Daniel DaPratoTitle: Receivers/Special Teams Coord. Experience: 4th Year Alma Mater: Louisiana-Monroe, '04 Email:daprato@csus.edu Bio:Daniel DaPrato enters his fourth season as Sacramento State’s wide receivers coach and his first as the special teams coordinator.
During his time with the Hornets, DaPrato has coached five receivers to all-Big Sky honors. Last season, Brandyn Reed was named to the second team while Dylan Lane earned honorable mention honors. Reed led the team with seven touchdowns and 731 yards. He peaked at the end of the season, catching five touchdowns in the final four games of the year. Lane also enjoyed the best season of his career, grabbing 40 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns.
In 2008, DaPrato guided Tony Washington to arguably the single greatest receiving season in school history. Washington set the school record with 83 receptions and 1,279 receiving yards and is second in school history with 12 touchdown receptions. His TD total only trails Mike Carter’s mark of 14 which came in 1969. Following the year, Washington was named third team All-America by The Sports Network and first team all-Big Sky.
During the 2007 season, DaPrato coached Washington and Ryan Coogler to honorable mention all-Big Sky accolades. Coogler led the team with 38 receptions for 507 yards while Washington finished with 29 grabs for 414 yards.
While those two players earned the honor, DaPrato coached six players who caught at least 10 passes and six who had at least one receiving touchdown.
Prior to coming to Sacramento State, DaPrato spent five seasons as a member of the Louisiana-Monroe football program. DaPrato came to the Indians in the spring of 2002 as a junior college transfer from Chabot College in Hayward, Calif.
As a player, DaPrato played two seasons at quarterback for the Indians, his senior season under first-year head coach Charlie Weatherbie. DaPrato had key starts against Mississippi, Kansas State and Auburn, with his best game coming against Louisiana-Lafayette in 2003 where he led the team to a 45-42 win. In that game, DaPrato came off the bench to complete all three of his passes in the second half for 66 yards and also rushed twice for 33 yards.
After graduating in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance, DaPrato joined the Indians coaching staff as the offensive graduate assistant. He also served as the director of football operations for ULM in 2006.
In 2005, he was a member of the staff which posted a 5-6 record despite playing three schools from Bowl Championship Series conferences, including Georgia and Arkansas. That year, the offense averaged over 350 yards per game and was led by quarterback Steven Jyles who threw for 203.2 yards per game.
As the team’s director of football operations in 2006, DaPrato was responsible for all team travel as well as managing the day-to-day activities of the office. He also was the school’s recruiting coordinator.
Originally from West Sacramento, DaPrato graduated with a master’s of education degree in instructional technology from Louisiana-Monroe.
DaPrato and his wife Giovanna were married in June of 2010.
Recruiting Area: All high schools and junior colleges between Modesto and Merced and east into the Mother Lode as well as the Central Coast.