Football
- Title:
- Outside Receivers Coach
- Phone:
- 912-478-5522
Zak Mizell was promoted the role of outside receivers coach for the 2026 season. In 2025, he was instrumental in a strong passing game for the Eagles, serving as an assisting quarterbacks coach who had a heavy hand in the passing game. That year, the Georgia Southern offense featured the first 1,000-yard receiver in program history in Camden Brown, who also set a new school record with 14 touchdown catches, and the program’s all-time leading passer in JC French IV.
Mizell served on the WKU coaching staff from 2019-2024 in various roles for the high-powered offense. He was promoted to the wide receivers coach in 2024 after serving as the assistant wide receivers coach in 2023. In 2022, he was the offensive quality control coach and he was a volunteer coach during the 2019 season before becoming a graduate assistant coach for two seasons. Mizell had a hand in helping produce two top five passing offenses in the FBS with eventual NFL quarterbacks Bailey Zappe and Austin Reed.
In 2024, Kisean Johnson started each game at receiver and led the team with 925 yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions to earn second-team all-conference honors. He had back-to-back 100-yard receiving games against EKU and Middle Tennessee, and against the Blue Raiders he had season highs of 129 yards and two touchdowns receiving. He ranked second in Conference USA in receptions per game (5.36), fifth in receiving yards per game (66.1), third in touchdown receptions (7), second in total receptions (75) and third in total receiving yards (925).
The 2023 Hilltoppers finished the year second in the league in scoring with 30.5 points per game, and had the top passing offense across CUSA with 296.4 yards per game through the air and 38 passing touchdowns. WKU’s 50 offensive touchdowns in 2023 ranked second in CUSA. In 2021 and 2022, the Hilltoppers ranked first nationally in passing yards and passing touchdowns. The 2021 squad ranked second nationally in scoring at 44.2 points per game, while the 2022 team was 15th at 36.4 points per game.
Mizell has helped produce some of the top receiver across the nation, including Malachi Corley, a two-time All-Conference USA First Team selection who became the second-highest drafted Hilltopper ever when he was selected by the New York Jets with the first pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft – the 65th overall pick. He coached Daewood Davis for two seasons on The Hill, before Davis went on to spend time with the Miami Dolphins organization and later joined the Memphis Showboats of the UFL. With Mizell on staff at WKU, Jerreth Sterns led the nation in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2021, before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams for stints and later finding a home in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Mitchell Tinsley, who spent two seasons with the Hilltoppers in 2020 and 2021, was another player coached by Mizell who later went on the the NFL ranks with the Washington Commanders. Lucky Jackson, who played his final season with WKU in Mizell’s first season, most recently was on a professional roster with the Minnesota Vikings.
Mizell played quarterback for Lindsey Wilson College from 2014-17. He was Academic All-Mid South Conference in 2015, starting three games while appearing in all 11 that season for the Blue Raiders.
Mizell graduated from Lindsey Wilson with a degree in accounting and earned a Master’s degree in recreation and sport administration from WKU. Originally from Franklin, Tennessee, Mizell went to Page High School, where he was a three-time first-team all-district selection.
He and his wife, Abigail, have two sons, Sutton and Tatum.
THE MIZELL FILE
Personal
Hometown: Franklin, Tenn.
Born: March 28, 1996 in Dubuque, Iowa
College: Lindsey Wilson (2018); Western Kentucky (2021)
Family: wife, Abigail; sons, Sutton and Tatum
Playing Experience
Lindsey Wilson (2014-17)
Coaching Experience
2026-: Georgia Southern (outside receivers)
2025: Georgia Southern (assistant quarterbacks)
2024: Western Kentucky (wide receivers)
2023: Western Kentucky (assistant wide receivers)
2022: Western Kentucky (offensive quality control)
2020-21: Western Kentucky (G.A.)
2019: Western Kentucky (volunteer coach)
College Bowl/Playoff Experience
Coach
2025: Birmingham (GS vs. App State)
2024: Boca Raton (WKU vs. James Madison)
2023: Famous Toastery (WKU vs. Old Dominion)
2022: New Orleans (WKU vs. South Alabama)
2021: Boca Raton (WKU vs. App State)
2020: Lending Tree (WKU vs. Georgia State)
2019: First Responder (WKU vs. Western Mich.)
Player
2017: NAIA Quarterfinals (Lindsey Wilson)
2016: NAIA Quarterfinals (Lindsey Wilson)
2015: NAIA First Round (Lindsey Wilson)
2014: NAIA Quarterfinals (Lindsey Wilson)
Prominent Pupils
Malachi Corley (WR): New York Jets
Daewood Davis (WR): Miami Dolphins
Lucky Jackson (WR): Minnesota Vikings
Austin Reed (QB): Chicago Bears
Jerreth Sterns (WR): Tampa Bays Buccaneers
Mitchell Tinsley (WR): Washington Commanders
Bailey Zappe (QB): New England Patriots
