Utah State University Athletics

Kyle Cefalo (Seph-uh-low), who has 11 years of collegiate coaching experience, is in his fourth season at Utah State. After spending his first two seasons as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, Cefalo was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2023. In all, Cefalo has coached in 10 bowl games and been a part of three conference championships.

Cefalo helped Utah State to its third-straight bowl game, including its 11th in the last 13 years, as it played in the 2023 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Cefalo coached a pair of all-Mountain West performers in Jalen Royals (first team) and Terrell Vaughn (second team). Royals was also named a third-team College Football Network All-American as he set the single-season school record with 15 touchdown receptions, which were the second-most in the nation. Royals also became just the 13th player in school history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Following the season, Vaughn was also invited to the Seattle Seahawks rookie mini-camp.

Utah State finished the 2023 season 25th in the nation in total offense (438.6 ypg) and 26th in scoring offense (33.2 ppg).

During the 2022 campaign, Cefalo helped Utah State to an appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl as he coached Brian Cobbs (second team) and Vaughn (honorable mention) to all-MW honors. Following the season, Cobbs signed an NFL free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

In 2021, Cefalo helped Utah State to its best season ever as it tied the school record with 11 wins (11-3), won its first-ever MW Championship with a 46-13 victory at No. 19 San Diego State, posted a 24-13 win against Oregon State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl and finished the year ranked 24th in the nation.

Utah State’s offense set six school records in 2021, including 41 touchdown passes, 4,248 passing yards and three receivers with 10-plus touchdown receptions. USU also tied a pair of school records, including 13 100-yard receiving games.

Utah State finished the 2021 season ranked 15th in the nation in passing offense (303.4 ypg), 23rd in total offense (445.6 ypg), and 33rd in scoring offense (32.6 ppg). USU was also the only FBS  team that had three players with 10 touchdown receptions.

Individually, senior wide receiver Deven Thompkins set three school records in 2021, including 102 receptions for 1,704 yards. Thompkins also tied two school record with six consecutive 100-yard receiving games and nine 100-yard receiving games.

Thompkins, who was named an Associated Press Third-Team All-American and a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, was second in the nation in receiving yards.

Cefalo also coached Derek Wright to honorable mention all-MW honors in 2021, while Thompkins was named first team. Thompkins was also named the MW Offensive Player of the Week twice.

Thompkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Wright (Carolina Panthers) and Savon Scarver (Chicago Bears) all signed NFL free agent contracts, while Brandon Bowling was invited to the Chicago Bears rookie mini-camp.

Cefalo joined Utah State after spending four seasons as the wide receivers coach at Arkansas State, including serving as its special teams co-coordinator his last two years.

During the 2020 season, Cefalo coached the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year in Jonathan Adams Jr., who was named an Associated Press Second-Team All-American. A Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, Adams was third in the nation in receptions (79) and touchdown catches (12), and fifth in receiving yards (1,111). Adams signed an NFL free agent contract with the Detroit Lions.

In 2020, Arkansas State ranked second in the nation in passing offense (364.4 ypg), 14th in total offense (498.7 ypg) and 35th in scoring offense (32.9 ppg). And in 2019, the Red Wolves ranked 10th in the country in passing offense (312.1 ypg), 26th in scoring offense (33.7 ppg) and 33rd in total offense (439.3 ypg).

As special teams co-coordinator, Arkansas State ranked 12th in the nation in kickoff return defense (17.03 ypr). Furthermore, ASU kicker Blake Grupe and punter Cody Grace were both named first-team all-Sun Belt in 2019. Grupe was also a Lou Groza Award semifinalist.

Arkansas State ranked 17th in the country in total offense (466.2 ypg) and 21st in passing yards (281.5 ypg) on its way to the 2018 Arizona Bowl.

Cefalo coached two-time first-team all-Sun Belt selection Kirk Merritt in both 2018 and 2019. Merritt was also tabbed the league’s Newcomer of the Year in 2018 after recording 83 receptions for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns. Merritt signed an NFL free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins.

In 2019, Omar Bayless shattered the school records for both receiving yards (1,653) and receiving touchdowns (17), while also leading the nation in receiving yards per game (127.2). He was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist and earned Walter Camp and Associated Press Second-Team All-America recognition before signing an NFL free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers.

Cefalo’s first season back at Arkansas State in 2017 saw the Red Wolves rank fifth in the nation in passing offense (342.2 ypg), 10th in total offense (494.8 ypg) and 13th in scoring (37.8 ppg).

Cefalo spent the 2016 campaign as a graduate assistant at Maryland, doubling its wins from the previous year and playing in the Quick Lane Bowl.

His three seasons as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State (2013-15) saw the Red Wolves compile three of the top five marks, at the time, in school history for total offense, including a school-record 6,194 yards in 2014. ASU also played in three straight bowl games and won league titles in 2013 and 2015.

Cefalo spent the first six months of 2013 as a recruiting intern at Boise State.

Cefalo enjoyed a successful playing career at Colorado, where he walked on in 2009 before earning a scholarship in the fall of 2011. He originally signed to play baseball at Oregon State, but suffered a season-ending arm injury.

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Cefalo earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Colorado in 2012. He was named to the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll in 2012, as well.

KYLE CEFALO FILE
Coaching History                                                                                                                           
2023-               Utah State – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2021-22           Utah State – Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2019-20           Arkansas State – Special Teams Co-Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2017-18           Arkansas State – Inside Wide Receivers
2016                Maryland – Graduate Assistant
2013-15           Arkansas State – Graduate Assistant
2013                Boise State – Recruiting Intern 
 
Bowl Games (10)                                                                                                         
Utah State (3): 2023 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl; 2022 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl; 2021 LA Bowl 
Arkansas State (6): 2019 Camellia Bowl; 2018 Arizona Bowl; 2017 Camellia Bowl; 2016 Cure Bowl; 2014 GoDaddy.com Bowl; 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl
Maryland (1): 2016 Quick Lane Bowl 
 
Conference Championships (3)                                                                                                               
Utah State (1) – Mountain West, 2021
Arkansas State (2) – Sun Belt Conference, 2015, 2013
 
Playing Experience
2009-11           Colorado – Wide Receiver
 
Education                                                                                                                                                
2012                Colorado – History (B.S.)