Craig Yeast was named the Head Football Coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College on December 3rd, 2018. Yeast, a former National Football League (NFL) player and All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) wide receiver at the University of Kentucky, serves as the program's 17th head coach in 58 seasons of program history (1907-30/1983-present).
Yeast came to Wesleyan after three years at Franklin College in Indiana where he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Grizzlies produced the most prolific offense in NCAA Division III over the past three seasons. Yeast balanced the offense in 2018 as the Grizzlies averaged 225 rushing and 333 passing yards per game.
In 2017, the Grizzly offense lead the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) in yards per game (564.5), total passing yards (4,478), total offense (6,210 yards) and scoring (48.6 points per game). Nationally, Franklin's offense finished Top 5 NCAA Division III in Total Offense (1st - 564.5 YPG) Passing Offense (1st – 407.1 YPG) and Scoring Offense (4th – 48.6 PPG).
Yeast spent three years (2012-2014) as wide receivers coach at NCAA Division II Tiffin University (Ohio). Under Yeast's guidance, the Dragons receiving corps finished the season with three receivers named to the 2012 All-GLIAC Team, four receivers with at least 40 receptions for the season, and amassed over 2,700 yards in a single season as a group.
From 2014-2016, Yeast served as the Head Football Coach at Fremont Ross High School outside of Toledo, Ohio. In addition to his coaching duties, Yeast was also the school's Special Education teacher.
Yeast was a wide receiver with the New York Jets in the NFL after being drafted in the fourth round of by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1999. Yeast also played four professional seasons with the Hamilton Tiger Cats (2003-2006) of the Canadian Football League
He concluded his collegiate career with the most receptions (208) in SEC history and still ranks inside the conference's all-time leaders in receiving yards (9th), catches (5th), and touchdowns (8th). Yeast still ranks as Kentucky's all-time receiver with 208 catches, 2,899 receiving yards, and 28 touchdowns in a career.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sport management from Midway College (2011) and a Masters degree in education from Tiffin (2013).
Yeast and his wife Tori have been married for 22 years with two children, 22-year-old Craig II "Russ," who played football at Louisville and Kansas State, and 19-year-old Kiyah, who currently runs track at Louisville.
