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Nearly 40 days after the firing of receivers coach Dennis Springer, Northwestern has zeroed in on its next WR guide.
Per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Wildcats are expected to hire Armon Binns, who was Youngstown State’s receivers coach in 2022.
Sources: #Northwestern is expected to hire Armon Binns as wide receivers coach. Binns, a former NFL and CFL wide receiver, coached wideouts this past season at Youngstown State. He previously worked as a quality control coach at Cincinnati, his alma mater, in 2020 and 2021.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 6, 2023
Binns, 33, was the Penguins’ WR coach for only one season. Under Binns’ leadership, YSU receiver Bryce Oliver earned First Team Missouri Valley Conference honors by accumulating 59 catches for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Prior to coaching in Youngstown, Ohio, Binns served as an offensive quality control coach from 2020-21. While in the Queen City, Binns helped guide Cincinnati to a 22-2 record, including a College Football Playoff berth in 2021. The Bearcats re-established program expectations, becoming the first non-Power Five team to make the CFP. Moreover, Binns helped develop NFL draft selections such as Alec Pierce, Desmond Ridder, Jerome Ford and James Hudson.
Before his stint at UC, Binns was Hampton University’s receivers coach in 2019 and was also an offensive analyst at Notre Dame in 2018 under Brian Kelly. That season, the Irish were 12-1 and the No. 3 seed in the CFP due to the offensive contributions of Dexter Williams, Chase Claypool and Miles Boykin.
Binns’ coaching tenure at Cincinnati served as a reunion with his alma mater. Playing with the Bearcats from 2007-10, Binns hauled in 137 passes for 1,999 yards and 21 touchdowns. His 2010 campaign was particularly prolific, tallying 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 scores. The Pasadena, Calif. native ranks in the top 10 in Bearcat history in such metrics and was inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
Following his standout college career, Binns was signed to the nearby Bengals’ practice squad in 2011. Subsequently, Binns made stops with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, plus the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Redblacks. In his NFL career, Binns played in 11 games, totaling 24 catches for 277 yards and a touchdown.
Having coached under Kelly and Luke Fickell, Binns provides Northwestern a fresh face and an infusion of youth, yet experience. With the Wildcats having lost Malik Washington (transfer), Donny Navarro III (NFL) and Genson Hooper Price (transfer) this offseason, expect Binns to be involved in adding additional receivers through the portal.
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