Lou Ayeni returned to his alma mater as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator on January 8, 2018, and he is in his 13th year coaching running backs.
Ayeni’s running backs all have similar qualities; they are tough, smart and productive. From producing draft pics, All-Americans, and all-conference players, Ayeni has consistently built and developed some of the best running back rooms in the nation. He has coached a 1,000-yard runner at each of his coaching stops. At Northwestern, his running backs impact has been instant with the Wildcats winning the Big Ten West and advancing to the Big Ten Championship game in two of his first three years.
Because of his success as a coach, Ayeni has had the opportunity to participate in the Bill Walsh Coaching Internship with the Chicago Bears at the 2009 and 2013 training camps, while also gaining experience with and the Atlanta Falcons during the 2013 minicamp. In 2016 and 2019, Ayeni was selected to the prestigious NCAA Champion Forum hosted by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). The NCAA and the Power Five conferences huddle together to select high-performing ethnic minorities, with a focus on providing tailored education to talented rising stars who will lead the next generation of college head coaches.
In 2021, despite losing leading returning rusher and preseason all-conference pick Cam Porter to a season-ending injury in training camp, Evan Hull developed into a 1,000-yard rusher under Ayeni’s guidance. Hull rushed for 1,009 yds at 5.1 per carry and led all Big Ten running backs in receptions with 32.
The 2020 campaign saw a pair of rookies help lead Northwestern in the backfield to its second trip to the Big Ten Championship Game in three years as Porter and Hull broke away from a crowded talented backfield to be the lead guys down the stretch for the Wildcats. Porter was the team’s leading rusher and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week vs. Illinois after rushing for 142 yards. Hull also rushed for a season-high 149 yards vs. Illinois.
In his first season at Northwestern, Ayeni saw to the development of true first year back Isaiah Bowser, who stepped up after sophomore Jeremy Larkin was forced to medically retire. Under Ayeni, Bowser rushed for 866 yards, averaged over 4.0 yards per rush and was named a First Team Freshman All American by 247 Sports. He also pushed the development of senior walk-on Chad Hanaoka, who earned the most playing time of his career, tallying 120 yards and was critical in pass blocking in the backfield as the Wildcats' primary third-down back.
Ayeni and the running backs room battled injuries in the 2019 season as seven different NU players saw action in the backfield. Sophomore Drake Anderson rushed for a career-best 634 yards on a 4.1-yard-per-carry average. First year Evan Hull broke onto the scene late in the year and in only four games posted a 6.2 yards average and scored four touchdowns. Ayeni had four different running backs run for over 100 yards in a game (Anderson vs. UNLV, Hull vs. UMASS, McGowan vs. Purdue, Azema vs. Illinois)
As recruiting coordinator, Ayeni helped the ‘Cats secure a Top-50 national recruiting class in his first two classes, according to Rivals and 247Sports. He was named one of the top recruiters in the Big Ten by Allen Trieu of 247 Sports/Big Ten Network.
Prior to Northwestern, Ayeni spent four seasons at Iowa State, the final two as Associate Head Coach and Running Game Coordinator. The Cyclones increased their rushing production by nearly 60 yards-per-game from his first to second year on staff. In 2017, Iowa State ranked No. 1 in the nation with just one fumble lost and was the first school in history to go the regular season without a fumble. This was the third time in the last four years under Ayeni that ISU ranked among the nation's Top-16 in total fumbles lost.
Ayeni’s emphasis on ball security helped the Cyclones achieve one of their best seasons in school history in 2017, racking up the second-most wins in the history of the program (8-5) and winning the 2017 Liberty Bowl, just the fourth bowl victory in school history.
Ayeni’s work in 2017 was nationally recognized, earning Running Backs Coach of the Year honors by 247Sports behind the incredible play of sophomore David Montgomery.
Montgomery, who was a First-Team All-American by Pro Football Focus and a First-Team All-Big 12 selection, ranked third in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (88.2), becoming just the 14th back in school history to break the 1,000-yard barrier (1,146).
Montgomery was one of the toughest backs in the nation, forcing an incredible 109 missed tackles and losing just one fumble in 294 touches.
In 2015, Iowa State averaged 182.0 yards per game on the ground, the highest total by a Cyclone team since 2000. Seven times during the season, the Cyclones churned out over 200 rushing yards.
Ayeni’s star pupil in 2015 was Mike Warren, who was the nation’s freshman leader in rushing yardage with 1,339 yards. Warren improved throughout the season under Ayeni’s tutelage, grinding out six 100-yard games, tying for the 8th-most in school history. His 1,339 rushing yards ranked third in the Big 12, was the fifth-best single-season effort in school history and was the third-best total by a Big 12 rookie in the history of the conference. In league play, Warren had a Big 12-best 131.7 yards per game average.
Warren, who also broke the season school record for yards per carry (5.90), was named the 2015 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous selection for Freshman All-American, earning first-team honors by the Sporting News, USA Today and the FWAA.
Prior to his tenure in Ames, he spent four years on staff at the University of Toledo, the last three as Associate Head Coach and Run Game Coordinator. There he helped recruit and mentor 2017 National Football League rushing leader Kareem Hunt. The Rockets qualified for a bowl game in three of the last four seasons and finished among the top five rushing teams in the MAC all four years. Ayeni helped place a running back on an All-MAC Team and mentored a 1,000-yard rusher in each of his last four seasons.
Under Ayeni’s guidance, senior running back David Fluellen flourished, earning first-team All-MAC honors in 2012 and 2013 with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. His 3,336 career rushing yards ranks fourth all-time in UT history.
Fluellen led the MAC in yards per carry (6.7) and rushed for 1,121 yards in 2013 despite missing three games with injuries. In Fluellen’s absence, Ayeni inserted freshman Kareem Hunt as his replacement. Hunt rushed for 886 yards on 6.3 yards per carry and had five 100-yard games in his rookie season to earn Second-Team Freshman All-America honors by Athlon.
In 2012, Fluellen gained 1,498 yards, the second-highest total in the league and No. 12 in the nation, to earn all-MAC honors and he was one of ten running back chosen as a finalist for the Doak Walk award. The Rockets went 9-4 and earned a trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Rocket running attack finished fourth in the MAC in 2011, averaging 213.6 yards per game. Adonis Thomas and Morgan Williams combined for 1,772 yards and 23 TDs. Thomas, who rushed for 1,071 yards despite missing three games with a broken arm, led the MAC with a 6.3 yards per rush average, and was named second team All-MAC for the second straight year. The Rockets ended the year with a 9-4 record and their first bowl victory (Military Bowl) in six years.
In 2010, Toledo's rushing attack finished third in the MAC, averaging 167.4 yards per game. Thomas earned second-team All-MAC honors after running for over 100 yards in three of his final four games. He finished the season with 1,098 yards, as the Rockets earned their first bowl appearance (Little Ceasers Pizza Bowl) in five years and compiled an 8-5 mark.
Ayeni also coached Toledo's kickoff return unit in 2010 that was the national co-leader in kickoff return touchdowns with three and led the Mid-American Conference with a 29.1 return average. Sophomore Eric Page led the nation with three kickoff return TDs, was third with a 31.1 return average and was named the national kickoff returner of the year by College Football Performance Awards and was the Walter Camp 1st Team All American.
Ayeni's coaching career started with a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Northwestern.
A native of Woodbury, Minnesota, Ayeni began his Wildcats career as a running back and was part of Northwestern's 2000 Big Ten Championship squad, before switching to safety for his senior season. He graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in sociology. After graduation, Ayeni played for Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts as a safety in 2004-05 before joining the St. Louis Rams in 2005-06 as a linebacker.
Ayeni played his prep ball at Woodbury High School, where he helped lead the Royals to their only state championship in 1998. He is the school's career leader in yards (3,504) and touchdowns (47). He ran for 2,112 yards and 34 touchdowns his senior season, both school records. He is in the school’s hall of fame.
Ayeni and his wife, Patrice, have two sons Jayden and Kyler and a daughter Rielyn.
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS COACHED
KAREEM HUNT – Second Team (Athlon - 2013)
MIKE WARREN – First Team (Sporting News, USA Today, FWAA, Athlon - 2015)
KENE NWANGWU- Second Team (Athlon - 2016)
ISAIAH BOWSER – First Team (247Sports - 2018)
ALL-AMERICANS COACHED
DAVID MONTGOMERY - First Team (Pro Football Focus - 2017)
ERIC PAGE – First Team (Walter Camp, Phil Steele, Sporting News - 2010)
BOWLS COACHED IN
2008 VALERO ALAMO BOWL
2009 OUTBACK BOWL
2010 LITTLE CEASERS PIZZA BOWL
2011 MILITARY BOWL
2012 FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
2017 LIBERTY BOWL
2018 HOLIDAY BOWL
2021 CITRUS BOWL
Ayeni’s running backs all have similar qualities; they are tough, smart and productive. From producing draft pics, All-Americans, and all-conference players, Ayeni has consistently built and developed some of the best running back rooms in the nation. He has coached a 1,000-yard runner at each of his coaching stops. At Northwestern, his running backs impact has been instant with the Wildcats winning the Big Ten West and advancing to the Big Ten Championship game in two of his first three years.
Because of his success as a coach, Ayeni has had the opportunity to participate in the Bill Walsh Coaching Internship with the Chicago Bears at the 2009 and 2013 training camps, while also gaining experience with and the Atlanta Falcons during the 2013 minicamp. In 2016 and 2019, Ayeni was selected to the prestigious NCAA Champion Forum hosted by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). The NCAA and the Power Five conferences huddle together to select high-performing ethnic minorities, with a focus on providing tailored education to talented rising stars who will lead the next generation of college head coaches.
In 2021, despite losing leading returning rusher and preseason all-conference pick Cam Porter to a season-ending injury in training camp, Evan Hull developed into a 1,000-yard rusher under Ayeni’s guidance. Hull rushed for 1,009 yds at 5.1 per carry and led all Big Ten running backs in receptions with 32.
The 2020 campaign saw a pair of rookies help lead Northwestern in the backfield to its second trip to the Big Ten Championship Game in three years as Porter and Hull broke away from a crowded talented backfield to be the lead guys down the stretch for the Wildcats. Porter was the team’s leading rusher and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week vs. Illinois after rushing for 142 yards. Hull also rushed for a season-high 149 yards vs. Illinois.
In his first season at Northwestern, Ayeni saw to the development of true first year back Isaiah Bowser, who stepped up after sophomore Jeremy Larkin was forced to medically retire. Under Ayeni, Bowser rushed for 866 yards, averaged over 4.0 yards per rush and was named a First Team Freshman All American by 247 Sports. He also pushed the development of senior walk-on Chad Hanaoka, who earned the most playing time of his career, tallying 120 yards and was critical in pass blocking in the backfield as the Wildcats' primary third-down back.
Ayeni and the running backs room battled injuries in the 2019 season as seven different NU players saw action in the backfield. Sophomore Drake Anderson rushed for a career-best 634 yards on a 4.1-yard-per-carry average. First year Evan Hull broke onto the scene late in the year and in only four games posted a 6.2 yards average and scored four touchdowns. Ayeni had four different running backs run for over 100 yards in a game (Anderson vs. UNLV, Hull vs. UMASS, McGowan vs. Purdue, Azema vs. Illinois)
As recruiting coordinator, Ayeni helped the ‘Cats secure a Top-50 national recruiting class in his first two classes, according to Rivals and 247Sports. He was named one of the top recruiters in the Big Ten by Allen Trieu of 247 Sports/Big Ten Network.
Prior to Northwestern, Ayeni spent four seasons at Iowa State, the final two as Associate Head Coach and Running Game Coordinator. The Cyclones increased their rushing production by nearly 60 yards-per-game from his first to second year on staff. In 2017, Iowa State ranked No. 1 in the nation with just one fumble lost and was the first school in history to go the regular season without a fumble. This was the third time in the last four years under Ayeni that ISU ranked among the nation's Top-16 in total fumbles lost.
Ayeni’s emphasis on ball security helped the Cyclones achieve one of their best seasons in school history in 2017, racking up the second-most wins in the history of the program (8-5) and winning the 2017 Liberty Bowl, just the fourth bowl victory in school history.
Ayeni’s work in 2017 was nationally recognized, earning Running Backs Coach of the Year honors by 247Sports behind the incredible play of sophomore David Montgomery.
Montgomery, who was a First-Team All-American by Pro Football Focus and a First-Team All-Big 12 selection, ranked third in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game (88.2), becoming just the 14th back in school history to break the 1,000-yard barrier (1,146).
Montgomery was one of the toughest backs in the nation, forcing an incredible 109 missed tackles and losing just one fumble in 294 touches.
In 2015, Iowa State averaged 182.0 yards per game on the ground, the highest total by a Cyclone team since 2000. Seven times during the season, the Cyclones churned out over 200 rushing yards.
Ayeni’s star pupil in 2015 was Mike Warren, who was the nation’s freshman leader in rushing yardage with 1,339 yards. Warren improved throughout the season under Ayeni’s tutelage, grinding out six 100-yard games, tying for the 8th-most in school history. His 1,339 rushing yards ranked third in the Big 12, was the fifth-best single-season effort in school history and was the third-best total by a Big 12 rookie in the history of the conference. In league play, Warren had a Big 12-best 131.7 yards per game average.
Warren, who also broke the season school record for yards per carry (5.90), was named the 2015 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous selection for Freshman All-American, earning first-team honors by the Sporting News, USA Today and the FWAA.
Prior to his tenure in Ames, he spent four years on staff at the University of Toledo, the last three as Associate Head Coach and Run Game Coordinator. There he helped recruit and mentor 2017 National Football League rushing leader Kareem Hunt. The Rockets qualified for a bowl game in three of the last four seasons and finished among the top five rushing teams in the MAC all four years. Ayeni helped place a running back on an All-MAC Team and mentored a 1,000-yard rusher in each of his last four seasons.
Under Ayeni’s guidance, senior running back David Fluellen flourished, earning first-team All-MAC honors in 2012 and 2013 with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. His 3,336 career rushing yards ranks fourth all-time in UT history.
Fluellen led the MAC in yards per carry (6.7) and rushed for 1,121 yards in 2013 despite missing three games with injuries. In Fluellen’s absence, Ayeni inserted freshman Kareem Hunt as his replacement. Hunt rushed for 886 yards on 6.3 yards per carry and had five 100-yard games in his rookie season to earn Second-Team Freshman All-America honors by Athlon.
In 2012, Fluellen gained 1,498 yards, the second-highest total in the league and No. 12 in the nation, to earn all-MAC honors and he was one of ten running back chosen as a finalist for the Doak Walk award. The Rockets went 9-4 and earned a trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Rocket running attack finished fourth in the MAC in 2011, averaging 213.6 yards per game. Adonis Thomas and Morgan Williams combined for 1,772 yards and 23 TDs. Thomas, who rushed for 1,071 yards despite missing three games with a broken arm, led the MAC with a 6.3 yards per rush average, and was named second team All-MAC for the second straight year. The Rockets ended the year with a 9-4 record and their first bowl victory (Military Bowl) in six years.
In 2010, Toledo's rushing attack finished third in the MAC, averaging 167.4 yards per game. Thomas earned second-team All-MAC honors after running for over 100 yards in three of his final four games. He finished the season with 1,098 yards, as the Rockets earned their first bowl appearance (Little Ceasers Pizza Bowl) in five years and compiled an 8-5 mark.
Ayeni also coached Toledo's kickoff return unit in 2010 that was the national co-leader in kickoff return touchdowns with three and led the Mid-American Conference with a 29.1 return average. Sophomore Eric Page led the nation with three kickoff return TDs, was third with a 31.1 return average and was named the national kickoff returner of the year by College Football Performance Awards and was the Walter Camp 1st Team All American.
Ayeni's coaching career started with a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Northwestern.
A native of Woodbury, Minnesota, Ayeni began his Wildcats career as a running back and was part of Northwestern's 2000 Big Ten Championship squad, before switching to safety for his senior season. He graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in sociology. After graduation, Ayeni played for Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts as a safety in 2004-05 before joining the St. Louis Rams in 2005-06 as a linebacker.
Ayeni played his prep ball at Woodbury High School, where he helped lead the Royals to their only state championship in 1998. He is the school's career leader in yards (3,504) and touchdowns (47). He ran for 2,112 yards and 34 touchdowns his senior season, both school records. He is in the school’s hall of fame.
Ayeni and his wife, Patrice, have two sons Jayden and Kyler and a daughter Rielyn.
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS COACHED
KAREEM HUNT – Second Team (Athlon - 2013)
MIKE WARREN – First Team (Sporting News, USA Today, FWAA, Athlon - 2015)
KENE NWANGWU- Second Team (Athlon - 2016)
ISAIAH BOWSER – First Team (247Sports - 2018)
ALL-AMERICANS COACHED
DAVID MONTGOMERY - First Team (Pro Football Focus - 2017)
ERIC PAGE – First Team (Walter Camp, Phil Steele, Sporting News - 2010)
BOWLS COACHED IN
2008 VALERO ALAMO BOWL
2009 OUTBACK BOWL
2010 LITTLE CEASERS PIZZA BOWL
2011 MILITARY BOWL
2012 FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL
2017 LIBERTY BOWL
2018 HOLIDAY BOWL
2021 CITRUS BOWL
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2018 - Northwestern - Running Backs, Recruiting Coordinator
2016-17 Iowa State - Associate Head Coach, Running Game Coordinator
2014-15 Iowa State – Running Backs
2011-13 Toledo – Associate Head Coach, Running Game Coordinator
2010 Toledo – Running Backs
2008-09 Northwestern - Graduate Assistant