Brookhaven product Art Likens has joined the Louisiana TechUniversity football coaching staff. After having led CentralConnecticut State as offensive coordinator to more wins than anyother four year period in school history, Rob Likens joined theLouisiana Tech family for the 2010 season as the Bulldogs widereceivers coach and assistant head coach.

Likens has coached the Northeast Conference’s top rushing offensefor each of the last four seasons. CCSU’s ground game has alsoranked in the nation’s top-10 every year during under Likens. TheBlue Devils averaged 239.18 yards per game on the ground in 2008.It was the seventh best team effort in the FCS. Central Connecticutalso paced the NEC in scoring offense, averaging 30.0 points pergame.

“Rob is a great addition to our staff,” said Tech head coach SonnyDykes. “I have known him for a while and have wanted to work withhim for a long time. He has a great knowledge of the offense wewant to install and as a Brookhaven, Miss. native, he brings atremendous recruiting base, connections and experience.”

Likens coached CCSU’s ground game to a ranking in the nation’stop-10 among FCS schools every year during his tenure as well as awinning record in all four seasons, capping off the 2009 seasonwith a 9-3 mark. The CCSU rushing offense was tops among FCSschools in 2006.

“I am really excited to be here at Louisiana Tech,” Likens said. “Ihave known Sonny for over 10 years and we have very similaroffensive philosophies. I know he is going to build a program theright way and I know he is going to succeed – I have no doubt in mymind about that. Louisiana Tech has a history of having an offensethat is exciting and puts fans on the edge of their seats and I amexcited to be involved with this program.”

Under Likens’ guidance, the Blue Devils led the conference inscoring offense in two seasons, had three undefeated home records,averaged just under 30 points per game in four seasons (29.1) andwon more games in a four-year span than any collection of teams inschool history. Likens coached two 1,000-yard rushers, two WalterPayton finalists and two All-America running backs in JustiseHairston and James Mallory.

Likens also coached the school’s all-time leader in passingefficiency (Aubrey Norris, 139.4) and two NEC Offensive Players ofthe Year in Hairston and Mallory. In all, Likens had 13all-conference selections in his four seasons.

James Mallory earned second team All-NEC honors in 2008. With 1,520yards, he became the second player in school history to crack the1,500 mark in rushing. Mallory was also the fourth player to goover 1,000 career rushing yards under Likens. Aubrey Norris, whoenters this season as the top-rated passer in program history, alsoaccomplished the feat last season. That duo joins Jo Jo Freeman andJustise Hairston on the list of four. Also under Likens’s tutelagein 2008, Nick Colagiovanni became the program’s 11th receiver toeclipse 1,000 career yards.

In 2007, Likens’s offense was number one in total and rushingoffense in the Northeast Conference. The Blue Devils posted 387.7yards per game, including 257.6 yards per game on the ground. CCSUranked 10th in the nation in rushing offense.

The Blue Devil offense set numerous school records in 2006,including total yards and rushing yards in a single season. CCSUled the country in rushing yards per game (284.9) and finished 10thin total offense at 386.8 yards per game. As a team, CCSU set a newschool mark with 42 rushing touchdowns and scored a school-record51 touchdowns in 11 games. Likens coached Hairston, the nation’sleading rusher, to AP All-America, AFCA All-America and SportsNetwork Mid-Major All-America honors. He also accompanied the NECOffensive Player of the Year to the Hula Bowl. Hairston, whofinished eighth in the Walter Payton Award voting, also appeared inthe Texas vs. the Nation game.

In all, CCSU’s offense has rewritten eight team records and sixindividual and game records under Likens. He has coached four firstteam All-NEC selections, four second team All-NEC selections andfive NEC Offensive Player of the Week honorees. Prior to joiningCentral Connecticut State, Likens spent two seasons as theoffensive coordinator at Southeast Missouri State. He was the widereceivers coach at Temple University in the Big East Conferencefrom 1998-2003. Before Temple, Likens was an assistant coach atNorth Alabama where he helped guide the Lions to become the firstprogram in NCAA scholarship football to three consecutive playoffchampionships, a feat that has only been replicated by AppalachianState (2005-06-07) since.

Likens returns home to the south as a former wide receiver atMississippi State, earned his bachelor’s degree in 1990. He earnedhis master’s degree from North Alabama in 1995.

“I am excited to get back down south,” said Likens. “The northeastis different. Down here, people are just football crazy. It is sogood to be around people that love football, that are excited aboutfootball and are ready for some winning football.”

Likens and his wife, Soni, have a five-month old son, NicolasCutter.