Abilene Christian head coach Keith Patterson appears ready to hit another home run while searching for an offensive coordinator. Multiple sources have confirmed to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football that former Texas Tech quarterback and recent College Football Hall of Fame selection Graham Harrell will soon become the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats. Sources also indicate that Joel Filani will join ACU’s coaching staff. The moves are expected to be finalized in the next few days.

Harrell has spent his entire coaching career at the FBS level, serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the past nine seasons at North Texas, the University of Southern California, West Virginia, and, most recently, Purdue. He began coaching as an offensive quality control assistant at Oklahoma State in 2009 before spending the next five seasons playing professional football.

The Ennis High School product played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League before moving to the National Football League. Before returning to coaching, Harrell spent time with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.

After a brilliant collegiate career with the Red Raiders, Harrell still holds eight individual NCAA records. He finished college with 15,793 yards and 134 touchdowns, with only 34 interceptions for an incredible 154.3 career quarterback rating.

Filani is another Texas Tech alum joining the staff of Patterson, who was defensive coordinator for the Red Raiders before moving to Abilene. Filani was a first-team All-Big 12 selection at wide receiver in 2005 after catching 91 passes for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns. 

He played professional football for four seasons and was on the rosters of six NFL teams from 2007 to 2009. Filani started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Boise State in 2013 and has made stops at Washington State, North Texas, Texas Tech, Northern Arizona, and Northern Iowa. He was a wide receivers coach at most stops until being named offensive coordinator at Northern Iowa last season.

Harrell takes over an offense that helped propel ACU to new heights. The Wildcats won the United Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the first time in program history. ACU also earned the program’s first FCS playoff win with a 24-0 shutout at home against Northern Arizona.