Oregon State Interim Special Teams Coach Robb Akey: "I know everybody wants to win"
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Robb Akey has seen it all. Ahead of his hire in February, Trent Bray’s Special Assistant to the Head Coach boasted a resume that included stints coaching defensive lines, tutoring linebackers, coordinating defensive schemes, and running the whole show as a head coach. For added measure, Akey also had experience in the NFL.
Now, all that experience will be put to the test. Following the firing of special teams coach Jamie Christian, the Beavers’ beleaguered special teams units are under Akey’s control.
Yesterday, Oregon State’s new special teams coach spoke with the media. In the matter-of-fact manner of speaking that has long defined the former Idaho & Washington State coach, Akey got straight to the point regarding Oregon State’s fourth down doldrums: “Well, I think that we’re trying to pay attention to now is take an unfortunate situation, and we got to tighten it up and make it be a little bit better”.
Special teams have been especially rough for Oregon State this season. Longsnapping errors and two return touchdowns doomed the Beavers' efforts against Fresno State. The following week, Oregon State lined up punter AJ Windsor fewer yards behind the line of scrimmage, and Windsor’s quick kicks were returned for long gains by Texas Tech. In their following games, errant snaps and poor coverage have habitually resurfaced.
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While the woes have contributed to Oregon State’s worst start since Gary Andersen’s 1-11 flameout in 2017, fans and several outlets covering the team have written about Trent Bray’s future. Through it all, his new special teams coach has stayed positive, telling reporters that “I think Coach Bray’s got a great way about it, and that’s the thing. I feel sick, and I think everybody feels sick, for the situation we’re in. I feel bad for him because of the work that he’s put into this and you look at the way that our players respond to him, and the respect they’ve got for him, it goes throughout the whole building, and our coaches, and everybody. I think probably this community in the ground scheme of things, I know everybody wants to win ”.
This season won’t mark Akey’s debut coaching special teams; he began his career as a defensive line coach & special teams coordinator at his alma mater FCS Weber State from 1988-94, and then began his next job at FCS Northern Arizona (1995-98) coaching special teams for one additional season. Still, it’s been a while, but Akey feels up for the challenge: “It’s exciting, in that regard. And it’s a portion of the game that I’ve always had a great passion for because it can influence the game in the quickest possible way. We want to make sure to influence in a positive way, in the quickest possible way. That’s the challenge to go do, and that was always my desire when I was doing it at Weber and at NAU, and then as the head coach [at Idaho from 2007-12] you know I played a pretty good role in doing a lot of that stuff, too”.
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During Akey’s six season run at Idaho in the late aughts, his return specialists scored eight touchdowns, and his kickers’ lowest field goal percentage was 61%. Oregon State fans would likely sign up for that without hesitation.
Past success bolsters Akey’s confidence, but something else contributes to Akey’s swagger: a rapport with Special Teams Quality Control assistant Daniel Akey, his son. Unable to hide a smile, Akey spoke glowingly of the family affair in the Beavers’ coaching staff: “It’s been a good thing for him, and you know the opportunity you get to coach with your son is a pretty cool deal. It really is, and so that’s something that you know we enjoy. We’re going to have a hell of a lot of fun as soon as we start winning these things”.
If the Beavers do start winning, Akey father and son might have an extended stay in the Beaver State.
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.