Jordan Hogan is living his dream, but his feet are firmly on the ground.
Some 2,700 miles from where his dreams began in Newfane, Hogan started his new job as offensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers last week. His wife, Kayla, is still in Lockport with their children as the Hogans figure out the latest move in a decade-long journey aimed at reaching the NFL.
After graduating from Newfane in 2009, Hogan was a receiver for SUNY Brockport, before embarking in 2013 on a coaching career that has seen college stops at Buffalo State, Stonehill, Cornell, Buffalo, and most recently, Colgate. There were also internships with the Buffalo Bills (2016), Indianapolis Colts (2017) and Baltimore Ravens (2019) through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
But ever since earning the Arizona Cardinals’ Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship, where he spent two years working with the team’s quarterback, it has been Hogan’s goal to get back into the NFL.
When he returned to the NFL for the Bill Walsh Fellowship with the 49ers from July 23 to Aug. 6, Hogan, 32, expected to be back. So when the team called to offer him a job when training camp ended, Hogan wasn’t giddy.
He expected it.
“I kind of had a plan going in here and I had to execute it to a T and everything kind of fell into place,” Hogan said. “And when I got the call, it was more of like, ‘OK.’ Like I wasn’t surprised, but it was just like, ‘All right, finally I’m back in the league.’ ... I mean, I was excited but I was like, ‘Let’s get to work,’ because I expected to be back in the league very fast and I’m glad I’m with a really great organization.”
Blessed with a silver tongue, Hogan’s always had supreme confidence in himself. Instead of being pleased with opportunities, he tried to make connections, even during limited fellowship stops.
With the Bills, Hogan created a friendship with then-wide receiver Leonard Hankerson and with offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn. He maintained those contacts with occasional text or hand-written messages, and while working a camp at Duke over the summer, Lynn called to inform Hogan someone had dropped out of the 49ers’ fellowship program.
By the time he was finished with the program, Hogan had been given projects by San Francisco staff members to test his work habits, study habits and proficiency with computer programs. On the final day, he had a short one-on-one meeting with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, where he mentioned would quickly accept an offer should a full-time job open.
“(Shanahan) told me that a couple of his position coaches had come up to him throughout training camp to let him know that I had really stuck out and that I had made a good impression on his staff and throughout the building,” Hogan said. “And he told me at the time that if there was going to be an opportunity, he would try to keep me on staff.”
Former Cornell wide receivers coach Jordan Hogan speaks with players during a game against Harvard, in this Oct. 12, 2019 file photo, in Cambridge, MA.
Hogan left with the intention of returning to Colgate for his second season as a receivers coach, but he kept in contact with some 49ers coaches, but couldn’t get a good read on the situation until Hankerson sent him a message to say his chances were looking good. On Aug. 26, Hogan received the official offer, so he packed his house in Hamilton and his first day on the job was Aug. 28.
Although Hogan didn’t think twice about accepting San Francisco’s offer, it was still difficult to leave Colgate after fall practice began, but didn’t do so without warning. When Hogan returned from his fellowship, he informed the Colgate coaches and players that he would take a job if the 49ers offered.
He didn’t mind the recruiting aspect of college football, but in the NFL, coaches don’t have to worry about recruiting trips or NIL deals. It’s all about football and that appealed to Hogan after getting a taste during his run with the Cardinals.
“It was an easy decision when Coach Shanahan offered me a position to come back,” Hogan said. “It was very easy for me to say yes. But I do love Colgate. ...And I love Coach (Stan) Dakosty and the staff. But he understood and I did not leave with a bad taste in his mouth.”
So now Hogan is firmly in the door of the NFL coaching ranks after an unusual route to get there. He didn’t play for a major Division I college, and although Cornell and Colgate are premier academic schools, he never landed a big-time college job.
Hogan just capitalized on opportunities created and made important contacts while he was there. And the job still isn’t finished.
As a quality control coach — a position 12 current NFL head coaches have held, including Shanahan and Bills coach Sean McDermott — Hogan will be doing a little bit of anything the 49ers’ offensive coaches ask, but he still wants to continue to climb in the coaching profession.
“This is not like my dream. I’m here to work. I belong here,” Hogan said. “... When you’re around superstars or more importantly, when you’re around professionals at this level, they can sense guys that are just happy to be here and guys are just here for a good time. You won’t last long, especially in the coaching world.”
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