Football
- Title:
- Assistant Coach / Tight Ends
- Email:
- football@memphis.edu
- Phone:
- 901-678-5119
Brad Salem enters his fourth season as the tight ends coach for Memphis in 2024. He was promoted to the position in April of 2021 after serving as the senior offensive consultant for the Tigers in 2020.
"We are pleased to elevate Brad Salem to our tight ends coaching position," said head coach Ryan Silverfield. "Brad is a veteran coach who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience at a high level to our staff."
In 2023, Salem helped guide the Tigers to a 10-3 season, including a win in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, 36-26, over Iowa State. The 10-win season was just the fifth in program history. Offensively, Memphis ranked sixth in the NCAA in scoring offense (39.4), 10th in passing offense (306.5), 14th in total offense (458.5) and 17th in team passing efficiency (154.79) and completion percentage (.667).
In 2022, Salem helped guide the Tigers to a 38-10 victory over Utah State in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Memphis finished the season ranked fifth in the nation in fewest penalties (53), 21st in passing offense (279.2) and 22nd in scoring offense (35.3).
Caden Prieskorn had one of the best seasons for a tight end in program history, earning Second-Team All-AAC honors. He finsihed the year tied for the most receptions (48) and touchdowns (7) in a single season by a tight end, while his 657 receiving yards were the second most.
In 2021, Salem helped the Tigers to the program’s eighth-straight bowl appearance, as the team was named EasyPost Hawai’i Bowl champions after Hawai’i withdrew from the game.
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On the year, Memphis ranked 16th in that nation in passing offense (298.8) and 38th in total offense (434.9). On the year, the Tigers posted 400 or more total yards on offense seven times, including 680 in the win at Arkansas State and 614 at Tulsa.
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Under Salem, Sean Dykes was tremendous for the Tigers, leading all AAC tight ends with 48 receptions, 657 yards and seven touchdowns on the season en route to earning a spot on the All-AAC First Team. Overall, Dykes tied for sixth in the league in touchdowns, ninth in receptions and 10th in receiving yards.
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For his career, Dykes finished as the most prolific tight end in school history, ending with 128 receptions for 1,826 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Prior to his arrival at Memphis, Salem spent 10 seasons at Michigan State University from 2010-19. During his tenure, he served as running backs coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. Salem’s decade at Michigan State was a time of unprecedented success including three Big Ten titles, Rose Bowl Championship, Cotton Bowl Championship and College Football Playoff. MSU went to nine bowl games and had six 10-win seasons during this period.
Salem, who coached quarterbacks from 2013-2018, developed two of the most successful quarterbacks in Michigan State history, both finishing their careers as the all-time leader in total offense. Connor Cook, the winningest quarterback in school history (34-5), led the school to three straight top-six finishes in the national polls and two Big Ten Championships while being named the 2015 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Cook finished his career as Michigan State’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (71), total offense (9,403 yards) and passing yards (9,194), and he tied records for most 300-yard (10) and 200-yard passing games (26). He was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Oakland.
Salem continued his successful track record for developing quarterbacks with Brian Lewerke, who set school sophomore records for total offense (3,352 yards, No. 2 in school history) and passing yards (2,793). Lewerke became the first in school history to throw for more than 2,500 yards and rush for more than 500 yards in the same season. He set school single-game records for passing yards (445), total offense (475) and completions (39) and finished his career as all-time leader in total offense (9,548), second in completions, and third in wins and rushing yards (1,255). Lewerke signed with the New England Patriots as a free agent in 2020 and is currently with the New York Giants.
In his three seasons as running backs coach from 2010-2012, Salem developed one of the most productive running backs in Spartan history. Le'Veon Bell compiled 1,793 rushing yards, finished with the second-highest single-season total in MSU history, and ranked third averaging 137.9 yards per game. He was named a first-team All-American and won the Big Ten rushing title and before being selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He currently plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Salem also coached All-Big Ten running back Edwin Baker, who finished his career ranked among MSU's all-time leaders in rushing yards and carries and was selected in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
In 2014, Salem helped orchestrate the No. 1 offense in school history, as the Spartans set numerous program records, including points (559), scoring average (43.0 ppg.), offensive touchdowns (70), rushing touchdowns (44), total offense (6,510 yards; 500.8 ypg.) and rushing yards (3,057).
Salem spent six seasons (2011-16) as the program’s recruiting coordinator, helping bring in four consecutive Top 25 classes (2014: No. 19 Scout; No. 22 Rivals; 2015: No. 18 Scout; No. 22 Rivals; 2016: No. 18 Scout, No. 20 Rivals; 2017: No. 22 Scout).
Salem has been either an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach for 16 seasons as a college coach.
Before arriving at Michigan State, Salem served as the head coach at Augustana University, compiling a 31-26 record in five seasons (2005-09) and guiding his alma mater to a resurgence, matching school record consecutive 8-win seasons and a four-year win total (25) that had not been accomplished since 1939-1942. He coordinated a dynamic offense that set school records in touchdowns, passing, receiving and rushing and led the school to the first appearance in the American Football Coaches Association Division II Top 25 in 20 years. Prior to becoming head coach, Salem served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for two seasons.
Previously, Salem coached three seasons as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of South Dakota (1999-2001) and two seasons as offensive and recruiting coordinator at Luther College (1997-98).
From 1994-96, he served as a graduate assistant under George Perles and Nick Saban at Michigan State University, working with the quarterbacks.
A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Salem launched his coaching career in the European Professional League in Paris, France, where he was the offensive coordinator for Robinson Sphinx in the spring of 1993.
Salem began his collegiate playing career as a quarterback at Northern Arizona in 1988-89 before transferring to Augustana University where he played quarterback and wide receiver from 1990-92.
He earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Augustana University in 1992 and his master's degree in athletic administration from Michigan State University in 1996.
Salem shares his love of coaching football with his father Joe, former head coach at South Dakota (1966-74), Northern Arizona (1975-78) and Minnesota (1979-83); as well as his older brother Tim, currently the tight ends coach for the University of Pittsburgh.
Salem and his wife Christina have two sons, Eli and Jeremiah.
Salem At A Glance| Alma Mater | Augustana, 1992 Michigan State, 1996 |
| Playing Experience | Northern Arizona (1988-89) Augustana (1990-92) Played quarterback and wide receiver |
| Family | Wife - Christina Children - Elijah, Jeremiah |
Coaching Experience
| Robinson Sphinx (EPL) | Offensive Coordinator (1993) |
| Augustana | Defensive Backs Assistant (1993) |
| Michigan State | Graduate Assistant, Offense (1994-95) |
| Everett High School | Defensive Coordinator (1996) |
| Luther (Iowa) College | Offensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator (1997-98) |
| South Dakota | Passing Game Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator (1999-2001) |
| O'Gorman High School | Assistant Coach, Quarterbacks (2002) |
| Augustana | Assistant Coach, Quarterbacks (2003) Offensive Coordinator (2004) Head Coach (2005-09) |
| Michigan State | Assistant Coach, Running Backs (2010-12) Assistant Coach, Quarterbacks (2013-18) Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs (2019) |
| Memphis | Senior Offensive Consultant (2020) Assistant Coach, Tight Ends (2021-Present) |
Bowl Coaching Experience
| 1994 | Independence Bowl |
| 2010 | Capital One Bowl |
| 2011 | Outback Bowl |
| 2012 | Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl |
| 2013 | Rose Bowl |
| 2014 | Cotton Bowl |
| 2015 | Cotton Bowl |
| 2017 | Holiday Bowl |
| 2018 | Redbox Bowl |
| 2019 | Pinstripe Bowl |
| 2020 | Montgomery Bowl |
| 2021 | EasyPost Hawai'i Bowl |
| 2022 | SERVPRO First Responder Bowl |
| 2023 | AutoZone Liberty Bowl |
