Drew Canan - Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Drew Canan

Title:
Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
Phone:
540-568-6517
Physical Address:
Plecker APC 224 (220 Champions Dr.) / MSC 2201

Drew Canan is in his second season with the James Madison football program in 2025, as he serves as special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.

Canan has served on Bob Chesney’s staff since 2014, with the 2024 season at JMU, six seasons at Holy Cross (2018-23) and four at Assumption College (2014-17). He’s been Chesney’s special teams coordinator since 2014 and was tight ends coach at Holy Cross while leading the wide receivers at Assumption.

During his first season in Harrisonburg, he helped the Dukes to rank 11th nationally in blocked kicks, with three. That included a blocked punt for a touchdown, a defensive PAT on an extra point and a blocked field goal. In addition to the punt block TD, JMU also scored once on kickoff returns, as the team ranked 16th in the FBS with a 24.67 average.

Additionally, JMU was top 20 nationally in field goals per game, as Noe Ruelas had 1.6 per game, good for third in the Sun Belt. A pair of specialists were named All-Sun Belt in punter Ryan Hanson (42.4 avg.) and kick returner Cam Ross (28.2 KR avg.), who were both named to the Third Team.

Offensively, he also coached tight end Taylor Thompson to Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt status and Second Team All-State after making 33 catches for 448 receiving yards and a JMU co-leading six touchdowns. That included making the game-winning touchdown catch in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Canan helped guide Holy Cross to five consecutive Patriot League championships and four Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances during his time in Worcester, Mass.

In 2023, Canan’s special teams unit ranked 20th nationally in kick return defense, at 17.06 yards per attempt. On the offensive side of the ball, he coached tight end Sean Morris to Second Team All-Patriot League honors, as the Holy Cross offense was fourth nationally in total offense (466.6) and seventh in scoring (36.9).

During the program’s historic 2022 campaign, in which the Crusaders went 11-0 during the regular season for the third time ever and finished with a program-record 12-1 record with a FCS quarterfinal appearance, they led the nation with eight blocked punts, paced by Devin Haskins' Patriot League-record of four blocked punts.

Haskins earned All-America honors and was one of four players to earn All-PL honors, as he was joined by kicker Derek Ng, punter Patrick Haughney and return specialist Justin Shorter. Like in 2023, Morris was also an All-Patriot League honoree, and long snapper Adam Guillemette was also selected in the 2023 Canadian Football League draft.

Holy Cross finished the 2022 campaign with a #6 ranking as a result of numerous marquee wins, including a hail-mary victory against FBS foe Buffalo and an overtime win over ranked Fordham. Holy Cross also earned its first win versus Harvard since 2000 and defeated both Harvard and Yale in the same season for the first time.

In 2021, Holy Cross won its third straight Patriot League title and won its first FCS playoff game in program record with a 10-3 record and undefeated conference mark. Four Crusaders earned All-Patriot honors, and the team finished the season ranked #19 in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25. The Crusaders also defeated an FBS opponent for the first time since 2002 with a season-opening victory over UConn.

During the spring 2021 season, delayed from the fall of 2020 due to COVID-19, four Crusaders on special teams earned All-Patriot League honors ,as Holy Cross won the inaugural Patriot League championship game.

In 2019, Canan helped the Crusaders to their first Patriot League title in a decade and just the third NCAA FCS berth in program history. In addition, tight end Derek Mountain earned All-Patriot League honors. Following the season, Canan was named the New England Assistant Coach of the Year by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston.

In his first season at Holy Cross in 2018, Canan led a special teams unit that set then-school single-season records with seven blocked kicks, six blocked punts and four blocked punts returned for touchdowns.

Canan came to Holy Cross from Assumption College, where he served as the wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator under Chesney from 2014-2017. He helped the Greyhounds to an overall record of 38-11 during that time, with three trips to the NCAA Division II postseason.

During his time at Assumption, Canan coached five wide receivers and four return specialists to All-Northeast-10 Conference honors, including 2016 Offensive Player of the Year Ashton Grant and 2017 Most Valuable Player Deonte Harris. His special teams unit also ranked in the top 10 in nationally in blocked kicks in each of his four seasons, posting 12 in 2015 to lead the nation.

Prior to his time at Assumption, Canan served as the wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator at Endicott College from 2011-2013. He coached five all-conference receivers during that time while helping the team to the 2013 New England Football Conference championship.

Canan was previously a graduate assistant at Endicott from 2008-2010, and the Gulls posted an overall record of 36-9, including a 25-3 mark in conference play, during his final four years on the staff.

Canan earned his bachelor’s degree from Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, Fla., in 2005. He went on to receive a master’s degree from Endicott in 2010.

Canan and his wife, Kerri, have one daughter, Kaia.