Hank Poteat - Staff Directory - Michigan State University Athletics

Staff Directory

Hank Poteat

Title:
Cornerbacks Coach
Email:
Phone:
355-1647

A veteran coach of 15 years in college who also won a Super Bowl ring during his 10-year NFL career, Hank Poteat was named Michigan State's cornerbacks coach in January 2026.

Poteat arrives in East Lansing after spending the previous three seasons (2023-25) as the cornerbacks coach at Iowa State. During the 2024 season, Jontez Williams led the team with four interceptions and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as the Cyclones ranked No. 1 in the FBS in pass defense, allowing just 165.6 yards per game.

In Poteat's first year in Ames, the Cyclones ranked second in the Big 12 and No. 10 in the FBS with 16 interceptions. He mentored T.J. Tampa, who earned first-team All-Big 12 and third-team All-America accolades while being named a semifinalist for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards; Tampa was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens and is currently in his second season in the NFL.

Poteat has previous Big Ten experience, coaching cornerbacks at Wisconsin for two seasons (2021-22). The Badgers were second in the Big Ten and No. 7 nationally in interceptions with 17 in 2022, and in 2021, both of UW's starting cornerbacks – Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams – picked up All-Big Ten recognition. Hicks was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Broncos.

Prior to his time at Wisconsin, Poteat spent four successful seasons (2017-20) with the cornerbacks at Toledo. He tutored Ka'dar Hollman, who led the MAC with 12 pass break-ups as a senior in 2018 and was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Packers; Hollman went on to play four seasons in NFL. Toledo's pass defense was one of the best in the nation during its 2017 MAC Championship season, ranking No. 2 in the MAC and 22nd in the FBS in pass efficiency defense.

Poteat coached three All-MAC cornerbacks in just two seasons (2015-16) at Kent State, including two first-team selections. In 2016, Najee Murray ranked 11th in the country with 16 passes defended, while in 2015, Demetrius Monday recorded six interceptions.

Poteat returned to his alma mater at Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant (2013-14) after landing his first coaching position with the cornerbacks at Kentucky Christian (2011-12).

Poteat was a standout player at Pittsburgh during his collegiate career from 1996-99, twice earning first-team All-BIG EAST honors as a cornerback while leading the team in interceptions as a junior (6) and senior (3). A two-time captain, Poteat still holds school records for most kick return yards (2,010) and combined kick return yards (2,509).

He was invited to the Senior Bowl and selected in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Steelers. A 10-year NFL veteran, spending time with the Steelers, Buccaneers, Patriots, Jets and Browns, Poteat won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots during the 2004 season. He graduated from Pittsburgh with a degree in social sciences in 2011.

Poteat and his wife, Jasmine, have two daughters, Ariana and Sierra, and a son, Tre.

THE POTEAT FILE
PREVIOUS COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Cornerbacks coach at Kentucky Christian (2011-12)
Graduate assistant at Pittsburgh (2013-14)
Cornerbacks coach at Kent State (2015-16)
Cornerbacks coach at Toledo (2017-20)
Cornerbacks coach at Wisconsin (2021-22)
Cornerbacks coach at Iowa State (2023-25)

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:
College: Four-year letterwinner as a cornerback and kick returner at Pittsburgh (1996-99)
Professional: Played 10 seasons in the NFL with Pittsburgh (2000-02), Tampa Bay (2003), New England (2004-06), New York Jets (2006-08) and Cleveland (2009).