 |
| |
 | Position:
Tight Ends/Special Teams | 12th Season
|
| Alma Mater:
TCU | 1985
|
|
|
|
|
One of the more popular players to ever don the Purple and White, Dan Sharp is in his 12th year during his second stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater. He doubles as the tight ends and special teams coach.
A 2005 inductee into the TCU Lettermen's Hall of Fame, Sharp returned to the Frogs' staff in 2001 as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. He previously coached nine seasons at TCU before heading to Tulsa in 1998.
In 2011, TCU was second the nation in kickoff return average with a 28.2-yard mark. The Frogs returned three kickoffs for touchdowns.
While coaching placekicker Ross Evans for four seasons, Evans has set eight TCU records and three Mountain West records.
Under Sharp's tutelage in 2010, Jeremy Kerley was named the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year. TCU has had the first-team All-MWC return specialist all six seasons it has been in the league (Kerley, 2008-10; Brian Bonner, 2006-07; Cory Rodgers, 2005).
Kerley, a first-team All-American and one of three finalists for the Paul Hornung Award, also became a 2011 fifth-round draft pick of the New York Jets.
TCU topped the nation in 2009 in kickoff return average with a 29.2-yard mark. The Horned Frogs led the Mountain West Conference in kickoff and punt returns as they had three special teams touchdowns. Kerley returned two punts for scores and received All-America honors as a return specialist, while Greg McCoy returned a kickoff 81 yards for a touchdown en route to setting a single-season TCU record with a 35.9-yard average.
Sharp also coached first-team All-MWC placekicker Ross Evans, who was 15-of-18 on field-goal attempts while setting a single-season TCU record with 61 extra-points made.In 2008, Sharp mentored Evans and fellow freshman Anson Kelton as they handled the kicking game for TCU.
Kelton earned All-Mountain West Conference honors as 30 of his 54 punts (55.6 percent) were placed inside the opponent 20 with just seven touchbacks. He had a 41.3 average. Evans made 16-of-20 field goals, including a 50-yard effort on his first collegiate attempt. He was the only freshman among the semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top placekicker.
Sharp coached TCU placekicker and three-time All-Mountain West Conference selection Chris Manfredini to a 47-of-54 mark on field goals in three seasons (2005-07). Additionally, punter Derek Wash was an honorable-mention All-MWC choice in 2007 with a 42.5 average.
Placekicker Nick Browne and punter Joey Biasatti were semifinalists for the Lou Groza and Ray Guy Awards, respectively, during the 2002 campaign. Browne earned All-America honors and was the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year in 2003.
In the last four seasons, three tight ends (Chad Andrus, Brent Hecht, Shae Reagan) have been inducted into the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society for academic excellence.
Under Sharp's leadership, Matt Schobel was the second pick in the third round of the 2002 National Football League draft and the 67th player selected overall. In 2004, Cody McCarty garnered first-team all-league honors.
Sharp previously coached at TCU (1991-97) under both Jim Wacker and Pat Sullivan. He mentored the tight ends for five years and handled the defensive ends for two seasons. Before joining the TCU staff on a full-time basis, Sharp served as a graduate assistant under Wacker.
Sharp was a tight end on TCU's 1984 team which went 8-3 and earned a trip to the Bluebonnet Bowl. He had a key touchdown reception in a 32-31 win at Arkansas, the Frogs' first victory in Fayetteville in 29 years.
In addition to providing outstanding blocking for TCU's vaunted running game, Sharp earned All-Southwest Conference honors in 1984 as he caught 42 passes for 596 yards and seven touchdowns. He spent two years in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons before returning to TCU in 1988.
He received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from TCU in 1985 and his master's in liberal arts in 1992.
Sharp and his wife, Cindy, both natives of Boerne, Texas, are the parents of two daughters: Alexandra and Andrea.
