RELEASE: Experienced And Versatile Robert Anae Takes Over As OC
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State head coach Dave Doeren has announced the addition of the experienced and versatile Robert Anae. The coaching vet, who will serve as offensive coordinator on the Wolfpack coaching staff, has developed some of the nation's most prolific offenses during his 36-year career.
"I am so excited to have Robert Anae join our staff," Doeren said. "He is very diverse offensively – leading different offenses to success during his career.
"He is a master at taking the personnel he has and making it work. I can't wait for him to get started and have him and Liane join the Wolfpack family."
A three-time nominee for the Frank Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach, Anae's offense has finished in the top-25 of 10 different NCAA offensive statistical categories a total of 56 times in his 16-year tenure as an OC, including 21 top-10 rankings
Anae, who has spent the last 16 seasons as an FBS offensive coordinator, comes to NC State after spending last season as the offensive coordinator at Syracuse. Prior to his stint with the Orange, he served as Virginia's OC for six years, leading a unit that ranked third in the FBS in total offense in 2021.
That 2021 Virginia squad was one of five programs in the FBS to average over 500 yards of total offense with a 515.8 mark – a program record. The Cavaliers also set a school best with 396.2 passing yards that season to rank second nationally.
In 2021, UVA QB Brennan Armstrong broke single-season school records for touchdown passes (31), passing yards (4,449) and total offense (4,700). In his six seasons at UVA, the Cavaliers were bowl eligible in all but his first season in Charlottesville, highlighted by an ACC Coastal Division Championship and trip to the Orange Bowl in 2019.
A line of quarterbacks went on to play in the NFL after working in Anae's offenses – Bryce Perkins (Rams) and Taysom Hill (Saints) are currently on NFL rosters, while Kurt Benkert, Max Hall and John Beck both had tenures in the league.
Prior to his offense setting passing records at Virginia, Anae coordinated the offense and coached inside receivers at BYU from 2013-15, with the Cougars ranking among national leaders in rushing. That tenure culminated with BYU finishing No. 14 in the final rankings and boasting the No. 10 ranked rushing attack in the country. He had two running backs run for over 1,000 yards in 2015 as the Cougar offense netted 3,475 yards on the ground (a school record).
During that stint with the Cougars, Anae's offense produced the top-three rushers in BYU history: Jamal Williams (3,901), Harvey Unga (3,455) and Curtis Brown (3,221). He also coached the program's top wide receiver in terms of receiving yards, catches and touchdowns, as Austin Collie boasted 3,225 yards, 215 catches and 30 touchdowns. Additionally, Dennis Pitta broke BYU's receptions and yardage records by a tight end under Anae: 2,901 yards and 221 catches. Pitta was a consensus All-American in 2009 and fellow Cougars' tight end Johnny Harline was a first team All-American in 2006.
He was also at BYU from 2005-10 in the same role.
In between his stints at BYU, Anae was the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Arizona from 2011-12. His unit blocked for the nation's leading rusher in 2012, Ka'Deem Carey. Carey totaled 1,929 yards and 23 touchdowns on 303 carries. In addition to the success on the ground, his unit protected quarterback Nick Foles, who led the Wildcats to the third-ranked passing offense in the country in 2011 (360.8 yards per game).
Anae's first job at a Power 5 program came when he was on Mike Leach's inaugural staff at Texas Tech, serving as the offensive line coach from 2000-04. During that time, the Red Raiders put together one of the most prolific offenses in NCAA history. During three of his five years on staff, Texas Tech led the nation in passing and never finished outside the top-11. They also led the nation in total offense in 2003 (582.8), a mark that currently stands as the eighth-highest total in FBS history.
Anae began his coaching career as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line at Hawaii under Dick Tomey during the 1986-87 season. He then was a graduate assistant for a pair of years at BYU in 1990 and 1991 before coaching the offensive line at Ricks College in Idaho from 1992-95. Anae coached the offensive front for a year at Boise State in 1996 before moving to UNLV for a pair of seasons, the final as running game coordinator along with his line duties in 1998.
He and his wife, Liane, have two sons and a daughter. His son Famika played on the offensive line at BYU and is currently the offensive line coach at Campbell University, living near Raleigh with his wife and three children. Anae's father, Famika Sr., and brothers, Brad and Matt, also played football for BYU. He has four grandchildren, ages 2-6, with another on the way.
Anae graduated from BYU in 1986 with a degree in political science. He went on to earn two more degrees: an M.S. in sociology in 1990 from Hawai'i and a Ph.D. in sociology in 1999 from BYU.
THE ANAE FILE
Hometown: Laie, Hawaii
Education: BYU '86; Hawaii, 1990, M.S.; BYU, 1999, Ph.D.
Family: wife, Liane; two sons, one daughter
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
BYU (1981-1984)
Drafted in the third round of the 1985 USFL Draft by the New Jersey Generals
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Years School Position
1986-87 Hawaii Offensive Graduate Assistant
1990-91 BYU Offensive Graduate Assistant
1992-95 Ricks College Offensive Line
1996 Boise State Offensive Line
1997 UNLV Offensive Line
1998 UNLV Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
2000-04 Texas Tech Offensive Line
2005-10 BYU Offensive Coordinator/Inside Receivers
2011 Arizona Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
2012 Arizona Offensive Line
2013-15 BYU Offensive Coordinator/Inside Receivers
2016-21 Virginia Offensive Coordinator/Inside Receivers
2022 Syracuse Offensive Coordinator
POSTSEASON COACHING EXPERIENCE
1990 Holiday Bowl
1991 Holiday Bowl
1992 Real Dairy Bowl
1993 Real Dairy Bowl
1994 Real Dairy Bowl
1995 Real Dairy Bowl
2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl
2001 Alamo Bowl
2002 Tangerine Bowl
2003 Houston Bowl
2004 Holiday Bowl
2005 Las Vegas Bowl
2006 Las Vegas Bowl
2007 Las Vegas Bowl
2008 Las Vegas Bowl
2009 Las Vegas Bowl
2010 New Mexico Bowl
2012 New Mexico Bowl
2013 Fight Hunger Bowl
2014 Miami Beach Bowl
2015 Las Vegas Bowl
2017 Military Bowl
2018 Belk Bowl
2019 Orange Bowl
2021 Fenway Bowl (was not contested)
2022 Pinstripe Bowl