C.J. Conrad named tight ends coach at Kent State

C.J. Conrad was a four-star recruiting win for Kentucky in the class of 2015. The Ohio native played in 49 games at Kentucky from 2015-18 earning 42 starting assignments and finished his playing career with 80 receptions for 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, the All-SEC selection in 2017 had a very short pro football journey and quickly pivoted to coaching.

The 27-year-old is now rising quickly through the coaching ranks.

On Wednesday, C.J. Conrad got his first full-time job in the FBS joining Kent State’s staff as tight ends coach.

Former Minnesota running backs coach Kenni Burns is entering year two at Kent State after working for P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan and Minnesota from 2016-22. The Golden Flashes finished the 2023 season with a woeful 1-11 record and some staff changes were made after the season. Tight ends coach Mike Carney was promoted to offensive coordinator and that opened up a spot for C.J. Conrad.

The LaGrange (Ohio) Keystone product got his coaching start at Kentucky in 2020 as a graduate assistant. C.J. Conrad spent three seasons with the program before becoming a the tight ends coach at Eastern Kentucky in 2023. After one season in the FCS, Conrad will be making the trek to Northwest Ohio to continue his coaching career.

C.J. Conrad will get a taste of MACtion in 2024 as he continues to rise up the coaching ranks. At this rate, it would not be a surprise to see Conrad on a Big Ten or SEC sideline at some point in the very near future.

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join the KSR Club.

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. With summer recruiting right around the corner, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Just $1 gets you one month of access. Come join the club.