Milo Austin was hired as the special teams coordinator at Sacramento State in December 2025.
Austin came to the Hornets from Elon where he served as the special teams coordinator since 2022 and was elevated to assistant head coach prior to the 2025 season. He also coached cornerbacks and outside linebackers during his tenure with the Phoenix.
In his final season at Elon, Austin coached punter Jeff Yurk to All-America honors by the AFCA, Associated Press, Stats Perform and FCS Football Central. Yurk ranked second in the FCS with an average of 48.3 yards per punt and had 24 punts of at least 50 yards. His average was the best in the CAA by over five yards. Kicker Luke Barnes earned honorable mention All-America from the AP that same season. Barnes made 15-of-18 field goals and had just one miss inside of 50 yards. He was perfect (40-40) on PATs and had 20 touchbacks on kickoffs.
In 2024, Yurk and wide receiver/kick returner Chandler Brayboy were recognized as All-Americans. Yurk led the FCS, and ranked third in all of college football, with an average of 47.9 yards per punt. He had 26 punts of at least 50 yards, including a career-long 72-yarder. Brayboy ranked second in the FCS in kick return average (35.3). He returned two kicks for touchdowns at UAlbany and ended the year ranked sixth in the FCS with 151.4 all-purpose yards per game.
The previous season, true freshman kicker Jack Berkowitz was 18th nationally in field goal percentage (80 percent), while making 1.2 field goals per game (21st in the FCS). Punter Kyle Romenick ranked 25th in punting average, In the return game, Chandler Brayboy was 10th at 26.9 yards per kick return and Bo Sanders was 26th in punt return average at 7.8 per game.
In 2022, Austin oversaw one of the best special teams units in the country, highlighted by All-American kicker Skyler Davis. Davis was a consensus first team All-American and tied the FCS record by making seven 50-yard field goals in one season. He was 18-of-22 overall, including 12-of-14 from 40+ yards. As well, punter Jeff Yurk averaged 44.1 yards per punt, fifth-best in the country, and was named a HERO Sports Sophomore All-American. Both Davis and Yurk earned all-conference nods.
Elon also blocked two field goal attempts in 2022 and ranked tenth in net punting average at 39.1 yards. Elon’s punt return defense allowed just 5.9 yards per return, while offensively Elon averaged 7.9 yards per punt return.
As outside linebackers coach, Austin mentored All-American Marcus Hillman to a breakout season. Hillman had 18.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks after compiling just 12.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks prior to the 2022 season. He finished fourth in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best defensive player in the country at the FCS level. Austin’s unit helped the Elon defense rank 19th in scoring defense, seventh in fumbles recovered and 13th in quarterback sacks. In Elon’s eight victories, the defense allowed just 16 second-half points — one touchdown and three field goals.
Austin came to Elon after spending a year as the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Texas Southern. Prior to that, he was special teams coordinator and wide receiver coach at Delaware State for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. He has spent time as well at Morehead State (associate head coach/special teams coordinator/wide receivers), Glenville State (running backs/kickoff return), Cincinnati (director of player development), Hampton (running backs/kickoff return) and Midwestern State (running backs/kickoff return). He has also held positions with the St. Louis Rams, and Lanphier (Ill.) High School.
Even before his time at Elon, Austin’s special teams units have regularly ranked among the nation’s best. During the fall, his Texas Southern units ranked in the top 25 in punt return coverage, as well as third in the conference in punt returns. At Delaware State, Austin made an immediate impact with DSU’s special teams as the Hornets ranked fourth or higher in four statistical categories in 2019. Placekicker Jose Romo-Martinez earned second team All-MEAC honors as a result while Jordan Hannah ranked second in the MEAC in kick return average with 23.3 yards per return.
During the historic spring 2021 campaign, Austin’s units once again performed at a high level as DSU blocked three punts with one returned for a touchdown. Romo-Martinez, who was also a preseason All-MEAC honoree, performed double duty as he averaged nearly 40 yards per punt in addition to nailing two field goals of 40-plus yards. Off the field, Austin represented DSU well as a high-profile speaker at the 2021 Virtual American Football Coaches Association Convention.
Austin joined the Delaware State football staff after three seasons at Morehead State in Kentucky. While at Morehead, he served as associate head coach (wide receivers) as well as co-special teams coordinator. He coached the slot receivers in 2015 and 2016.
In 2015 and 2016, he coached Jake Raymond, an all-PFL slot receiver who became the all-time leading receiver at Morehead State and the career leader in catches in the PFL.
His work with the receivers and special teams didn’t go unnoticed as Austin was selected as the 2018 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Assistant Coach of the Year in recognition of his commitment to student-athletes, community service, contributions to the AFCA and coaching excellence.
Austin founded and ran the Full Focus Foundation, a youth life skills development program. He completed the Bill Walsh Minority Internship program with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 and St. Louis Rams in the summer of 2013, served as director of the football program at Camp Winadu in Massachusetts in the summer of 2012 and was the offensive and special teams coordinator at Lanphier High School during the 2011 season.
Austin began his playing career as a cornerback at Div. III Salisbury, where he was named Atlantic Central Football Conference Freshman of the Year in 2001. He was also the Eastern College Athletic Conference Eastern Region Freshman of the Year.
He finished his career at West Virginia, where he was a wide receiver on the 2004 Big East Conference Championship team.
Austin earned his bachelor's degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia in 2006. He received his master’s in sport administration in December 2020.
Austin and his wife, Erica, have two daughters (Nevaeh and Noa) and one son (Malcolm).
Coaching Experience
2022-24: Elon (Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers/Cornerbacks)
2021: Texas Southern (Special Teams Coordinator/Cornerbacks)
2019-20: Delaware State (Special Teams Coordinator/Receivers)
2015-18: Morehead State (Assoc. Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Receivers)
2012-14: Glenville State (Running Backs/Kickoff Return)
2010-11: Cincinnati (Dir. of Player Development)
2008-09: Hampton (Running Backs/Kickoff Return)
2006-07: Midwestern State (Running Backs/Kickoff Return
