Dan Hammerschmidt Position: Wide Receivers First Year: Colorado State (1986)

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Dan Hammerschmidt joined the Rice coaching staff in February, 2008, as the Owls' new receivers coach. He will guide one of the Owls' most explosive units that includes senior Jarett Dillard, the NCAA career active leader in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions and James Casey, who earned freshman All-America honors last year.

Hammerschmidt is no stranger to high-powered offensive attacks. He came to Rice after a seven-year run as the Offensive Coordinator at Colorado State which included the Rams ranking among the nation's best in 2003 in total offense (438.9) while setting school record with 5,706 yards. Prior to assuming the coordinator's title in 2001, he spent his first five seasons on the staff as the wide receivers coach after his return to CSU in 1996. Hammerschmidt is also no stranger to Texas high schools, having handled recruiting in the state while at CSU.

He coached six players to post-season honors, including quarterback Bradley Van Pelt, who was a two-time Mountain West MVP as well as Offensive Player of the Year (2002 & 2003). Van Pelt concluded his CSU career as the school's all-time leader in total offense (8,443) and season total offense (3,754) and was one of only four quarterbacks in NCAA Division IA history to rush for more than 2,000 yards (2,274) and pass for more than 5,000 yards (6,169). As a wide receivers coach, he produced three players who earned all conference honors as both receivers and kick returners: Pete Rebstock (2000), Dallas Davis (1999) and Darran Hall (1998).

During Hammerschmidt's tenure at Colorado State, the Rams earned a total of seven bowl berths, including five consecutive from 1999-2003. The Rams were champions of the 1997 Holiday Bowl (35-24 vs. Missouri); the 2000 Liberty Bowl (22-17 vs. Louisville) and the 2001 New Orleans Bowl (45-20 vs. North Texas).

A four-year starter as a defensive back at CSU from 1982-85, Hammerschmidt began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Colorado State in 1986 after he was cut during training camp by the Indianapolis Colts. He moved on to TCU, where he was a graduate assistant in 1987. His first fulltime position came in 1988 when he was hired by Steve Spurrier to coach outside linebackers and special teams at Duke. He remained at Duke through the 1993 season and then coached defensive backs at VMI for two years before he returned to Colorado State.

Hammerschmidt is the father of two children: Holly (12) and Michael (9).