SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State football team has named Jonathan Krause as its wide receivers coach, head coach Brady Hoke announced Monday. A former SEC and NFL player, Krause joins the Aztecs after spending the last two seasons at UNLV.
"Jonathan is a great addition to our staff," said Hoke. "He brings us a lot of positive energy that we are excited about. From how he coaches the guys to how he played as a player, his love for the game is contagious. When you look at technique and fundamentals, I think he's second to none. We're also really excited about his recruiting style and what he brings to the table."
Over the past two seasons, the Rebels have thrown for 5,010 yards with 26 touchdowns. In each of the past two years, UNLV has had a pair of receivers with at least 40 catches and 500 receiving yards. In Krause's first season leading the Rebel receivers in 2021, Steve Jenkins (46 receptions, 694 yards, four touchdowns) and Kyle Williams (42 receptions, 601 yards, two touchdowns) combined for 1,295 yards and six touchdowns on 88 catches. This past season, sophomore Ricky White had 51 catches for 619 yards and four touchdowns, while Williams chipped in with 40 receptions for 541 yards and five scores.
Prior to joining UNLV, Krause spent the previous three seasons as a member of the Oregon staff, including as a graduate assistant starting in 2018. During his three seasons in Eugene, Krause helped Oregon to a 27-9 overall record, a pair of Pac-12 Conference championships and a trio of bowl games, including the 2020 Rose Bowl title.
In 2018, Krause helped coach an Oregon wide receiver group led by Dillon Mitchell who posted a program single-season record 1,184 receiving yards. Mitchell led the Pac-12 in receiving yards and earned MVP honors in Oregon's Redbox Bowl win over Michigan State before being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. In 2019, Krause helped develop a deeper group of wideouts, helping push the Ducks to a league championship and a No. 5 final ranking in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. In 2020, he helped coach Johnny Johnson III to honorable Mention all-Pac-12 as the Ducks defeated USC in the conference championship game and earned a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
Krause spent parts of four seasons in the NFL, originally signing a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns. He won a Super Bowl ring as member of New England's practice squad when the Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015.
Krause signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and played in two regular-season games, catching two passes. He then spent parts of the 2016 season on the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squads. Krause finished his professional career on the Tennessee Titans practice squad during a part of the 2016 season.
A four-year letterwinner at Vanderbilt, Krause played in all but two games during his career. He spent a brief time as a volunteer coach for the Commodores after his professional career ended and graduated in 2014 from Vanderbilt with a degree in economics and a minor in computer science.