36-18 record with him on staff as well as two Co-MEAC Championships in 2014 and 2015. NCAT saw plenty of success in the trenches as Brandon Parker was the 2015 MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year while Ronald Canty was a First Team All-America selection by the AFCA following the 2014 season.
Under the guidance of Wagner, the Aggie offensive line saw three HBCU All-Americans and five All-MEAC selections, while the running back corps produced three MEAC Players of the Year and the 2013 MEAC Freshman of the Year.
Before making his way to NCAT, Wagner coached at Grambling State in 2010 where the Tigers went 9-2 and had Bennie Peoples and Sanford Banks named First Team All-SWAC. The two also paved the way for Frank Warren to take the SWAC Player of the Year award as the offense averaged over 30 points per game.
Wagner’s most recent stop in the state of Texas came at Abilene Christian in the 2009 season as a special teams coordinator and running backs coached. His effort allowed Daryl Richardson and Reggie Brown to land on the All-LSC second team as running backs, while Kendrick Johnson was a First Team All-LSC as a return specialist. He also spent three years coaching at Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, that saw the football team reach the 5A State Playoffs from 2006 to 2008 while six of his players were named First Team All-District.
Throughout his coaching career, Wagner had 10 different student-athletes reach the NFL, the most recent in 2005 while he was the defensive line coach at Central Arkansas as Jacob Ford was an All-GSC selection before landing on the Tennessee Titans. UCA went 11-3 and was the GSC Champion in 2005 as the defensive line held opponents to 2.3 yards per rush while Caleb Bateman joined Ford as an All-GSC honoree.
Two more student-athletes to reach the NFL came during Wagner’s time at Trinity Valley Community College in 2004 as Ahtyba Rubin and Drew Coleman ended up reaching the professional ranks, with Rubin continued his collegiate career at Iowa State before going to the Cleveland Browns while Coleman went to TCU before joining the New York Jets. TVCC ended up ranked in the top 20 in the NJCAA in 2004 as the top-ranked offense in the conference while 10 student-athletes were named All-SWJCFC.
Before Wagner was on staff for the Cardinals, he had his first outing for NCAT in 2001 as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach, where four student-athletes ended on NFL squads. Maurice Hicks, Qasim Mitchell, Junious Costin and Curtis Deloatch all reached the professional level, with Mitchell as the most-decorate of the quartet as he was named First Team All-American, the 2001 MEAC Lineman of the Year, and one of three on the First Team All-MEAC.
Wagner also spent one year as the offensive line coach, special teams coordinator and run game coordinator at Midwestern State, where Bryan Gilmore and Dominic Rhodes ended up in the NFL, while his first coaching stop came at Ranger College that saw Tywon Breaux reach the NFL for the Chicago Bears after he was named All-American and Lineman of the Year under his tutelage.
Wagner’s time in the NFL includes a three-year coaching stop with the San Diego Chargers as part of the Minority Internship Program where, under the direction of head coach Marty Schottenheimer, he was selected to assist in the daily practice and meetings during training camp sessions from 2002-04. His playing experience includes stops with the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Washington Redskins and the Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as a World League Championship in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores in 1996 and a World League Championship appearance with the Rhein Fire in 1997 while also named two-time All-World League.
Collegiate playing experience for Wagner features three years at TCU and one at Abilene Christian, the latter of which he was named First Team All-American in 1994, the LSC Offensive Lineman of the Year and landed on the Team of the Decade.
Wagner prepped at Mary Carroll HS in 1988 where he was a three-year letter winner in football, basketball and baseball. He graduated from MSU Texas in 2000 with a bachelor’s of applied arts and science.
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