Mike Bloomgren introduced as Rice University head football coach

HOUSTON – Mike Bloomgren has been hired as the coach at Rice.

Rice announced Wednesday that Bloomgren agreed to a five-year contract with the Owls after spending last season as the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Stanford. He takes over for David Bailiff, who was fired on Nov. 27 after Rice finished 1-11 in his 11th season.

“I am excited and humbled to lead the football program at Rice,” Bloomgren said. “In my seven years at Stanford, I have seen firsthand how elite college athletics and academics can not only coexist, but thrive together. I want to create an environment at Rice where every player’s dreams are realized on and off the field“

Bloomgren worked at Stanford for the last seven seasons. He was the offensive line coach from 2011-12 before taking over as offensive coordinator in 2013.

"In my seven years at Stanford, I have seen firsthand how elite college athletics and academics can not only coexist, but thrive together. I want to create an environment at Rice where every player's dreams are realized on and off the field," Bloomgren said.

Bloomgren launched his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant for Bobby Bowden at Florida State, where the Seminoles captured a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference titles in 1997-98.

"It’s always important to go to the right place with right fit, particularly with your first (head coach) job. You want to have an opportunity to be successful. Your personality needs to fit the place. Your philosophy needs to fit the philosophy of the athletic department and the school and the fan base. Mike is one of those guys down the road that we’ll say is one of the top guys in the profession,” Stanford Head Coach David Shaw said.

WATCH: Mike Bloomgren introduced as Rice University head football coach

He served as co-offensive coordinator at Catawba College from 2002-04 and offensive coordinator at Delta State from 2006-06.

A 1999 graduate of Florida State with a bachelor’s degree in sports management, Bloomgren earned his master’s degree in higher education from Alabama in 2001.

Get to know Bloomgren:

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

College: Florida State, 1999

Coaching Career

1999-2001, Graduate Assistant, Alabama

2002-04, Catawba College, Co-Offensive Coordinator

2005-06, Delta State, Offensive Coordinator

2007-10, New York Jets

  • Offensive Quality Control 2007-08
  • Offensive Assistant 2009
  • Assistant Offensive Line 2010

2011-17, Stanford

  • Offensive Line, 2011-12
  • Andrew Luck Director of Offense, 2013
  • Andrew Luck Director of Offense/Associate Head Coach, 2014-17

2018, Rice University, Head Football Coach