Wake Forest Athletics
Tim Billings Hired To Coach Wide Receivers
3/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 8, 2006
Winston-Salem, NC - Tim Billings has been hired as Wake Forest's wide receivers coach, head coach Jim Grobe announced Wednesday. His duties will begin Monday. Spring practice opens for the Deacons Wednesday.
Billings comes to the Demon Deacons as a 23-year veteran of college football with experience as a head coach, coordinator and positions on both sides of the ball.
As an assistant coach at Missouri, Oklahoma and Marshall, Billings was a part of three national championships, five conference championships, six bowl games and six I-AA playoff teams.
Most recently, Billings was the head coach at Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was the head coach of the Redhawks for six seasons.
"We are delighted to have Tim Billings joining our staff here at Wake Forest," head coach Jim Grobe said. "Having coached as an assistant on both offense and defense, as well has his head coaching background, makes him a valuable addition. We are also excited about his expertise in the area of special teams. Most importantly, Tim is fired up to be here and his enthusiasm is refreshing."
"I am very honored to coach at a great institution like Wake Forest University. Not only do I feel that this is one of the finest in the country, I particularly feel Coach Grobe and his staff has done a wonderful job with the football program. I am excited about the direction the program is going and I am eager to be a part of it."
Billings led Southeast Missouri to a 25-43 record over six years. In 2002, Billings guided Southeast Missouri to an 8-4 record, which represented the program's best record since 1969.
That season, he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the American Football Coaches Association Region 3 Coach of the Year.
Before taking over at Southeast Missouri, Billings spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Marshall where he coached alongside Brad Lambert and against Jim Grobe and his Ohio University teams in the Mid-American Conference.
During his 10 years in Huntington, Marshall was the winningest program in college football, compiling a record of 114-25.
He served as the Thundering Herd's defensive coordinator during his last year in Huntington. In 1999, his final season with Marshall, the Herd completed a 13-0 season. They defeated BYU 21-3 in the Motor City Bowl and finished the season ranked 10th nationally.
That defense ranked second nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 10.5 points per game. Marshall's defense also ranked third against the pass, 11th against the rush and seventh in total defense.
The Herd won Mid-American Conference titles in each of Billings' seasons at Marshall.
Prior to taking on that responsibility, Billings worked primarily with Thundering Herd special teams. His special teams produced 20 touchdowns on kickoff returns, punt returns, blocked punts and passing plays out of punt and field goal formations. Herd special teams led the nation in kickoff returns in 1991 and in net punting in 1994 and 1996. Randy Moss, now an NFL All-Pro receiver, led the nation in kickoff returns in 1996.
Marshall won the NCAA I-AA national championship in 1991 and 1996.
Billings began his college coaching career as a Missouri graduate assistant under Warren Powers in 1983 and 1984. The 1984 Tigers played in the Holiday Bowl.
He moved on to Oklahoma as an assistant coach under Barry Switzer for the 1985 and 1986 season. The Sooners played in the Orange Bowl in both 1985 and 1986, winning the national championship in 1985.
Billings returned to Missouri for the 1987-89 seasons under Woody Widenhofer.
His 10-year stint at Marshall followed, serving under Jim Donnan for six seasons and Bob Pruett for four seasons.
A native of Honey Grove, Texas, Billings began his coaching career as secondary coach at Duncan (Okla.) High School in 1980. He served as head coach at Prairieland High School in Pattonville, Texas in 1981 and was secondary coach at Norman (Okla.) High School in 1982 and 1983.
A graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University where was all-conference defensive back, Billings also played basketball for one season at Grayson County Junior College in Sherman, Texas.
Born on Jan. 4, 1957 in Lawton, Okla., Billings is married to the former Lisa Dost and has two children, Taylor Kay, 16, and Trenton Wade, 12.
Billings replaces Kevin Sherman, who accepted an assistant coaching job at Virginia Tech in February.
