By Morgan Huizar
After two seasons on head football coach Clint Killough’s staff, offensive coordinator Conner McQueen is heading to the NFL.
McQueen is joining the Las Vegas Raiders as an assistant coach for wide receivers on coach Pete Carroll’s staff. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Texas A&M, as a student assistant in the Spring of 2017 and later served as an offensive quality control assistant during the 2017 season. McQueen then worked as a graduate assistant with the defense at UCLA from 2018-2019 under head coach Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro.
Following the 2019 season, McQueen took on the role of offensive analyst with the Oklahoma Sooners from 2020-2021. In his two seasons with the Sooners, the team appeared in the Cotton Bowl and Alamo Bowl, winning both games.
Before joining the UIW staff, McQueen coached on the USC staff in 2022 as a graduate assistant working with quarterbacks under Lincoln Riley. He worked alongside 2024 No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams, who is now the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears. McQueen played a significant role in Williams’ Heisman Trophy win.
In 2023, McQueen was named offensive coordinator for the UIW Cardinals on Killough’s staff. In two seasons with the Cardinals, McQueen led UIW to a second-place finish in total offense in his first year in San Antonio. He also guided UIW to lead the Southland Conference in total offense, scoring offense, passing yards per game, and yards per carry, among other statistics. Six UIW players earned All-Conference honors, including Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Conference quarterback Zach Calzada, as well as All-American wide receiver Brandon Porter, who was also named Southland Offensive Player of the Year and a Walter Payton Award finalist. Quarterback Richard Torres was named to the Phil Steele FCS 2023 Freshman All-American Third Team and was selected as FedEx Ground FCS National Freshman Player of the Week following a second-half comeback victory over McNeese.
This past season, McQueen had two All-Americans in Roy Alexander and Jalen Walthall, who combined for 2,000 yards receiving. The team advanced to the second round of the playoffs, where they were defeated by the Jackrabbits, 55-14.
McQueen now heads to Las Vegas to serve as an assistant coach under legendary coach Pete Carroll.
