Colorado State University Athletics
Rams promote Meyer, finalize 2009 staff
3/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 13, 2009
By Zak Gilbert
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Colorado State has promoted assistant Pat Meyer to offensive line coach/run game coordinator. Head Coach Steve Fairchild made the announcement Friday.
"Pat has demonstrated great knowledge of the game," Fairchild said. "He has a tremendous ability to coach, and I want to increase his responsibilities on the offensive side of the ball."
Meyer, 36, officially joined the Colorado State coaching staff on Jan. 14, 2008. One of four new CSU coaches who played previously at the school, he joined Fairchild, Anthoney Hill and Daren Wilkinson on Fairchild's inaugural staff last season.
In 2008, two of his CSU players received all-conference honors, second-team guard Shelley Smith and honorable-mention center Tim Walter. His line paved the way for Gartrell Johnson, who led the Mountain West in rushing (113.5 yards per game) and ranked 13th in the nation, becoming CSU's first conference rushing champion since Cecil Sapp in 2002.
Among the Western Athletic Conference's most consistent offensive linemen, Meyer as a CSU player earned all-conference honors three straight years and helped Hill and the Rams to a magical 1994 season that ended in the Holiday Bowl against Michigan.
After signing with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals as a free agent in 1995, he played one season (1996) in the Arena Football League, with the St. Louis Stampede.
He has eight years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach in major collegiate weight rooms. At North Carolina State, he helped to condition and train five NFL draft choices, including first-rounders Mario Williams, the No. 1 overall selection in 2006, Philip Rivers, Manny Lawson and John McCargo.
Meyer also serves as one of the staff's chief recruiters in the talent-rich state of Florida.
Ballard, Gallimore round out 2009 coaching staff
Fairchild on Friday also announced that Darrell Ballard has joined the staff as a graduate assistant, and Jason Gallimore will return for another season as a graduate assistant.
Ballard, the Rams' second-leading receiver with 33 catches in helping CSU to a 1995 Holiday Bowl berth, will assist Greg Peterson in coaching the wide receivers and work in general with the offense.
Gallimore, who joined the staff late in the summer of 2008, helped the Rams to three consecutive bowl games as a defensive back from 1999-01. He will again work with the defense.
