CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Clemson coach hired as WCU's new wide receiver coach


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Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina head football coach Mark Speir announced this week the addition of Tyler Carlton as the wide receivers coach. Carlton comes to Cullowhee from Speir's alma mater, Clemson, where he has spent the past four seasons under renowned offensive coordinator, Chad Morris.

Carlton replaces former assistant coach, Jaybo Shaw, who spent one season on staff in Cullowhee as the wide receivers coach. Shaw took a position on his father's coaching staff at Rabun County (Ga.) High, where he got his start in coaching, in early June.

"Whereas we had really hoped to retain our entire coaching staff intact from a season ago, it was a great opportunity for Jaybo Shaw to return to Georgia and coach with his dad -- a great former Catamount, Lee Shaw," said Speir. "But we are very excited about what Tyler Carlton will bring to the young men in our program."

Speir added, "Tyler (Carlton) has a wealth of experience at the Conference USA and ACC-level as both in playing the position and a coach. He's been around some of the best wide receivers in the country -- like former Clemson Tiger, Sammy WatkinsSammy Watkins
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-- and having worked with a talented offensive mind in Chad Morris will help make our offense better."

Serving as an offensive analyst at Clemson, Carlton's duties included assisting the offensive staff on a day-to-day basis while also aiding in video breakdown of opponents. Carlton also served as a video graduate assistant at Clemson, helping the Tigers to 42 victories, four top-25 final rankings and an ACC Championship in 2011. He was also a part of four bowl appearances with the Tigers including a pair of Orange Bowls in both 2012 and defeating Ohio State in 2014, as well as wins over LSU in the 2012 Chic-Fila-A Bowl and over Oklahoma in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl.

Originally from Sapulpa, Okla., Carlton played collegiately at Tulsa as both a wide receiver and punter from 2004-06 where he was a member of the 2005 Conference USA championship squad. He also earned a bowl ring as the Golden Hurricanes won the Liberty Bowl.

A 2009 graduate of Tulsa, earning a degree in exercise science, Carlton got his coaching start at Tulsa as a student assistant in 2008-09, progressing to offensive quality control assistant in 2009-10 under Morris. While on staff, he was a part of two bowl appearances including a win over Ball State in the 2008 GMAC Bowl and defeating Hawaii in the 2010 Hawaii Bowl.

All told, between his seven seasons as an assistant on a collegiate staff, Carlton has been a part of six, 10-win seasons.

Carlton was married to the former Lisa Giordano in June of 2013; the couple has a son, Tennyson "Deuce".

Carlton inherits a strong Catamount wide receiving corps. Last season, WCU's wideouts accounted for 18 of the team's 21 receiving touchdowns including a team-high 11 from Spearman Robinson. The Catamounts ranked second in the Southern Conference in passing offense, averaging 219.2 yards per game through the air. Terryon Robinson paced the league with a 5.1 reception per game average, securing a team-best 56 catches for 643 yards. Karnorris Benson, who tied the school record with 12 receiving TDs in 2013, joined the two Robinsons with 500-plus yards, catching 40 passes for 519 receiving yards a season ago.

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