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Wayne State University Athletics

Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon

UPDATED January 16, 2023
  • Concluded his 14th season with the Warriors in the fall of 2022
  • Completed 16th year as collegiate coach in the fall of 2022 since starting as a student assistant at Hope in 2007
  • Mentored 25 Academic All-GLIAC recipients in the last nine years (2014-2022)

Jeff Reardon completed his 10th consecutive year and 14th total at Wayne State in the fall of 2022.  He re-joined the staff in March of 2013 as the tight ends coach after spending the 2012 campaign as the secondary coach at Baldwin Wallace University.

He moved to quarterbacks coach for the 2014 campaign and spent his ninth year coaching the signal callers in 2022.  Reardon, who also served as the passing game coordinator for the sixth straight season in 2022, was named offensive coordinator in the spring of 2021.

This past fall (2022), four of his student-athletes garnered Academic All-GLIAC honors, including three on the Excellence Team (cumulative GPA 3.5+).

In 2021, WSU ranked second in the GLIAC in both third-down conversion percentage (40%) and yards per completion (13.1), third in rushing yards per game (181.5), yards per carry (4.8), total offense per game (359.5) and first downs per game (18.5), and fourth in scoring (24.1 points per game), passing yards per game (178.1), touchdown passes (15) and red zone touchdown percentage (57%).

In addition, four student-athletes (Jake AmRhein, Caleb Green, Josh Kulka and Jay Solano) were named to the 2021 GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team for maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5.

Reardon mentored three GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honorees during 2020-21 in Jake AmRhein, Frank Potenza III and Jay Solano.

In 2019, Reardon mentored two Academic All-GLIAC honorees in AmRhein and Dakota Kupp.  AmRhein was a GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team member, while Kupp was named to the Honorable Mention All-GLIAC Team.

Kupp and AmRhein helped the Warriors to a 7-1 GLIAC record as WSU led the conference (league games only) in both red zone offense (83% - 19-of-23) and time of possession (31:42), while ranking second in scoring offense (29.6 points per game), passing touchdowns (13) and third-down conversion percentage (41% - 43-of-105).  Wayne State was 24th nationally in fewest interceptions thrown (7) and 28th in yards per completion (14.61).

During the 2018 season, AmRhein finished 29th nationally in yards per completion (13.95) and was also a GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team selection.  Christian Klink earned a spot on the GLIAC All-Academic Team.

In 2017, he tutored four Academic All-GLIAC honorees, including AmRhein, who earned All-Academic Excellence recognition.  WSU ranked 18th nationally in fewest passes had intercepted (6), 15th in time of possession (32:54), 33rd in fewest sacks allowed (1.36 per game), 37th in red zone offense (84.8%) and 45th in third-down conversion (42.2%).  In addition, D.J. Zezula was 23rd nationally in passing efficiency rating (152.3) and 33rd in passing yards per completion (13.47).

He mentored Honorable Mention All-GLIAC selection D.J. Zezula in 2016, plus had three of his quarterbacks (Klink, Trevor Van Tubbergen and Zezula) receive Academic All-GLIAC recognition.  Under Reardon's guidance, the QBs helped WSU score the third-most TD in the GLIAC (52), finish sixth nationally in rushing offense (273.4 ypg) and 23rd in yards per completion (14.59).

He guided two 2015 Academic All-GLIAC recipients in Carl Roscoe and Van Tubbergen, along with WSU's Offensive Rookie of the Year in true freshman quarterback D.J. Zezula.  In addition, Roscoe was the recipient of the squad's Randy Guzowski Award which goes to the individual who has demonstrated team leadership and shown exemplary school and community citizenship.

In 2015, the WSU offense ranked 18th nationally in yards per completion (14.83), 21st in red zone offense (86.8%), 33rd in time of possession (31:44) and 43rd in rushing offense (194.0 yards per game) with Zezula ranking 13th nationally in yards per completion (15.01), 24th in yards per attempt (8.46) and 49th in passing efficiency rating (140.9).

In 2014, Reardon tutored Roscoe who finished ninth in the NCAA in passing yards per completion (15.09) and 16th in passing yards per attempt (8.59).  In addition, WSU was third nationally in red zone offense at 90.5 percent.  Roscoe was also an Academic All-GLIAC honoree for 2014.

Reardon also guided kickers Paul Graham and Majd Khytaz in 2014.  Both were Academic All-GLIAC selections with Graham tying for the national lead in field goal percentage (93.3%) and finishing 19th in field goals made per game (1.27).  In addition to being WSU's Special Teams MVP, Graham was Second Team All-GLIAC, a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award and was named to the Beyond Sports Network All-Super Region 4 Third Team.

In his first season back in Detroit in 2013, Reardon mentored three Academic All-GLIAC selections (Trent Brodbeck, Aaron Weston and Ethan Walsh) with both Brodbeck and Weston being named to the All-Academic Excellence team.

At BWU in 2012, he tutored All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) safety Tom Goebel, who was second on the team with 61 total tackles, tied for the team lead with three interceptions, and led the squad with eight total pass breakups.  The Yellow Jackets compiled a 7-3 record.

Reardon originally joined the Wayne State football staff in March of 2008 and served as an assistant defensive backs coach in both 2008 and 2009 after serving as a student assistant coach at Hope in the fall of 2007.

After working at Hope during the spring of 2010, he returned to WSU in the summer of 2010 to serve as video coordinator and safeties coach.

The 2011 squad ranked 14th nationally in sacks (3.00 per game), 39th in rushing defense (123.31 yards per game), and 49th in scoring defense (23.88 points per game) as Wayne State reached the national championship game for the first time in school history.  The Warriors were ranked second in the final AFCA poll after setting a school record with 12 overall wins, four playoff victories, and eight triumphs on the road.

Two of his players received conference all-academic honors, while senior safety Jeremy Jones was voted GLIAC Defensive Back of the Year as well as to numerous All-America squads.

In 2010, Jones became the first WSU defensive player in school history to earn First Team All-America accolades (Daktronics All-America First Team).

Wayne State was tied-for-34th nationally in sacks (2.45 per game) in 2010, 38th in scoring defense (20.73 points per game), 50th in total defense (330.45 yards per game) and 52nd in passing efficiency (116.72 rating).

In 2009, he helped coach one all-league performer (Jones) and four academic all-conference selections (Joe Claiborne, Aaron Cornett, Kenny Loney and Brent Wisniewski).

A 2007 graduate of Hope College, he was named to the 2006-07 MIAA Academic Honor Roll and also lettered in football in 2005 and 2006.

The Stanwood native graduated from Sturgis High School in 2003.  Jeff and Lauren are the proud parents of daughters Sadie and Sydnie.

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