Aaron Prier - Football Coach

Aaron Prier

Title:
Running Backs
Phone:
559-278-3015

THE PRIER FILE

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Hometown: Richmond, Calif.
High School: Salesian High School (2011)
Family
- Wife: Christal
- One Son

EDUCATION
Idaho State
- Bachelors degree in business administration/
business management (2015)
Idaho State
- Masters in physical education/
athletic administration (2017)

COACHING HISTORY
Fresno State
2023-Present: Running Backs
Eastern Washington
2021-22: Running Backs/Community Relations
Idaho State
2020-21: Inside Receivers/Tight Ends/Recruiting
2017-19: Tight Ends
2016: Graduate Assistant

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Position: Running Back/Cornerback/Kickoff Returner

2011-14: Idaho State

Last Updated: January 2, 2025

Aaron Prier joined the Fresno State coaching staff in February 2023 as the Bulldogs’ running backs coach.

The 2024 season saw senior Malik Sherrod out with injury for a majority of the year, but a fresh body entered the room in freshman and local talent Bryson Donelson. The true freshman finished the 2024 season second on the team with 77 carries for 462 yards and three touchdowns. He was the most productive freshman running back for Fresno State since the duo of Jordan Mims and Ronnie Rivers in 2017. Both Mims and Rivers are currently in the NFL.

Sherrod was a large part of the Bulldogs’ offense in 2023. Sherrod was an All-Mountain West honorable mention selection in his first season as the Bulldogs’ starter. Sherrod finished fourth in the Mountain West in total rushing yards with 966. In addition to Sherrod, Prier had Elijah Gilliam ready for significant snaps totaling 95 carries for 397 yards.

The Bulldogs’ running back room did not have a fumble in 2023.

Prior to his hiring at Fresno State, Prier was the running backs coach and community relations coordinator at Eastern Washington. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons at EWU.

In his first season with EWU’s running backs, Dennis Merritt ranked sixth in the nation with 15 rushing touchdowns which also led the conference, and averaged 71.8 yards per game with 933 on the year. Merritt would go on to earn second-team All-Big Sky honors. As a team, the Eagles rushed for an average of 155.2 yards per game.

Eastern closed the 2021 regular season with the best offense in FCS for the second time in three seasons, finishing the season first at 554.5 total yards of offense per game. The Eagles were also third nationally in passing (399.4) and second in scoring offense (44.0). The Eagles started the season 7-0 for the best start in program history.

Prier spent the 2020-21 season coaching the inside receivers, tight ends and serving as recruiting coordinator at Idaho State. Before that, he was tight ends coach from 2017-19, and in 2016 was an ISU graduate assistant. In 2018, ISU junior tight end Austin Campbell earned honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors after catching five touchdown passes during the season.

Prier played for the Bengals from 2011-14, and received his degree from ISU in 2015 in business administration/business management. He earned his master’s degree in physical education/athletic administration in the summer of 2017.

He saw time at cornerback in the 2011 season then later that year moved to running back where he stayed much of the rest of his career. He also was a kick returner, earning a spot on the 2014 CFPA Kickoff Returner Award Watch List.

Prier is from Richmond, Calif., and graduated from Salesian High School in 2011.

He and his wife, Christal, were married in 2019 and they have one son, A.J., born in 2022.