Former UK football star C.J. Conrad awarded promotion on Mark Stoops’ coaching staff
One of the key players of the Mark Stoops era at Kentucky is taking on a larger role on the Wildcats’ coaching staff.
Former UK tight end C.J. Conrad, who spent the last three seasons as a graduate assistant coach on Stoops’ staff, was promoted to offensive quality control coach, UK announced Tuesday. As a quality control coach, Conrad will not count as one of UK’s 11 on-field assistants but will play an important role in pregame preparation and practice.
Quality control positions can be a steppingstone to on-field jobs. Current UK wide receivers coach Scott Woodward arrived at UK as a quality control coach two years ago and has since developed into one of the staff’s key recruiters.
“C.J.’s work ethic is second to none,” Stoops said in a news release. “He has been a vital part of this program for a long time and he’s really good at what he does. He’s a great coach and mentor to our young men. We are excited to have him in this new role.”
Conrad played for Kentucky from 2015 to 2018, totaling 80 catches for 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns. Conrad was considered a likely NFL Draft pick after his college career ended, but doctors discovered he had a heart condition during medical testing at the NFL combine. He eventually signed to the New York Giants practice squad. He spent one season on the Giants’ practice squad before starting his coaching career.
Former Western Illinois special teams coordinator Mike Priefer Jr. has also joined the staff as a quality control coach for special teams, UK announced. Priefer is the son of longtime NFL special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.
Priefer spent the 2022 season at Western Carolina. He served as special teams coordinator at Northwood University in 2021. He previously worked as a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
“Mike comes from a long history of NFL special teams coordinators,” Stoops said. “He’s grown up around the game and he’s wanted to be a coach all his life. He’s a young, up-and-coming coach who brings passion to the table every single day. We are excited to have to him join our program.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 6:20 PM.