New Rice offensive coordinantor and old friend David Beaty, seen here in Kansas Jayhawks purple, is already on camps and involved with Rice's recruiting (KU SID photo)

HOUSTON (Jan. 21) – Rice head coach David Bailiff made it official Wednesday: former Rice assistant coach David Beaty is indeed returning to the Flock, this time as the Owls’ offensive coordinator.

Beaty originally came to the Owls with Todd Graham in 2006, but was  one of only a couple holdovers from the Graham coaching staff when David Bailiff took over at the helm for Rice the following year.

Beaty’s efforts during the interregnum and then as a staffer for Bailiff were considered crucial in retaining key members of the ‘07 recruiting class, and there was wailing and gnashing of teeth on South Main when the former Irving McArthur high school coach left to take a higher-paid position on the University of Kansas coach Mark Mangino’s staff after the ‘07 season.

Such was the extent of approval and even outright affection for Beaty’s personality and coaching skills among Owl players, fans, and, for that matter, David Bailiff and his assistants.

Of course, when Coach Mangino was given his pink slip by KU after the ‘09 season, that put David Beaty back on the job hunt, and there certainly was no shortage of offers.

But Rice held a special spot in his heart, he told us Wednesday after the Rice-SMU basketball game, and when the possibility of signing on as the Owls’ offensive coordinator came up, that was just too good a deal to pass up, he said.

"I’m really excited - my family is really excited - about returning to Rice and Houston," Coach Beaty remarked. "This was a special place and special time for me. We look forward to seeing the great friends we made here, and working with Coach Bailiff the rest of his staff."

"We’re ready to get after it," he said, animatedly.

David will join the Rice staff immediately and be actively involved in the final weeks of Rice’s recruiting efforts.

Beaty served as Rice’s wide receivers coach in 2006-07, and held the same position coaching spot at Kansas. This is his first stint as an offensive coordinator, but recall that he has extensive head coaching experience at the high school level.

At Rice, the 39-year-old Beaty oversaw the development of Jarett Dillard into Rice's first All American receiver in over 50 years. Dillard rapidly developed into a Biletnikoff Award finalist in 2006, catching 91 passes for 1,247 yards and 21 touchdowns, while setting an NCAA record by catching at least one touchdown in all 13 games as the Owls reached a bowl game for the first time since 1961.

In his two seasons at Kansas, Beaty guided receiver Kerry Meier to a record-setting career for the Jayhawks. Meier caught a school-record 102 passes for 985 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior and was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. Meier ranked fourth in the NCAA in receptions per game (8.5) and 25th in receiving yards per game (82.08). He also set KU records for career receptions (226) and single-game receptions (16 vs. Iowa State).

Prior to joining the Owls' staff, Beaty was a successful head coach at MacArthur (Irving, Texas) High School from 2002-05, where his teams posted a 33-11 record and won two district titles. He earned several coach of the year honors while at MacArthur.

Beaty began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Naaman Forest High School in Garland, Texas, from 1994-96. He was also an assistant at Garland High School from 1997-2000. Garland claimed the Class 5A Division II state title in 1999. Beaty then assumed his first head coaching job at North Dallas High School in 2001. He coached there for one season, posting a 6-4 record, before taking over at MacArthur.

Beaty is a 1994 graduate of Lindenwood (St. Charles, Mo.) College, where he played football and served as a team captain from 1992-93. Beaty was a four-year starter at wide receiver and led the team in receptions for three straight seasons. He played both football and soccer at Garland (Texas) High School where he graduated in 1989.

Coach Bailiff said Ed Zaunbrecher, the Owls' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2009, left at the end of the season to pursue other opportunities.

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