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Mike Priefer Jr. - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics

MikePriefer Jr.

  • title Assistant Coach Special Teams
BIO
  • Michael Priefer Jr. was hired at Kentucky in 2023 as the quality control coach for special teams, working directly with special teams coordinator Jay Boulware. 
  • Prior to Kentucky, he spent the 2022 season as the special teams coordinator, tight ends coach and fullbacks coach at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. 
  • Under his tutelage, his special teams units led the Missouri Valley Conference (FCS) in net kickoff yardage and his punt defense (-0.5 yds/ret), kick return defense and field goal percentage ranked second in the league. 
  • Spent the 2021 season as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Northwood University, a Division II school in Midland, Michigan. 
  • Once again, his special teams units shined as the Timberwolves led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in kickoff return yards and average yards per game, field goal percentage and blocked kicks … Also ranked second in the league in punt average
  • Coached punter Parker Blust to first-team All-GLIAC honors and helped kick/punt returner Tajae Leslie garner second-team All-GLIAC accolades. 
  • Began his coaching career in 2018 as a special teams graduate assistant under head coach P.J. Fleck at Minnesota and moved on to coach the 2019-21 seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Pittsburgh with head coach Pat Narduzzi, primarily working with the linebackers. 
  • Priefer Jr., a native of Mound, Minnesota, was a three-year letterwinner and two-year starter at defensive back at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire … Also started on all six phases of special teams (kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt coverage, punt return, field goal and field goal block).  
  • Priefer Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology sports pedagogy from Wisconsin-Eau Clair in 2017.  
  • Priefer Jr.’s name might be familiar to NFL aficionados as his father Mike Priefer has 28 years of coaching experience, 20 in the NFL … His grandfather, Chuck Priefer, was a longtime high school, college and NFL coach, spending time as the special teams coach with the San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions. 

 

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