Cortez Hankton Season 2024
Cortez Hankton, a native of New Orleans, joined the LSU coaching staff in January of 2022 as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He was promoted to co-offensive coordinator in January of 2024. Hankton also coaches the LSU wide receivers and is heavily involved in recruiting for the Tigers.
As LSU’s co-offensive coordinator, Hankton will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and organization of the offense.
In his first two years as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, Hankton’s influence has been pivotal in LSU’s historic offensive success. LSU has had two of the top three offenses in school history in terms of total yards and passing yards in each of the past two seasons. Each of those years, LSU’s offense featured Heisman Trophy quarterback Jayden Daniels, who led the nation in total offense (412.2) and accounted for 50 touchdowns as a senior in 2023.
The Tigers led the nation in scoring (45.5) and total offense (543.5) in 2023, while ranking No. 3 in passing yards per game (338.9). LSU scored 40 points or more nine times in 2023 and topped the 500-yard mark nine times. LSU’s 2023 offense ranks No. 2 in school history for total yards (7,065) and passing yards (4,406).
Hankton’s development of LSU’s top two receivers in 2023 – Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas – resulted in both players being selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Nabers went No. 6 overall to the New York Giants, while Thomas was taken No. 23 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It marked only the second time in program history that LSU had two wide receivers picked in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Nabers, a consensus All-America and a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, capped his career as the program’s all-time leader in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003).
Nabers had nine 100-yard games in 2023, led the nation in receiving yards per game (120.7) and plays of 20-plus (34) and 30-plus (17) yards. Nabers led the SEC in receptions (89) for the second straight year and joined Josh Reed as the only players in school history to top the 1,000-yard mark twice in a career.
Thomas had a breakout season in 2023, leading the nation in receiving touchdowns with 17. He caught 68 passes and ranked No. 13 nationally in receiving yards with 1,177. Thomas earned Third-Team AP All-America honors as well as being a Second-Team All-SEC selection.
Nabers and Thomas combined to catch 157 passes for 2,746 yards and 31 touchdowns making them the nation’s top receiving tandem.
In his first year with the Tigers in 2022, Hankton played a key role in one of the most prolific offenses in school history as the Tigers racked up 6,344 total yards and 3,770 passing yards – both ranked as the second-highest totals in school history at the time.
Nabers established himself as one of the nation’s elite receivers, leading the SEC in receptions with 72 for 1,017 yards. It was only the 10th 1,000-yard receiving season in school history. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
Prior to joining the LSU staff, Hankton spent four years at Georgia where he was part of the Bulldogs’ 2022 CFP National Championship win over Alabama. Georgia won three SEC Eastern Division titles, appeared in three New Year’s Six Bowls as well as the CFP Playoffs during that span.
Hankton served as the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Georgia from 2019-22. He joined the Bulldog staff in 2018 as wide receivers coach. In 2021, Georgia led the SEC in yards per play (6.98) and pass efficiency.
At Georgia, Hankton coached SEC All-Freshman wide receiver George Pickens, the MVP of the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl victory over Baylor. Additionally, he coached several big-play receivers in 2018 in Terry Godwin, Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley who combined for 1,475 receiving yards. All three were drafted in the 2019 NFL Draft – Hardman, 2nd round, Kansas City; Ridley, 4th round, Chicago; and Godwin, 7th round, Carolina.
Hankton joined the Georgia staff in February of 2018, after coaching wide receivers for three seasons at Vanderbilt, where he coached veteran receivers C.J. Duncan and Trent Sherfield along with Caleb Scott and Kalija Lipscomb. Sherfield ended his career among the program’s best in receptions (136) and 1,869 yards.
Prior to his tenure at Vanderbilt, Hankton coached receivers for three seasons at Dartmouth in the Ivy League (2012-14). During that time, he helped the Big Green to a 20-10 overall record, including an 8-2 mark in 2014.
Hankton’s produced an All-Ivy caliber receiver all three seasons at Dartmouth. In 2012, Michael Reilly earned first-team recognition.
Prior to joining the Dartmouth staff in 2012, Hankton spent three months working as a volunteer assistant with Central Florida. In that role, he assisted in all aspects of the recruiting process. From 2008-10, Hankton spent time training draft-eligible athletes for the NFL combines with Tom Shaw Performance Training Camps. In early 2010, he also served as non-paid receiver coach at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.
Hankton was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in April of 2003 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his four years with the Jaguars, he caught 34 passes for 310 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both of which came in 2004. Hankton signed with Minnesota Vikings in 2007 and spent the entire 2008 season on injured reserve with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After his NFL career, he played three seasons with New York, Florida and Virginia of the United Football League.
Hankton received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Southern in 2002, where he set season and career records for receiving yards. A four-year starter and two-year captain, he was Texas Southern’s MVP and an All-SWAC honoree as a junior and senior. Hankton culminated his career by being named as a Division I-AA third-team all-America by the AP.
Hankton in 2011 created Black Ice Concept, an organization that strives to increase minority presence in winter sports by obtaining sponsorships and funding to subsidize expenses for the athletes. He has demonstrated his commitment to academics many times over as well, including the creation of the Cortez Hankton Scholarship Fund for exemplary student-athletes in 2003 and his work with Read Across America through the NFL and the National Education Association. From 2016-17, Hankton volunteered with “Walk for Wishes,” a fundraising program for Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee.
Off the field at Georgia, Hankton mentored Bulldog football players in their “Dawgs for Pups” campaign which assisted Athens-area children with a number of vital goods and services such as providing internet access for in-home learning, coats during the winter season and a “Food2Kids” snack drive.
The New Orleans native is the son of Cortez Sr. and Sherome Hankton, both officers in the New Orleans Police Department. Hankton was a standout athlete and multi-year starter at St. Augustine High School.
Hankton and his wife, the former Shon Holder, were married in July, 2014. They are the parents of sons Cortez “Trip” III and Cruz.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: Jan. 20, 1981
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
Wife: Shon
Children: Cortez (Trip III), Cruz
Education: Texas Southern, 2002 (Business Administration)
PLAYING CAREER
1998-2002 Texas Southern (wide receiver)
2003-08 NFL (Jacksonville Jaguars, 2003-06; Minnesota Vikings, 2007, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2008)
2009-11 UFL (New York Sentinels, 2009; Florida Tuskers, 2010; Virginia Destroyers, 2011)
Coaching Experience
2012-14 Dartmouth (Wide Receivers)
2015-17 Vanderbilt (Wide Receivers)
2018-21 Georgia (Wide Receivers)
2022-24 LSU (Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers, 2022-23; Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers, 2024)
Bowl Experience/Postseason Experience
As A Coach
Season Bowl/Postseason Team
2015 Independence Vanderbilt
2018 Sugar Georgia
2019 Sugar Georgia
2020 Peach Georgia
2021 CFP Semifinals (Orange); CFP National Championship Georgia
2022 Citrus LSU
2023 ReliaQuest LSU