| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Wide receivers coach |
| Team | Akron |
| Conference | MAC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1964-10-17)October 17, 1964 (age 60) Pueblo, Colorado, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1984 | BYU |
| 1985–1987 | Colorado State |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1995–1996 | Denver Broncos (assistant) |
| 1997–1998 | Pittsburgh (TE) |
| 1999 | Pittsburgh (WR) |
| 2000–2003 | Pittsburgh (OC/WR) |
| 2004–2009 | Akron |
| 2011–2012 | Colorado (PGC/TE/ST) |
| 2024–present | Akron (WR) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 29–43 |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
As coach:
As player: | |
| Awards | |
| MAC Coach of the Year (2004) | |
Joseph Daniel Brookhart (born October 17, 1964) is anAmerican football coach and former player. He is thewide receivers coach for theUniversity of Akron, a position he has held since 2024. He was formerly an assistant coach at theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder, where he was hired as passing game coordinator, tight ends coach, and special teams coordinator onJon Embree's staff in December 2010. Brookhart was the head coach at theUniversity of Akron from 2004 to 2009, compiling a record of 30–42. HisAkron Zips won theMid-American Conference (MAC) in 2005, and he was honored as theMAC Coach of the Year the previous season. Brookhart playedcollege football atBrigham Young University as a freshman walk-on before transferring toColorado State University. He has also served as an assistant coach at theUniversity of Pittsburgh and with theDenver Broncos of theNational Football League (NFL).
As a three-year starter atwide receiver for theColorado State Rams, Brookhart finished his career sixth on the program's list of all-time receptions with 111. As of 2006 he was still ranked tenth and with 1,873 career receiving yards is ranked seventh. He was selected anGTE Academic All-American his senior year. After graduation with a bachelor's degree, he signed with theLos Angeles Rams in 1988 but was released the same year.
Brookhart worked forThe International golf tournament in Denver, managing the event's corporate hospitality tents for one year. He then worked forXerox Corporation. Within three years of selling copiers he was awarded the President's Club Award, an honor given to those who meet a sales quota among the company's top-15 percent. He then worked for two other companies in the Denver andSalt Lake City area. He had been managing a speed camp on the side of his career for high school and collegiate football players.
Brookhart decided to forgo his business career and accepted an unpaid position with theDenver Broncos in 1995. Two years later, he became the assistant coach oftight ends for thePittsburgh Panthers. He moved on to the wide receivers assistant coach position in 1999 and addedoffensive coordinator duties in 2000. He coachedLarry Fitzgerald.
Brookhart became the 25th head coach of Akron on December 15, 2003, the program's third head coach since gainingNCAA Division I-A status in 1987. In his second season, he led the Zips to their firstMid-American Conference (MAC) championship and their firstbowl game in school history, the2005 Motor City Bowl, which they lost, 38–31, to theMemphis. He was fired after the 2009 season when the Zips went 3-9.[1]
Brookhart is married to Jami Brookhart, and they have four children: Joey, JT, John, and Jake.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Zips(Mid-American Conference)(2004–2009) | |||||||||
| 2004 | Akron | 6–5 | 6–2 | 2nd(East) | |||||
| 2005 | Akron | 7–6 | 5–3 | 1st(East) | LMotor City | ||||
| 2006 | Akron | 4–8 | 3–5 | 6th(East) | |||||
| 2007 | Akron | 4–8 | 3–5 | 5th(East) | |||||
| 2008 | Akron | 5–7 | 3–5 | 5th(East) | |||||
| 2009 | Akron | 3–9 | 2–6 | 6th(East) | |||||
| Akron: | 29–43 | 22–26 | |||||||
| Total: | 29–43 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||