Allegheny College Athletics

Braden Layer was hired to the Gator football staff in March 2017 as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

In his first season with the Gators, he oversaw one of the most potent offensive unit in team history, as Allegheny averaged 34.0 points and 449.6 yards per game, which were both the most since 2001. Quarterback Logan Lee broke nearly every significant passing record in program history, including completions (214), yards (3,002), and touchdowns (33), as he passed for over 300 yards in six different games, and also threw for at least four touchdowns six times. Wide receiver Alex Victor became the first receiver in program history to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season, gaining a school-record 1,037, while he also set a school mark with 15 receiving TDs.  Running back Tyler Balla also earned All-NCAC laurels, as he ran for 950 yards and 10 touchdowns, both good for third in the NCAC. Layer's offense showed a propensity for the big play, with 11 plays going for over 50 yards, while the Gators topped 30 points in seven of their 10 games during the season, after doing so just four times total in the six seasons prior. 

Prior to arriving at Allegheny, Layer spent the 2016 season coaching quarterbacks and wide receivers, while also serving as co-offensive coordinator, at Sewanee: The University of the South.  He helped produce a pair of All-Southern Athletic Association receivers, as his unit produced the program’s most passing yards and passing touchdowns in over a decade.  In all, the Sewanee offense produced a healthy increase its scoring, total yardage, and third down conversions from the season prior. 
 
Prior to his time at Sewanee, Layer spent two years on the Denison coaching staff, serving as passing game coordinator, wide receivers coach, and recruiting coordinator.  During his two years on the Big Red staff, Layer coached one of the most prolific receivers in the history of the NCAC in DuShawn Brown, the school’s career leader in catches, yards, and touchdown receptions.  Brown was a two-time First Team All-NCAC honoree, while in 2014, he was named the NCAC Offensive Player of the Year, as well as AP Little All-America. Layer also coached two-time All-NCAC tight end Cam Layer, while in 2015, Denison quarterback Canaan Gebele ranked seventh in NCAA Division III in completion percentage.  The Big Red went a combined 13-7 over Layer’s two years, the program’s best two-year stretch in 20 seasons.
 
Layer began his coaching career in 2013, working at Austin Peay as defensive backs coach.  In addition to mentoring the defensive backs, Layer was also responsible for organizing and overseeing the scout team’s offense and special teams, as well as editing and producing video scouting reports of opposing teams.
 
Layer was a four-year letterwinner at Denison, beginning his career as a quarterback before spending his final two seasons at receiver.  A two-time All-NCAC honoree at receiver and 2012 Capital One Academic All-America selection, Layer graduated as the fifth-leading pass catcher in Denison history, totaling 122 catches, 1,613 yards, and 13 touchdowns.     
 
He graduated from Denison with honors with degrees in both economics and communications, earning a spot on the 2012 National Football Foundation’s Hampshire Honor Society.  He went on to earn a M.S. in health and human performance while at Austin Peay.