| COACHING EXPERIENCE |
| Years |
School, Position |
| 2023-24 |
Sam Houston - Wide Receivers |
| 2022 |
Texas State - Outside Receivers |
| 2020-21 |
Sam Houston - Running Backs |
| 2019 |
Southern Miss - Running Backs |
| 2018 |
Arkansas State - Outside Receivers |
| 2016-17 |
Western New Mexico - Offensive Coordinator |
| 2014-15 |
North Carolina Central - Wide Receivers |
| 2013 |
Savannah State - Co-Offensive Coordinator |
| 2010-12 |
Jackson State - Graduate Assistant |
| PLAYING EXPERIENCE |
| Years |
School |
| 2006-09 |
NM State |
Chris Buckner returned to the Bearkats prior to the 2023 season and will be in the second year of his second stint in Huntsville, coaching the Bearkat wide receivers.
Bucker spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Bearkats before spending the 2022 season coaching the outside receivers. He then returned to K.C. Keeler's staff in 2023 where he helped direct Noah Smith to all-Conference USA honors in his first year back in orange and white.
A multi-faceted offensive mind with more than 14 years of coaching experience, Buckner is a former standout wide receiver and defensive back at NM State, has ultimately been a part of multiple winning programs and has helped teams win an FCS National Championship, make two FCS playoff appearances, reach a bowl game, and capture two conference championships. He has also tutored three All-Americans and 17 all-conference players.
Buckner has coached nearly every position on the offensive side in his career. He has overseen the wide receivers group in eight of his first 14 years as a college coach and was an offensive or co-offensive coordinator in three different campaigns. Other position groups he has coached include outside receivers at Texas State (2022), running backs with Sam Houston (2020-21) and Southern Miss (2019), quarterbacks with Western New Mexico (2016-17), and tight ends with Jackson State (2011-12).
Before joining Texas State, Buckner was a member of Sam Houston that reached unprecedented success. He served as the running backs coach in both seasons, and in 2021, he helped the Bearkats reach the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. He also coached Ramon Jefferson, who earned All-America status after he rushed for 1,155 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 12 games. The All-Southland honoree averaged 6.7 yards per rush, joining teammate and fellow All-Southland performer Noah Smith to post a clip higher than 6.0 yards and play in all 12 contests.
In his first season in 2020-21, Buckner helped the Bearkats win their first FCS national title as well as notch its highest per-game rushing average since 2016. Both Jefferson and Smith earned All-Southland honors for the first time, with Jefferson being named to the second team and Smith to the third team.
Prior to Sam Houston, Buckner helped lead Southern Miss to a 7-6 record in 2019 and an appearance in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Under his tutelage, he helped a pair of Golden Eagle rushers eclipse 500 yards on the ground. In all, Southern Miss averaged 117.5 yards per game on the ground.
In 2018, Buckner was the outside receivers coach at Arkansas State. While there, the Red Wolves led the Sun Belt Conference with 466 yards per game and featured all-conference receivers Justin McInnis and Kirk Merritt.
Buckner spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Western New Mexico as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Under his watch, the squads ranked among the top-30 teams in FCS in passing offense in both years. His 2016 unit averaged 285.5 passing yards per game, which was the 16th-most in the nation. The Mustangs averaged 407.9 yards total offense per game in 2017, the same year their passing game ranked 28th in the country.
Working as offensive coordinator, he also coached All-LSC selections Javia Hall (QB), Xavier Ayers (WR), D’Angelo Bowie (WR), Evan Beebe (WR), Sean North (WR) and Iverson Moana (OL). Ayers was named the 2016 Lone Star Conference Receiver of the Year and AFCA First Team All-American after recording 80 receptions for 1,025 yards and nine touchdowns.
Prior to his time at WNMU, Buckner spent the 2014 and 2015 campaigns as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at North Carolina Central. He helped guide the Eagles to back-to-back Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles.
The 2014 MEAC championship was North Carolina Central’s first since 1973, and the squad also collected seven victories for the program’s most since 2006. The following season in 2015, it improved to 8-3.
Buckner coached wideouts Adrian Wilkins and Quentin Atkins to an All-MEAC season in 2014, when the two players combined for 1,155 yards and eight touchdowns to help the Eagles rank second in the conference in passing yards per game (203.8).
He spent one season at Savannah State in 2013 as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. That season, the Tigers averaged 209.7 yards passing per game to rank second in the MEAC. He tutored All-MEAC wide receiver Simon Heyward, who ranked among the top 10 players in the league in both receptions (36) and receiving yards (572). Tight end Kris Drummond also earned All-MEAC recognition with Buckner serving as co-offensive coordinator.
Following his graduation from NM State, Buckner joined the Jackson State staff as a graduate assistant coach in 2010 and was elevated to wide receivers and tight ends coach for both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Jackson State claimed the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) East Division championship every year during Buckner’s time at the school. His final year with the program saw the Tigers post a 7-2 SWAC record and play in the league’s championship game.
He mentored wideout Rico Richardson, the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year who went on to sign an NFL rookie free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Richardson also spent time with the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers.
Buckner’s wide receivers and tight ends were key components to Jackson State’s 2011 offense, which averaged an FCS-best 490 yards per game. The squad posted a 9-2 overall record and following the season, Richardson and tight end Renty Rollins were named All-SWAC. Rollins was also tabbed an HBCU All-American for his performance.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Buckner played both wide receiver (2006-07) and defensive back (2008-09) at NM State, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2009. He played in 47 career games with the Aggies, finishing his career with 44 receptions for 359 yards on the offensive side of the ball and 46 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery on defense.
In May 2010, he went through OTAs with the Dallas Cowboys, and then moved on to Jackson State to begin his coaching career.
