Ari Confesor - Football Coach - Wake Forest University Athletics

Ari Confesor

Title:
The Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers

Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson announced on Feb. 20, 2023 that Ari Confesor had been added to his coaching staff as the Demon Deacons wide receivers coach. Confesor now enters his second season as The Balogh Family Football Assistant Coach for Wide Receivers.

In his first season with the Deacs, Confesor helped Taylor Morin solidify himself in the Wake Forest record book as the veteran wide receiver now ranks in the top 10 in three major categories. Going into the 2024 season, he currently ranks:

No. 7 in career receptions (163 receptions)
No. 8 in career receiving touchdowns (19 touchdowns)
No. 9 in career receiving yards (2,218 receiving yards)

Confesor finished his fourth season (2019-22) as the wide receivers coach last fall at Air Force. Over the course of his tenure at the academy in Colorado, he helped the Falcons to a 34-11 overall record and they won three bowl championships, defeating Power-5 programs in each game.

Air Force recorded an 11-win season in 2019 and a pair of 10-win seasons each of the last two seasons. Additionally in 2021, the Falcons tied for the Mountain Division title with a 6-2 record in the Mountain West Conference.

Confesor helped Brandon Lewis, who signed with the Tennessee Titans on a free agent deal prior to the 2022 season, earn Honorable Mention All-MWC honors following the aforementioned 2021 campaign. Lewis finished the season with team bests of 20 catches for 600 yards while setting a school record with a 30.0 yards per catch average.

Confesor had a remarkable debut season with the Falcons in 2019, helping to mentor one of the best wide receiver combos in program history in seniors Geraud Sanders and Ben Waters. The pair combined for 52 catches for 1,404 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Prior to his arrival at Air Force, he coached at his alma mater, Holy Cross during the 2018 season as he served as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He tutored a pair of All-Patriot League performers that fall.

Confesor coached wide receivers from 2014-17 and was the co-special teams coordinator at Rhode Island in 2017, where he coached two players who earned All-Colonial Athletic Association honors in 2017 (Marven Beauvais and Aaron Parker). His return units produced third-team All-CAA kick returner Harold Cooper and Matt Pires, who earned third-team All-CAA honors at punt returner.

He also helped the Rams rank 27th in the nation in yards per completion in 2016. He was previously Rhode Island’s linebackers coach in 2013 while working in the scouting department of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012. He was also a member of the Rhode Island coaching staff from 2009-2011, coaching wide receivers (2010-11) and assisting with the secondary (2009).

Confesor is a 2004 Holy Cross graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was a two-time All-America selection as a wide receiver and return specialist, and served as team captain during his senior year. Confesor is Holy Cross’ all time leader with 2,352 career receiving yards, 2,267 career kickoff return yards and 5,370 career all-purpose yards. He is also a member of the 2019 Holy Cross Athletics Hall of Fame Class.

Confesor was selected to participate in the 2015 NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy. The NFL and NCAA host the Coaches Academy for former NFL players who are current coaches. The highly competitive and intensive program trains selected participants in a variety of areas that encourage effective coaching and improve student-athlete well-being at both the intercollegiate and professional levels. Confesor was one of 30 coaches nationally to participate in the training.

Confesor and his wife, Katie, have two daughters, Nora and Madalina, and a son, Camden.

Wake Forest (2023-Present)

In his first season with the Deacs, Confesor helped Taylor Morin solidify himself in the Wake Forest record book as the veteran wide receiver now ranks in the top 10 in three major categories. Going into the 2024 season, he currently ranks:
- No. 7 in career receptions (163 receptions)
- No. 8 in career receiving touchdowns (19 touchdowns)
- No. 9 in career receiving yards (2,218 receiving yards)

Air Force (2019-22)

Over the course of his tenure at the academy in Colorado, he helped the Falcons to a 34-11 overall record and they won three bowl championships.
- Air Force recorded an 11-win season in 2019 and a pair of 10-win seasons each of the last two seasons. Additionally in 2021, the Falcons tied for the Mountain Division title with a 6-2 record in the Mountain West Conference.
Confesor helped Brandon Lewis, who signed with the Tennessee Titans on a free agent deal prior to the 2022 season, earn Honorable Mention All-MWC honors following the aforementioned 2021 campaign.
- Lewis finished the season with team bests of 20 catches for 600 yards while setting a school record with a 30.0 yards per catch average.
- Additionally, Lewis capped the year with one of the best bowl performances in program history with five catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns.
- That receiving total was a program record for a single game, while his TD catches of 64 and 61 yards, respectively, rank third and fourth in AF postseason history.
Confesor had a remarkable debut season with the Falcons in 2019, helping to mentor one of the best wide receiver combos in program history in seniors Geraud Sanders and Ben Waters.
- The pair combined for 52 catches for 1,404 yards and 14 touchdowns.
- Sanders had 30 grabs for 746 yards and Waters recorded 22 receptions for 658 yards.
- They each had seven touchdown catches. Their 52 combined catches are the most at Air Force since 2015, while their yards and touchdowns are the best since 1970.
- Sanders led the nation with a 24.9 average and finished fifth in program history for TD catches in a single season. Waters set a school record with a 29.9 yards per catch average and ended with Sanders for fifth in AF history in touchdown catches.

Holy Cross (2018)

In his one season at Holy Cross, the squad posted a 4-2 record in the Patriot League. Additionally in his role as the Crusaders’ wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, he coached a pair of All-League performers.
- Martin Dorsey played in all 11 of the Crusaders' games this season, starting every time at wide receiver. He led the team with 52 receptions for 663 yards and seven touchdowns, while his 42 points scored were the third-most on the team. Dorsey led the Patriot League in touchdown catches, while ranking third in both receptions and receiving yards, and seventh in scoring.
- Geoff Wade saw action in 10 games at quarterback this year with eight starts, hitting on 154 of 255 passes for 1,844 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also rushed the ball 102 times for 119 yards and a score, while finishing with 1,963 yards of total offense. Wade led the Patriot League in touchdown passes, while standing third in passing yards, total offense and pass efficiency (132.4 rating).

Rhode Island (2009-17)

Confesor spent eight seasons at Rhode Island in a myriad of roles. In addition to coaching the wide receivers, he was named the co-special teams coordinator, with a focus on the kick return and punt return units in 2017.
The lone staff member to be retained when Jim Fleming became Rhode Island's head coach, Confesor returned to coaching the wide receivers, a position he held with the Rams from 2010-12. Wideouts Phadrae White, Robbie Jackson and Ross Kim represented three of Rhody's top four passing targets in 2014, as the trio combined for 87 receptions. Confesor also played a key role in coordinating pro scouting visits that helped lead to linebacker Andrew Bose signing with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent in May of 2015.
In 2016, Confesor’s receivers helped Rhode Island rank 27th in the nation in passing yards per completion. The Rams also averaged 161.1 passing yards per game, an improvement of nearly 15 yards per game from the previous season.
In 2013, Confesor coached the Rhode Island linebackers, including CAA Football All-Conference Second-Team selection Andrew Bose, who led the team in tackles despite essentially missing four games. Confesor also coached Rhode Island’s return specialists, helping Mackenzie Elliott earn first-team all-conference honors, while Robbie Jackson earned second-team punt returner accolades.
Confesor spent 2012 in the scouting department with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, where he focused on both pro and college personnel. Confesor also worked on weekly opponent scouting advances for the Chiefs.
From 2010-12, Confesor was Rhode Island's wide receivers coach. In 2011, the wide receivers accounted for 82 percent of the Rams' receiving yardage. Confesor's group included senior Anthony Baskerville and junior Brandon Johnson-Farrell, who combined for 90 catches, 1,298 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions. Baskerville earned Division I FCS All-New England Football Team honors from the New England Football Writers Association, and also was named to the All-CAA second team. He led the league in yards per reception (15.9).
In 2010, Confessor oversaw a group that combined for 194 receptions, 1,876 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. Under his watch, Baskerville earned All-CAA Third Team honors. In 2010, Baskerville posted team highs among receivers with 48 receptions, 500 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Baskerville's all-league selection came after a two-year stretch at Dean College where he played quarterback.
During his first season with the Rams in 2009, Confesor served as the assistant secondary coach where he helped direct a secondary unit that produced 11 interceptions.

Background

Confesor, who is a 2019 member of the Holy Cross Sports Hall of Fame, was a standout wide receiver and kick returner for the Holy Cross football team from 2000-2003. A two-time All-America selection, he was also named first team All-New England following his junior and senior years.
As a senior in 2003, Confesor set school single-season records with 1,213 receiving yards and 841 kickoff return yards. He also finished his career as Holy Cross' all-time leader in receiving yards (2,352), kickoff return yards (2,267) and all-purpose yards (5,370), while ranking second in receiving touchdowns (19), third in punt return yards (600) and fourth in receptions (180).
Following his career at Holy Cross, Confesor played professionally for Manchester Wolves in the Arena Football League.

Personal

Confesor and his wife, Katie, have two daughters, Nora and Madalina, and a son, Camden.

Postseason History

Season	Bowl Game	Opponent	Result
2022	Armed Forces Bowl (Air Force)	Baylor	W, 30-15
2021	First Responder Bowl (Air Force)	Louisville	W, 31-28
2019	Cheez-It (Air Force)	Washington State	W, 31-21

Coaching History

Seasons	School/Team	Title/Position Coached
2023-Present	Wake Forest	Wide Receivers
2019-22	Air Force	Wide Receivers
2018	Holy Cross	Wide Receivers / Passing Game Coordinator
2014-17	Rhode Island	Wide Receivers
2017	Rhode Island	Co-Special Teams Coordinator
2013	Rhode Island	Linebackers
2012	Kansas City Chiefs	Scouting Department
2010-11	Rhode Island	Wide Receivers
2009	Rhode Island	Secondary