JONESBORO, Arkansas — A familiar face could be back on the sidelines in Jonesboro.
According to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports, former Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin will join Butch Jones' staff as the running backs coach.
Aplin spent the 2020 season as the Co-Offensive Coordinator at Western Kentucky. Prior to his stint in Owensboro, Aplin was the Offensive Coordinator at North Alabama from 2018-19, and the wide receivers coach at both UT-Chattanooga (2017) and North Alabama (2016).
Aplin is best remember by fans as a star quarterback for the Red Wolves from 2008-2012. The former two-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year played under both Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn, leading A-State to back-to-back conference championships in 2011 and 2012.
In 2011, Aplin threw for 3,588 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 10 more scores. He improved on those numbers under Malzahn in 2012, upping his accuracy to 68 percent and throwing only four interceptions. He was responsible for 30 total touchdowns; throwing for 24 while rushing for six more.
He completed his four-year career with more than 25 combined single-game, season and career school records and became the Sun Belt Conference's all-time leader in completions, passing yards and total offense.