Justin Fuente Justin Fuente ( born July 30 , 1976 ) is the head football coach at the University of Memphis . He grew up in Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma before transferring to Murray State University after his redshirt sophomore season where he played quarterback for each . After playing one season with the Oklahoma Wranglers of the Arena Football League , he began his coaching career in 2001 as the quarterbacks coach at Illinois State University . After six seasons with the Redbirds , he accepted a position with TCU as running backs coach . By 2009 , Fuente was promoted to co - offensive coordinator and moved to quarterbacks coach . He served in that capacity through the 2011 season . On December 8 , 2011 , Fuente was named as the new head football coach at the University of Memphis . Playing career . High School . Fuente graduated from Union High School in Tulsa in 1995 . He was named the Tulsa World ' s Player of the Year and the The Oklahoman ' s All - State Offensive Player of the Year in 1994 following his senior season at Union . That season he led the state in both passing yards ( 2 , 934 ) and touchdown passes ( 32 ) . For his high school career , Fuente threw for 6 , 104 career yards and 65 touchdowns . He was recruited by Oklahoma , Oklahoma State , Tulsa and Texas A & M , but ultimately signed with Oklahoma under coach Howard Schnellenberger in February 1995 . College . At Oklahoma , Fuente redshirted the 1995 season and Eric Moore started at the quarterback position . Following the season , Schnellenberger resigned as head coach and John Blake was hired as his replacement . Entering the 1996 season , Fuente was the backup to Moore at the quarterback position . However , after opening the season with a loss to , Fuente was named the starting quarterback . He remained as the starter for eight game and compiled a record of two wins and five losses before losing his starting position to Moore following the Oklahoma State victory . For the year , Fuente completed 91 of 196 passes for 1 , 271 yards , and threw ten interceptions and eight touchdowns . Fuente then entered the 1997 season as the Sooners ' starting quarterback . He started only five games in 1997 winning two and losing three . Following the season , he transferred to Division I - AA Murray State University where he would be able to compete in the 1998 season . For his career with the Sooners , Fuente passed for 2 , 289 yards . At Murray State , Fuente was named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award following the 1999 season . He still holds several single - season records at Murray State for a quarterback including : most pass completions ( 240 ) , highest pass efficiency ( 151 . 21 ) , most passing yards ( 3 , 497 ) , and most touchdown passes ( 27 ) . Following his graduation from Murray , Fuente signed a contract with the Oklahoma Wranglers of the Arena Football League . Professional . In May 2000 , Fuente signed a contract to with the Wranglers as their third - string quarterback . After seeing limited action in the 2000 season and into the 2001 season , Fuente left the team in May 2001 in order to pursue a college coaching position at Illinois State University . Coaching career . Following his playing career , Fuente began his coaching career as the quarterbacks coach at Illinois State University in 2001 . There he worked under Denver Johnson , who he played for when Johnson was an assistant coach at Oklahoma and as head coach at Murray State . After three years , Fuente was promoted to offensive coordinator , and he served in that position through the end of 2006 season when he accepted the quarterbacks coach position at TCU . At TCU he was promoted to co - offensive coordinator in 2009 , and under his guidance both helped develop Andy Dalton at quarterback and lead the Horned Frogs to an undefeated season and victory in the 2011 Rose Bowl . Memphis . On December 7 , 2011 , sources revealed Fuente would be named as the new head football coach at the University of Memphis . He was formally introduced as the Tigers ' head coach on December 8 , 2011 , as the replacement for former head coach Larry Porter . After the Tigers opened the 2012 season with only one win over their first nine games , Fuente led Memphis on a three game winning streak to close the season and finish with an overall record of four wins and eight losses ( 4 – 8 ) . In February 2013 , Memphis extended the term of Fuente ' s contract through the 2017 season as a result of the gains he made in his first year as head coach of the Tigers .