| Dallas Cowboys | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receivers coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 8, 1965 Okinawa, Japan |
| Career information | |
| High school: | San Gorgonio (San Bernardino, California) |
| College: | Humboldt State |
| Career history | |
| As a coach: | |
| |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Robert Prince (born May 8, 1965) is an American football coach who is the wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL).
Prince was born in Okinawa, Japan, where he spent the first seven years of his life, before moving to San Bernardino, California. He played football for San Gorgonio High School where he was a wide receiver. He played his first 2 years as a wide receiver at San Bernardino Valley College. He enrolled at Humboldt State University, where he graduated with a master's degree in 1992.[1]
Prince began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater Humboldt State in 1989 and 1990, and at Montana State in 1991. He served as wide receivers coach for Sacramento State in 1992 and 1993. He served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Fort Lewis in 1994 and 1995. He served as wide receivers coach at Portland State in 1998, before being promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1999 and 2000. He served as wide receivers coach for Boise State in 2001 and 2002, before being named pass game coordinator in 2003. Prince helped lead the Broncos to back-to-back WAC titles in 2002 and 2003.[2]
Prior to returning to the college ranks, Prince spent six seasons as an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL). On February 12, 2010, Prince was named passing game coordinator and receivers coach for Colorado.[3] Prince returned to Boise State in 2011, where he served as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator in 2011. On January 11, 2012, Prince was promoted to offensive coordinator for Boise State. Prince's offense ranked in the Top-10 in multiple national categories, including pass efficiency (4th, 171.57), scoring (5th, 44.23) and total offense (9th, 481.31).[4]
Prince got his NFL start as an offensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 and 2005, where he worked exclusively with running backs and tight ends his first two seasons, Prince helped Atlanta to lead the league in rushing in both of those years. He was named assistant quarterbacks coach in 2006.[5]
On February 1, 2007, Prince was named assistant wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.[6] During the 2007 season, Prince guided Jaguars wide receiver Reggie Williams to a single-season franchise record 10 touchdowns.[5]
On January 13, 2009, Prince was named wide receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks.[7]
On January 25, 2014, Prince was named receivers coach for the Detroit Lions.[8]
During the 2016 season, under Prince's tutelage, three wide receivers contributed to the Lions having five players record 50+ receptions. The Lions became the fifth team in NFL history, and first in franchise history, to feature five different players with at least 50 catches in a season. During the 2019 season, Prince helped guide wide receiver Kenny Golladay to his second 1,000-yard receiving season (1,190), becoming the first player in franchise history to record two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in their first three years. Golladay's 11 touchdowns were also a team and NFL-high.[5]
Several members of the Lions coaching staff, including interim head coach Darrell Bevell, had to quarantine during the week 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Prince was named acting head coach for the Lions on December 24, 2020.[9] The Lions lost the game in a blowout 47–7, with quarterback Matthew Stafford getting injured in the first quarter.
On March 10, 2021, Prince was named wide receivers coach for the Houston Texans.[10]
On February 9, 2022, Prince was named wide receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys.[11]