Bruce Read is in his third tenure as the special teams coordinator at Oregon State, with 2014 marking his sixth consecutive year in Beaver gear. His previous tenures included the 1997-98 and 2004-06 seasons. In addition to his college resume, Read has coached special teams in the NFL for three clubs, 2007-08 with the Dallas Cowboys, 2002-03 with the New York Giants and 1999-2001 with the San Diego Chargers.
Read is considered the best special teams coach in OSU history with numerous Beavers achieving outstanding accomplishments and school records. A bulk of the special teams standouts return for 2014, including seniors Trevor Romaine (PK) and Keith Kostol (P), and sophomore returner Victor Bolden. The trio ranked among the top players in the conference in 2013 with Bolden setting three school records.
In 2012, Read coached Jordan Jenkins to Pac-12 First Team honors as a coverage player and Romaine to conference honorable mention acclaim. Romaine was one of the most accurate field goal kickers in the nation leading the Pac-12 at nearly 89 percent and setting a school record by making 51 extra points.
In 2011, senior James Rodgers became the school’s career leader for all-purpose yards with 6,377, including 2,385 via punt and kickoff returns. Punter Johnny Hekker earned Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors. As a team the Beavers in ’11 finished second in the Pac-12, seventh in the NCAA and had the third-best punt return average in program history at 15.1 yards.
OSU set a school record for kickoff return average in 2010 at 26.4 yards (4th in NCAA) and posted the third-best punt return mark at 14.8 yards (6th in NCAA). Sophomore Jordan Poyer ended the year with second-best punt return average in the Pac-10 Conference at 27.8 yards per attempt.
Suaesi Tuimaunei earned Pac-10 First Team honors in 2009 for his play on coverage teams and kicker Justin Kahut was a second team honoree. Kahut led the conference for scoring with 111 points, and James Rodgers finished in the league’s top five for punt and kickoff returns.
In 2006, Sammie Stroughter earned third team All-American honors in part for his punt return abilities and placekicker Alexis Serna garnered Pac-10 Second Team. Stroughter set the school record with three punt returns for touchdowns and Serna, at the time, had a school record 106 consecutive made extra point attempts – he eventually made 144 straight.
Read coached Pac-10 First Team selections punter Sam Paulescu and Serna in 2005. Serna was the recipient of the Lou Groza Award, recognizing the nation’s premier kicker, and an Associated Press Second Team All-American. Paulescu signed an NFL free agent contract and played for five teams.
Read spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons as the special teams coach for the Giants. During the ‘03 season the Giants improved in six of eight statistical special teams categories.
Read accompanied Riley to San Diego in 1999 to coach the Chargers’ special teams. San Diego led the NFL in 2001 with a kickoff return average of 26.0 yards – 4.4 yards more than the NFL average for that season. Ronny Jenkins led the league with a 26.6 yards per kickoff return average and scored two touchdowns. For his career with the Chargers, the team consistently rated above the average mark in most statistical categories, and in his first year with the club the team improved 18 spots in the NFL’s special teams category to sixth. In 2001, the Chargers were third for special teams and punter Darren Bennett played in the Pro Bowl.
While at Oregon State during his first tenure Beaver special teams units blocked 15 kicks. In 1998 OSU was second in the Pac-10 with a .654 (17-26) field goal percentage and was third for kickoff return average at 23.1 yards. In 1997, kicker Jose Cortez ranked tied for third for field goal conversions with 11.
Read began his coaching career in 1985 working alongside his father, head coach Don Read, at the University of Montana. He was named a full-time assistant in 1987, where he would serve the next 10 years as a special teams coach. While at Montana the program broke over 30 records for special teams, and blocked 27 punts and 22 kicks. Montana claimed three Big Sky Conference titles (1993, ’95, ’96) and won the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA title.
Read is a 1986 graduate of Portland State with a bachelor’s degree in social science.
He and his wife Christina, have two sons, Justin and Joshua.
READ PROFILE
Assignment: Special Teams
Year at OSU: 11th
Recruiting Area: Bay Area, Oregon
Age: 51
Hometown: Santa Rosa, California
Education: Bachelor’s in Social Science from Portland State (1986)
Wife: Christina
Children: Justin, Joshua
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Oregon State, 1997-98, 2004-06, 2009-present; Dallas (NFL), 2007-08; New York Giants (NFL), 2002-03; San Diego (NFL), 1999-2001, San Diego (NFL), 1999-2001; Montana, 1985-96
OSU HIGHLIGHTS
2013
Terron Ward – Pac-12 Honorable Mention specialist
Victor Bolden (KR) – 7th in Pac-12 (20.7 yds per game)
Keith Kostol (P) – 5th in Pac-12 (40.5 yds per punt)
Trevor Romaine (PK) – Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week
2012
Jordan Jenkins – Pac-12 First Team specialist
Trevor Romaine (PK) – Pac-12 Honorable Mention/OSU record 51 PATs
Keith Kostol (P) – Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week
Field Goal Percentage (.889) – 1st in Pac-12
2011
Johnny Hekker (P) – Pac-12 Honorable Mention
James Rodgers (WR, KR, PR) – OSU record 6,377 career yards
Punt Return Average – 2nd in Pac-12, 7th in NCAA, third-best in OSU history (15.1 yds)
2010
Kickoff Return Average (26.4) – OSU record, 4th in NCAA
Punt Return Average (14.8) – 2nd in Pac-10/6th in NCAA
Jordan Poyer (KR) – 2nd in Pac-10 (27.8 yds)
2009
Suaesi Tuimaunei (ST) – 1st Team Pac-10
Justin Kahut (PK) – 2nd team Pac-10; .815 field goal percentage, 3rd in Pac-10
2006
Sammie Stroughter (PR) – 3rd Team All-American, 2nd Team All-Pac-10
Alexis Serna (PK) – 2nd Team Pac-10
Punt Return Average (15.0) – 2nd in Pac-10/7th in NCAA
PAT kicks (1.000) – Tied for 1st in Pac-10/NCAA
2005
Field Goal Pct. (.821) – 2nd in Pac-10
Punt Average (36.3) – 3rd in Pac-10
PAT Kicking (1.000) – Tied 1st in Pac-10/NCAA
Alexis Serna, PK – 1st Team Pac-10/AP 2nd Team All-American/Lou Groza Award
Sam Paulescu, P – 1st Team Pac-10, 43.0 avg/2nd in Pac-10/16th in NCAA
Derrick Doggett – 2nd Team Pac-10 (special teams)
Lamar Herron, KR – 24.3 avg/5th in Pac-10
2004
Field Goal Pct. (.772) – 2nd in Pac-10
Punt Average (38.9) – 3rd in Pac-10
Sam Paulescu, P – 24 downed inside-20, Honorable Mention All-Pac-10
Alexis Serna, PK – 2nd Team All-Pac-10/two-time Pac-10 Special Teams POW, Pac-10 best 85 percent on FGs (17-20)
Sammie Stroughter, PR (7.0) – 5th in Pac-10
1998
Field Goal Pct. (.654) – 2nd in Pac-10
Kickoff Return Avg. (23.1) – 3rd in Pac-10
Punt Average (35.1) – 5th in Pac-10
Tim Alexander, KR (29.6) – 2nd in Pac-10
Jose Cortez, PK (80 pts) – 3rd in Pac-10
Jose Cortez, PK (.654) – 2nd in Pac-10
1997
Jose Cortez, PK (11 fgs) – T3rd in Pac-10
