The University of Akron Athletics
Akron’s Fessler Promoted to Zips’ Offensive Coordinator
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron quarterbacks coach/co-pass game coordinator Billy Fessler has been promoted to offensive coordinator, Zips’ head coach Joe Moorhead announced on Thursday.
“We are very excited to announce the promotion of Coach Fessler to Offensive Coordinator,” Moorhead commented. “In one season, he’s done a phenomenal job developing DJ Irons, who earned all-conference honors, and the entire QB room. He’s also played a major role in the improvement of our offense in every statistical category, while becoming one of the top-passing offenses in the MAC and NCAA. I’m excited to watch our offense and QB’s grow under Coach Fessler’s tutelage.”
Fessler served as Akron’s quarterbacks coach and co-pass game coordinator this past season and will continue to coach the quarterbacks. The Zips are coming off a stellar campaign from the quarterback position, where the team threw for 3,396 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to averaging a Mid-American Conference leading 283.1 yards per game, the 18th-best mark in the NCAA. Akron’s 3,396 passing yards are the most for a Zips’ squad since the 2012 campaign.
Redshirt junior QB DJ Irons (Lawrenceville, Ga.) passed for 2,606 yards, including throwing for 10 touchdowns, while running for four additional scores. Irons ranked eighth in the NCAA in completions per game (25.30), 17th in completion percentage (.668), 23rd in total offense (292.0) and 28th in passing yards per contest (260.6). Irons’ 260.6 passing yards per game is the fourth-best single-season effort in program history, while his 2,606 passing yards stands as the eighth-best single-season performance in the school record book.
“I am honored and thankful for the opportunity from Coach Moorhead to be the Offensive Coordinator at The University of Akron,” said Fessler. “The history of Coach Moorhead’s offense speaks for itself, and I am excited to continue to work with the offensive staff to build on the success of the past. Our offense will be a fundamentally sound unit which uses schemes designed to attack our opponents by allowing our players to play with confidence. We will continue to be fast, physical, explosive and play the game with great detail. We are excited as an offensive staff to attack this offseason and grateful to represent The University of Akron.”
Akron's offense led the MAC in passing yards per game (283.0), completions (323), attempts (502), while ranking second in passing yards (3,396) and completion percentage (.643).
When Irons sustained a season-ending injury in the final month of the season, junior QB Jeff Undercuffler, Jr. (Delran, N.J.), Jr. led the Zips to a victory at Northern Illinois and a nearly directed Akron to a season-ending triumph at Buffalo. Undercuffler finished the year with 791 passing yards on 70-of-120 attempts with five touchdowns.
Fessler came to Akron after working two seasons on the Ohio State coaching staff in 2020 and 2021 as an offensive graduate assistant for the Buckeyes. He was named one of the Top-30 Coaches Under 30 by 247Sports.
Ohio State led the NCAA in scoring offense (45.7) in 2021, while ranking second in team passing efficiency (182.34) and third in passing offense (380.9) led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is a two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
In 2020, the Buckeyes finished ninth in the NCAA in team passing efficiency (175.56) and 11th in scoring offense (41.0) en route to advancing to NCAA title game led by quarterback Justin Fields, who was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Fessler came to Ohio State after spending the 2019 campaign at Mississippi State where he was an offensive graduate assistant under Morehead. Prior to that, Fessler was a graduate assistant for one season at Slippery Rock where he coached running backs.
No stranger to the Big Ten, Fessler played quarterback at Penn State from 2014-18. A Dean’s List student, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance in May of 2018.
“We are very excited to announce the promotion of Coach Fessler to Offensive Coordinator,” Moorhead commented. “In one season, he’s done a phenomenal job developing DJ Irons, who earned all-conference honors, and the entire QB room. He’s also played a major role in the improvement of our offense in every statistical category, while becoming one of the top-passing offenses in the MAC and NCAA. I’m excited to watch our offense and QB’s grow under Coach Fessler’s tutelage.”
Fessler served as Akron’s quarterbacks coach and co-pass game coordinator this past season and will continue to coach the quarterbacks. The Zips are coming off a stellar campaign from the quarterback position, where the team threw for 3,396 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to averaging a Mid-American Conference leading 283.1 yards per game, the 18th-best mark in the NCAA. Akron’s 3,396 passing yards are the most for a Zips’ squad since the 2012 campaign.
Redshirt junior QB DJ Irons (Lawrenceville, Ga.) passed for 2,606 yards, including throwing for 10 touchdowns, while running for four additional scores. Irons ranked eighth in the NCAA in completions per game (25.30), 17th in completion percentage (.668), 23rd in total offense (292.0) and 28th in passing yards per contest (260.6). Irons’ 260.6 passing yards per game is the fourth-best single-season effort in program history, while his 2,606 passing yards stands as the eighth-best single-season performance in the school record book.
“I am honored and thankful for the opportunity from Coach Moorhead to be the Offensive Coordinator at The University of Akron,” said Fessler. “The history of Coach Moorhead’s offense speaks for itself, and I am excited to continue to work with the offensive staff to build on the success of the past. Our offense will be a fundamentally sound unit which uses schemes designed to attack our opponents by allowing our players to play with confidence. We will continue to be fast, physical, explosive and play the game with great detail. We are excited as an offensive staff to attack this offseason and grateful to represent The University of Akron.”
Akron's offense led the MAC in passing yards per game (283.0), completions (323), attempts (502), while ranking second in passing yards (3,396) and completion percentage (.643).
When Irons sustained a season-ending injury in the final month of the season, junior QB Jeff Undercuffler, Jr. (Delran, N.J.), Jr. led the Zips to a victory at Northern Illinois and a nearly directed Akron to a season-ending triumph at Buffalo. Undercuffler finished the year with 791 passing yards on 70-of-120 attempts with five touchdowns.
Fessler came to Akron after working two seasons on the Ohio State coaching staff in 2020 and 2021 as an offensive graduate assistant for the Buckeyes. He was named one of the Top-30 Coaches Under 30 by 247Sports.
Ohio State led the NCAA in scoring offense (45.7) in 2021, while ranking second in team passing efficiency (182.34) and third in passing offense (380.9) led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is a two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
In 2020, the Buckeyes finished ninth in the NCAA in team passing efficiency (175.56) and 11th in scoring offense (41.0) en route to advancing to NCAA title game led by quarterback Justin Fields, who was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Fessler came to Ohio State after spending the 2019 campaign at Mississippi State where he was an offensive graduate assistant under Morehead. Prior to that, Fessler was a graduate assistant for one season at Slippery Rock where he coached running backs.
No stranger to the Big Ten, Fessler played quarterback at Penn State from 2014-18. A Dean’s List student, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance in May of 2018.
