Bulldog Breakdown: Get to know Fresno State football's new RB coach Aaron Prier

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State's high-powered offense and record-setting quarterback last season drew suitors from around college football.

As a result, three assistant coaching jobs were vacant with one of them filled by a running back coach and a "Prier" connection.

Aaron Prier met offensive coordinator Pat McCann, the Bulldog's new offensive coordinator, when the two first worked together at Idaho State. Following that, they reunited at Eastern Washington when McCann, then the interim OC, recommended Prier as the Eagles' RB coach.

History repeated itself years later when James Montgomery departed Fresno for Boise State, and McCann once again had a spot to fill.

"I'm grateful for him," Prier said. "Sharp dude. I've learned a lot from him. So I'm excited to get to work with him again."

He also gets to work for someone he watched stroll the sidelines while living in the Bay Area.

"There's only like two head coaches I knew growing up, and (Tedford) was one of them during that Cal era," Prier said. "I used to go to Cal camps and all that stuff when I was younger."

Now he's working with Tedford and a group of running backs looking to take over the starting role. Malik Sherrod, Elijah Gilliam, and Simi Bakare return from last season. Jonathan Arceneaux, who missed last year due to injury, and Cal transfer Damien Moore are other names in the mix.

"We want to be able to run fast," Prier said. "We also want to be tough. We want to be detailed. So we can have a whole list of things that we want, but fast is definitely an emphasis as far as tempo and being able to process things fast because things get crazy when the bullets start flying."

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