Wide receivers coach Kefense Hynson enters his second season on the University of Hawai‘i coaching staff in 2017.
One of the team’s top recruiters, Hynson also coached one of the team’s top units. The wide receiver corps underwent a complete transformation under Hynson which resulted in a 1,000-yard receiver (Marcus Kemp) and a significant increase of explosive plays (41 catches over 20 yards).
Kemp finished the year with 1,100 yards on 73 catches and eight touchdowns to earn honorable mention all-Mountain West honors. In the offseason, the Layton, Utah native signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hynson accumulated collegiate experience coaching receivers, quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends and defensive backs. He has worked at the Division I FBS and FCS and Division II levels, in addition to several internships in the NFL.
He came to UH after one season at Norfolk State in the same position. With just one year under his guidance, the Spartans improved from a 113th national ranking in passing yards to 77th, putting up an additional 450 yards receiving on the year.
Prior to NSU, Hynson served three seasons at the University of Montana, including the last two years as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In his first season with the Grizzlies, he coached the tight ends and special teams.
In 2014, Hynson helped Montana finish 9-5 and reach the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Grizzlies finished the season ranked 11th (FCS Coaches) and 13th (Sports Network) in the two major Division I FCS polls. UM averaged 29.6 points and 226.6 passing yards per game behind quarterback Jordan Johnson, who earned honorable mention all-Big Sky Conference honors.
The previous year, Johnson passed for 32 touchdowns and 3,387 yards, both of which ranked among the top five single-season totals in school history, ranked 14th nationally and had the highest scoring average (37.7 PPG) since 1999—during Hynson’s first season as co-offensive coordinator. The Grizzlies ranked second in the always offensively-elite Big Sky in scoring that season.
With Hynson as co-offensive coordinator, UM produced a 1,000-yard receiver in consecutive seasons, including the most prolific receiver in history, Jamaal Jones, who tallied 1,044 yards receiving and eight touchdowns for second-team all-Big Sky honors in 2014. Jones followed 2013 second team all-Big Sky receiver Ellis Henderson, who registered 1,008 yards and a program third-best 14 receiving touchdowns.
Before joining the Montana staff, Hynson coached the wide receivers and was co-offensive coordinator at Yale from 2009-11. That followed a three-year stint at Division II Western Washington (2006-08), where he served as offensive coordinator for the final two seasons. Hynson’s offense in his final season at Western Washington averaged 404 total yards, nearly 30 points a game and had 29 touchdown passes.
Hynson was running backs coach at Minnesota State in 2005 and director of football operations at Boise State in 2004 when the Broncos went 11-1, won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title and were ranked in both major polls. He has also held assistant coaching jobs at Quincy (defensive backs coach, 2004) and Willamette (assistant receivers coach, 2003) and completed NFL minority coaching fellowships with Seattle (2008), Oakland (2009), Kansas City (2010), Houston (2013) and Detroit (2014).
Hynson was selected to participate in the 2009 NCAA Football Coaches Academy and the 2011 NCAA Expert Forum.
Hynson was an honorable mention All-America defensive back at Willamette University in Oregon. He was a three-time Northwest Conference All-Star and served as team captain before graduating with his bachelor’s degree in history in 2003.
An Oakland, Calif. native, Hynson and his wife, Shanina, have three children – Jade, Myles and Layla.
The Hynson File
Hometown: Oakland, Calif.
Alma Mater: Willamette, B.A. (2003)
Playing Experience
1999-2002: Willamette (Defensive Back)
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2016-Present: Hawai‘i, Assistant (Wide Receivers)
2015: Norfolk State, Assistant (Wide Receivers)
2013-14: Montana, Co-Offensive Coordinator (Quarterbacks)
2012: Montana, Assistant (Tight Ends/Special Teams)
2009-11: Yale, Co-Offensive Coordinator (Wide Receivers)
2007-08: Western Washington, Offensive Coordinator
2006: Western Washington, Assistant (Wide Receivers)
2005: Minnesota State, Assistant (Running Backs)
2004: Boise State, Director of Football Operations
2004: Quincy, Assistant (Defensive Backs)
2003: Willamette, Assistant (Assistant Wide Receivers)
