Joey Fitzgerald is in his first season as the wide receivers coach at UVa-Wise. The coach spent last season at Eastern Kentucky University.
Serving as tight ends coach at EKU, Fitzgerald worked with an offense that averaged 30.3 points per game. Starting tight end Ben Madon had the strongest season of his collegiate career under Fitzgerald’s guidance as he led the team with 456 receiving yards. Madon was a first-team all-conference honoree and was named Offensive Team MVP, following the season.
Previously, the coach spent two seasons at South Eastern Conference member Mississippi State.
He served as the Bulldogs’ offensive graduate assistant coach from May 2013 to April 2015. Fitzgerald was promoted to offensive quality control coach before leaving to join the EKU staff.
As offensive graduate assistant, Fitzgerald served as the assistant wide receivers coach, created daily playbooks and notes for the entire offense, was responsible for film breakdown and prepared weekly scouting reports.
Mississippi State set a number of offensive milestones with Fitzgerald on staff. In 2014, the wide receivers broke the school mark with 21 touchdowns as a unit and set a new school record with 3,196 receiving yards. The Bulldogs ranked 22nd nationally with 280.7 receiving yards per game and eighth nationally with 513.8 total yards per game.
Before joining the Bulldogs staff in 2013, Fitzgerald spent four seasons at Florida Atlantic University, the final three as defensive graduate assistant. He worked as the assistant defensive backs coach in 2010 and 2011 and the assistant linebackers coach in 2012. He was also responsible for all opponent film breakdown and prepared weekly scouting reports.
Â
Fitzgerald played quarterback at Hampden-Sydney College, helping the team to the 2007 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in psychology from HSC in 2009. Fitzgerald has two master’s degrees, one in education from Florida Atlantic (2012) and another in arts in teaching/community college education from Mississippi State (2014).
