The Wolf Pack Coaches Show for October 27, 2011 with Ryan Radtke. Guests on this show are Chris Ault, Scott Baumgartner and Jeff Nady.
In 2010, the Wolf Pack receiving corps made tremendous strides under the direction of veteran coach Scott Baumgartner. Now in his eighth season at Nevada - his seventh as the wide receivers coach - Baumgartner has a good mix to work with in terms of experience veterans and young talent.
Baumgartner has guided a handful of 1,000-yard receivers in his time and though Nevada did not have one in 2010, the Pack's receivers became a dangerous threat within the Pistol offense. Rishard Matthews earned second-team All-WAC honors in his first year with the Pack after leading the team in catches (56), yards (879) and touchdowns (5) during his junior season. Matthews also won Offensive MVP honors in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl game and he is expected to be a focal point of the offense in 2011.
The receiving corps was dealt a blow going into the season as junior Brandon Wimberly, the 2009 WAC Freshman of the Year, will miss the 2011 season due to medical reasons.
Baumgartner has a pair of seniors coming back who will be seeking starting roles alongside Matthews in Tray Session and Shane Anderson. Session will be looking to build on the past two seasons in which he combined for 48 catches and five touchdowns while Anderson, who has build a reputation as a strong blocker in the run game, caught his first career TD pass in 2010. Senior Corbin Louks could also factor in for Baumgartner after converting from safety in the offseason.
Leading the underclassmen is sophomore L.J. Washington, who was emerging as a true freshman in 2009 before a knee injury cut that season short and use his redshirt season in 2010. Redshirt freshmen Aaron Bradley and Necho Beard are also expected to contribute.
With Matthews earning All-WAC honors in 2010, it marked the third straight season that one of Baumgartner's pupils earned all-league accolades as Wimberly was a second-team All-WAC pick in 2009. In 2008, Baumgartner mentored a 1,000-yard receiver for the second straight season as Marko Mitchell had 61 catches for 1,141 yards and 10 touchdowns. Mitchell, a 2009 draftee of the Washington Redskins, is now with the Detroit Lions. He was selected first-team All-WAC in 2008. That same year, Baumgartner had three receivers with at least 40 receptions and 500 yards in Mitchell, Mike McCoy and Chris Wellington.
In 2007, Baumgartner developed Mitchell into a 1,000-yard receiver and the Wolf Pack wideouts caught 17 touchdown passes, and three different players (Mitchell, McCoy and Kyle Sammons) each had at least 30 catches, 600 yards and four touchdowns.
In the previous seasons, Baumgartner helped wide receiver Caleb Spencer earn All-WAC honors and finish among Nevada's career leaders in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
In 2004, his first year in Reno, Baumgartner worked the quarterbacks - including Jeff Rowe, who would go on to the NFL - in his first season at Nevada and has also been an integral part of the Wolf Pack's special teams over the years. In 2005, punter Justin Bergendahl earned first-team All-WAC honors after ranking in the national top 50 in punting.
Prior to arriving in Reno, Baumgartner, who has more than 20 years of college coaching experience, spent the eight years coaching receivers, quarterbacks and special teams at Central Missouri State.
A noted West Coast recruiter, Baumgartner hails from California and has many ties to high school and junior college coaches throughout the Golden State from his time as an assistant coach at West Valley College in Saratoga, Calif., and as a player at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif. He coached four years at West Valley College (1992-95), and spent four seasons at his alma mater, Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore. (1988-91).
The File on Scott Baumgardner
Born: June 19, 1965 Hometown: La Mirada, Calif. Family: Wife - Lori, Stepdaughter - McKenzie, Stepson - Tyler Education Bachelor's, Physical Education and Health, Pacific (Ore.), 1989 Master's, Athletic Administration, Central Missouri State, 2003 Coaching Experience 2005-present: Wide Receivers, Nevada 2004: Quarterbacks, Nevada 1996-2003: Assistant Coach, Central Missouri State 1992-95: Assistant Coach, West Valley College 1988-1991: Assistant Coach, Pacific (Ore.) Playing Experience Pacific (Ore.): Two-time all-conference as a wide receiver (1987-88) Cerritos College: Two-year starter at wide receiver (1985-86)
Recruiting Area: Southern California: Los Angeles Valley and High Desert area.
