Hank Poteat

Biography

A veteran coach of 15 years in college who also won a Super Bowl ring during his 10-year NFL career, Hank Poteat was named Michigan State’s cornerbacks coach in January 2026. Poteat arrives in East Lansing after spending the previous three seasons (2023-25) as the cornerbacks coach at Iowa State. During the 2024 season, Jontez Williams led the team with four interceptions and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as the Cyclones ranked No. 1 in the FBS in pass defense, allowing just 165.6 yards per game. In Poteat’s first year in Ames, the Cyclones ranked second in the Big 12 and No. 10 in the FBS with 16 interceptions. He mentored T.J. Tampa, who earned first-team All-Big 12 and third-team AP All-America accolades while being named a semifinalist for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards; Tampa was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by Baltimore and just completed his second season in the NFL with the Ravens. Poteat has previous Big Ten experience, coaching cornerbacks at Wisconsin for two seasons (2021-22). The Badgers were second in the Big Ten and No. 7 nationally in interceptions with 17 in 2022, and in 2021, both of UW’s starting cornerbacks – Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams – picked up All-Big Ten recognition. Hicks was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Broncos. Prior to his time at Wisconsin, Poteat spent four successful seasons (2017-20) with the cornerbacks at Toledo. He tutored Ka’dar Hollman, who led the MAC with 12 pass break-ups