Danny Langsdorf is in his third season as Nebraska's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Mike Riley's coaching staff. Langsdorf has extensive experience working with Riley, serving two stints on the Oregon State coaching staff, before joining Riley in Lincoln before the 2015 season.
In 2016, the Husker offense was one of the nation's most improved teams in protecting the football. Nebraska turned the ball over on offense just 14 times, Nebraska's lowest total since 1992. The Huskers also ranked among the nation's leaders in sacks allowed and time of possession. Langsdorf's coaching helped senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. become Nebraska's all-time leader in completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, total touchdowns and total offense. Armstrong was one of five Husker offensive players to earn all-Big Ten honors in 2016.
Langsdorf helped the Nebraska offense to impressive numbers in his first season. Nebraska finished in the top three in the Big Ten in passing (266.9 ypg), scoring (32.8 ppg), total offense (446.9 ypg) and third-down offense (44.8 %). The Huskers produced their highest passing total since 2008 with 3,470 passing yards. NU showed good balance on offense, with 3,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards for only the third time in school history and the first time since 2008.
Individually,Armstrong Jr. threw for better than 3,000 yards for the second straight season while connecting on 22 touchdown passes. Armstrong Jr. also set Nebraska season records for most 250-yard passing games and 300-yard total offense games. Receiver Jordan Westerkamp set a Nebraska receiver record with 65 receptions, while producing the third-highest yardage total in NU history.
In 2014, Langsdorf served as the quarterbacks coach with the New York Giants. Langsdorf worked directly with two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Eli Manning.
Under Langsdorf’s tutelage, Manning completed a career-best 63.1 percent of his passes, and his 4,410 passing yards were the second-most in his 11-year NFL career. Manning also threw for 30 touchdowns, an increase of 12 from the 2013, while throwing 13 fewer interceptions than the previous year. Manning’s passer rating of 92.1 was the third-best of his career.
Before joining the Giants’ staff, Langsdorf spent the previous nine seasons as Riley’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon State. Langsdorf’s Oregon State offenses were regularly among the most productive in the Pac-12 Conference, and nine of OSU’s top 13 single-season yardage outputs came under Langsdorf’s coaching. The play of the Beaver offenses helped OSU to six bowl appearances in eight seasons from 2006 to 2013, including four bowl wins.
In Langsdorf’s final season in Corvallis, the 2013 Oregon State offense set a school record with 6,071 yards. The Beavers led the conference with 376.2 passing yards per game and were third with 467.0 total yards per game. Langsdorf spent three seasons coaching quarterback Sean Mannion, who completed his career in 2014 with a Pac-12 career-record 13,600 passing yards.
Langsdorf also coordinated Oregon State offenses that featured the top three receivers in Oregon State history and two of the top three career rushers. Wide receiver Markus Wheaton completed his OSU career in 2012 with 227 career receptions, including a record 91 catches in 2012. Brandin Cooks set school and Pac-12 records with 128 catches for 1,730 yards in 2013 and finished second in career receiving, while James Rodgers caught 222 passes for 2,578 yards in his Beaver career from 2007 to 2011.
On the ground, running backs Yvenson Bernard and Jacquizz Rodgers each posted three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 2005 to 2010. Rodgers ranks second in Oregon State history with 3,877 rushing yards, just ahead of Bernard’s career total of 3,862 yards. Rodgers was a three-time first-team All-Pac 10 selection for Langsdorf’s offense, including conference offensive MVP honors as a freshman in 2008.
From 2002-04, Langsdorf was on the New Orleans Saints’ coaching staff. He was an offensive assistant/quality control coach in his first season before being promoted to assistant wide receivers/special teams coach for two years. Before New Orleans, he spent three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos.
Langsdorf first worked for Riley at Oregon State in 1997 and 1998, when he coached the tight ends. His college coaching career started in 1996 at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Langsdorf played for three seasons at Boise State, before transferring to Linfield College, where he started at quarterback in 1994 and 1995.
Langsdorf Profile
Coaching Experience
2015-17: Nebraska, Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator)
2014: New York Giants, Assistant Coach (Quarterbacks)
2005-13: Oregon State, Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2002-04: New Orleans Saints, Assistant Coach (Offensive Quality Control/Assistant Wide Receivers/Special Teams)
2000-01: Edmonton Eskimos, Assistant Coach (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
1999: Edmonton Eskimos, Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers)
1997-98: Oregon State, Graduate Assistant (Tight Ends)
1996: California Lutheran, Assistant Coach
Playing Experience
1991-93: Boise State
1994-95: Linfield (Ore.) College (Quarterback)
1996: Deggendorf Blackhawks, Germany (Player/Coach)
Personal
Education: Bachelor’s in Exercise Science, Linfield College, 1995
Family: Wife, Michele; Children, Dawsen and Carter
Langsdorf Career Highlights
- 18 seasons as a full-time collegiate assistant coach and 12 seasons as a college offensive coordinator
- Nebraska offense committed just 14 turnovers in 2016, the school's fewest in 24 seasons
- Quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. set Nebraska career records for total offense, passing yards, total touchdowns and passing touchdowns
- Nebraska ranked in the top three in Big Ten in 2015 in scoring offense, total offense, passing offense and third-down offense
- Nebraska passed for 3,000 yards and ran for 2,000 yards for just the third time in school history
- Helped NY Giants quarterback Eli Manning post one of best statistical seasons of career in 2014
- Oregon State offense set a school record for total offensive yards in 2013, while leading the Pac-12 in passing offense and ranking third in total offense
- Helped Oregon State to six bowl appearances in eight seasons from 2005 to 2013
- Langsdorf coached the top passer in Oregon State history in Sean Mannion who completed his career with 13,600 passing yards
- Coached quarterbacks Sean Canfield and Matt Moore who rank fifth and sixth in OSU history in passing yards
- Langsdorf offenses also featured two of the top three rushers in school history and the top three receivers
- 2013 Oregon State offense set a school record for total offensive yards
- 2009 Beaver offense led the Pac-10 in passing offense, passing efficiency and first downs, and ranked in the top three in scoring and total offense
- Oregon State ranked second in the Pac-10 in passing offense in 2008, while finishing third in total offense