Ryan Lindley

Updated on Jan. 10, 2024
 
Ryan Lindley, the school’s all-time passing leader, enters his third season on his alma mater’s coaching staff. Originally hired as an assistant coach on Oct. 3, 2022, Lindley was named the team’s offensive coordinator following the 2022 season. He now serves as the team’s senior offensive analyst under new head coach Sean Lewis.
 
As the offensive coordinator in 2023, the Aztecs averaged 20.5 points and 326 yards per game while ranking 12th in FBS in time of possession, having the ball for an average of 32:40 per game. He mentored four all-Mountain West honorees led by second team selections Mark Redman and Cade Bennett while Jalen Mayden and Mekhi Shaw earned honorable mentions.
 
As the quarterbacks coach in 2022, he mentored Jalen Mayden in his transition from safety back to quarterback as he took over the starting role for the final seven games. Mayden would go on to earn an All-Mountain West honorable mention, the first SDSU quarterback to garner all-conference honors since Lindley himself was a Second Team selection in 2010. In his seven games at quarterback under Lindley’s guidance to close 2022, Mayden ranked third in the nation in yards per completion (14.40, 1st in MW), 14th in yards per attempt (8.57, 1st in MW), 17th in passing yards per game (253.8, 1st in MW) and 25th in passing yards (2,030, 2nd in MW).
 
Prior to his return to The Mesa, Lindley spent two seasons as a defensive analyst with former Aztec defensive coordinator Zach Arnett at Mississippi State. Before that was a stop at Utah in 2020 where he was an offensive analyst for the Utes.
 
Lindley had coaching stops in the professional ranks as well, working as the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns toward the end of 2018 and became their quarterbacks coach for the 2019 season.
 
His first coaching job came at San Diego State, serving as a graduate assistant in 2018. Upon his graduation, he helped coach numerous players leading up to the NFL Draft, including quarterbacks Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Mitch Trubisky, CJ Beathard, and Luke Falk.
 
Lindley’s playing career came to an end in 2017 as the quarterback for the Ottawa Redblacks in 2017, where he threw for 391 yards and a touchdown, and scoring five more on the ground.
 
A sixth round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Lindley played nine games with the Arizona Cardinals with six starts, and later played one game for the Indianapolis Colts during the 2015 season.
 
Lindley was a four-year starter at San Diego State from 2008-11, where he set program passing records in yards (12,690), touchdowns (90), completions (961), attempts (1,732), starts (49), consecutive starts (44) and victories (23, which has since been broken).
 
He was a second-team all-Mountain West selection in 2010, a three-time MW Offensive Player of the Week, and a four-time Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy honoree (SDSU’s outstanding offensive player).

THE RYAN LINDLEY FILE

Position: Senior Offensive Analyst
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Education: San Diego State (2011)
Family: Ryan and his wife Lindsay have a son, Caden.

CAREER IN FOOTBALL

AS A COACH
2024-present: San Diego State (senior offensive analyst)
2023: San Diego State (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks)
2022: San Diego State (quarterbacks)
2021-22: Mississippi State (defensive analyst)
2020: Utah (offensive analyst)
2019: Cleveland Browns (quarterbacks)
2018: Cleveland Browns (running backs)
AS A PLAYER
2017: Ottawa Redblacks (CFL)
2015: New England Patriots/Indianapolis Colts
2014: San Diego Chargers/Arizona Cardinals
2012-13: Arizona Cardinals
2008-11: San Diego State