Eric Studesville facts for kids

Eric Studesville was born on May 29, 1967. He is an American football coach. He currently works for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League (NFL). He is the team's associate head coach and also coaches the running backs.

Studesville is well-known for his time with the Denver Broncos. He was their interim head coach for a short time in 2010. He was the first African American head coach in the Broncos' history. He has been to the Super Bowl twice. He won the Super Bowl once in 2016 with the Broncos. Since 2018, he has been an important assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins.

Playing College Football

Eric Studesville played college football at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. He played as a defensive back. This position helps stop the other team from scoring.

Starting His Coaching Journey

Studesville began his coaching career in 1991. His first job was as an assistant coach at the University of Arizona. In 1992, he moved to the University of North Carolina. There, he helped with video and coached the secondary players.

In 1994, Studesville became a defensive coordinator at Wingate University. His defense was very strong, allowing only 15.7 points per game. This helped the team win 8 out of 10 games. He then became the defensive coordinator for Kent State University in 1995.

First NFL Coaching Jobs

In 1997, Studesville joined the Chicago Bears. This was his first job in the NFL. He worked as a quality control coach. He stayed with the Bears until the end of the 2000 season.

Coaching Running Backs in the NFL

In 2001, Eric Studesville became the running backs coach for the New York Giants. He helped a player named Tiki Barber become very successful. Barber ran for over 1,000 yards in three seasons in a row. In 2002, Barber had his best year, running for 1,554 yards. This was one of the best rushing seasons in Giants history.

Moving to the Buffalo Bills

After his time with the Giants, Studesville joined the Buffalo Bills in 2004. He continued to coach running backs. He helped Willis McGahee become a star player. McGahee had been injured in college, but Studesville helped him get back to top form. In 2004, McGahee gained 1,297 yards.

In 2007, the Bills drafted Marshawn Lynch. Studesville coached Lynch in his first year. Lynch gained 1,299 yards. Another player, Fred Jackson, also became an important player under Studesville. In 2008, Lynch and Jackson combined for over 2,200 yards. Studesville left the Bills after the 2009 season.

Time with the Denver Broncos

In January 2010, Studesville became the running backs coach for the Denver Broncos. Later that year, the Broncos' head coach was fired. Eric Studesville was chosen to be the interim head coach. This meant he led the team for the last four games of the season. He was the first African American head coach for the Broncos.

He won his first game as a head coach on December 26, 2010. The Broncos beat the Houston Texans 24-23. After the season, he went back to being the running backs coach. He worked under several different head coaches for the Broncos.

Winning a Super Bowl

On February 7, 2016, Studesville was part of the Broncos coaching staff that won Super Bowl 50. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24–10. This was a huge achievement for him and the team. He left the Broncos in January 2018.

Coaching the Miami Dolphins

On January 17, 2018, the Miami Dolphins hired Eric Studesville. He became their running backs coach. He had worked with the Dolphins' head coach, Adam Gase, before. Even when the Dolphins changed head coaches, Studesville stayed on the team.

In 2021, he was also given the title of co-offensive coordinator. In 2022, he was promoted to associate head coach. He continues to coach the running backs for the Dolphins.

Personal Life

Eric Studesville is the son of Alphonse and Janet Studesville.

Head Coaching Record