Aaron Pflugrad - Football Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Aaron Pflugrad

Title:
Quarterbacks
Phone:
540-568-6517

Aaron Pflugrad is in his first season with the James Madison football program in 2026, as he serves as the quarterbacks coach.

Pflugrad joins the Dukes after spending the past two seasons at Michigan State (2024-25), where he was pass game coordinator in 2025 and senior offensive analyst with the quarterbacks in 2024.

He brings in 14 years of collegiate coaching experience, having also spent time at Northern Arizona (2015-23) and Arizona State (2012-14).

During his time at Michigan State, he led quarterback development through individualized teaching progressions, mechanics refinement, coverage ID training, film study and on-field application. He also designed, implemented and installed weekly pass-game plans while collaborating with the offensive coordinator to build full game plans. He helped develop Omari Kelly and Nick Marsh to Honorable Mention All-Big Ten status.

Prior to MSU, Pflugrad held several offensive roles at Northern Arizona. Over his final six seasons (2018-23), he was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Lumberjacks while being assistant head coach for his final season.

Pflugrad was also interim head coach to end the 2018 season and began his time in Flagstaff as wide receivers coach (2015-17). He was also a 2023 AFCA 35 Under 35 nominee.

During his time with NAU, the program set school records for total passing yards (4,332), passing yards per game (361.0), total offense (5,809), total offense per game (484.0) and yards per play (6.61) while being second in points per game (37.2) and completion percentage (71.2%).

He developed Case Cookus into the Walter Payton Award runner-up as the only 4,000-yard passer in the FCS in 2019. Cookus finished his career as the program's all-time leader in many passing statistics, including yards (12,802), touchdowns (105), attempts (1,431) and completions (892). In 2021, Pflugrad helped the Lumberjacks beat Arizona for the first time since 1932, while the 2017 squad went 7-5 and reached the first round of the FCS Playoffs.

As wide receivers coach, NAU set the school record with 39 touchdown receptions in 2015. He developed Emmanual Butler to back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, setting school records with 15 touchdown catches and 1,208 receiving yards on his way to being a First Team All-American. He also mentored Elijah Marks to All-America status in 2017.

Before Northern Arizona, Pflugrad began his career at his alma mater Arizona State, where he was a graduate assistant working with the quarterbacks and wide receivers from 2012-14. He helped develop Jaelen Strong into a First Team All-American.

Pflugrad began his collegiate playing career at Oregon, where he was a two-year letterman (2007-08) and an Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 Academic Team honoree. He finished his career at Arizona State (2010-11), where he was a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist, a two-time All-Pac 12 Academic Team member, and a recipient of both the Pac-12 Tom Hansen Conference Medal of Honor and CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District honors. He played in a combined 47 games between Oregon and ASU, tallying 96 catches for 1,241 yards and eight touchdowns, including a career-best 44 receptions for 665 yards and five scores as a senior.

Pflugrad signed a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles and would go on to play for the Omaha Nighthawks in the National Football League in 2012.

He is a 2011 graduate of Arizona State, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. He also has a master’s in liberal studies with a focus in sports leadership from ASU.

His father, Robin, was a longtime college football coach and was the head coach for two seasons (2010-11) at Montana.

Pflugrad Coaching File
2025: Michigan State (Pass Game Coordinator)
2024: Michigan State (Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks)
2015-23: Northern Arizona (Interim Head Coach/Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers)
2012-14: Arizona State (Graduate Assistant/Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers)