Bill Musgrave
William Scott Musgrave (born November 11, 1967) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL).[1][2] Musgrave was born in Grand Junction, Colorado, and attended Grand Junction High School, where he excelled in football as a quarterback.[3] He played college football at the University of Oregon, where he was a four-year starter at quarterback from 1987 to 1990, leading the Ducks to a 28-19 overall record and capping his career with a 27-24 victory over Tulsa in the 1989 Independence Bowl.[4] Selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft, Musgrave appeared in 12 games over five professional seasons, primarily as a backup, with the 49ers (1991, 1993–1994) and Denver Broncos (1995–1996), compiling 402 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in his career.[2][5] He earned a Super Bowl XXIX championship ring as a member of the 49ers' victorious roster in 1994, though he did not play in the game.[6] After retiring as a player, Musgrave transitioned to coaching, beginning his NFL career in 1997 as the quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders.[7] Over the next two decades, he held a variety of roles across multiple teams, including offensive coordinator positions with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2003–2004), Minnesota Vikings (2011–2013), Oakland Raiders (2015–2016), and Denver Broncos (2018).[7][8] Notable highlights include serving as quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons during their 2010 NFC Championship appearance and coordinating the Vikings' offense in 2012, when running back Adrian Peterson won NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors while rushing for 2,097 yards.[7] In 2020, Musgrave briefly coached at the college level as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the California Golden Bears, a role he held through the 2022 season before being relieved of duties amid a six-game losing streak.[9][10] Musgrave joined the Browns in 2023 as a senior offensive assistant, held that role through 2024, and was promoted to quarterbacks coach in January 2025 under head coach Kevin Stefanski.[1][11] With 23 years of NFL coaching experience as of 2025, he has contributed to 11 seasons as an offensive coordinator across six franchises and worked with prominent quarterbacks such as Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, Christian Ponder, Derek Carr, and Case Keenum.[1]Early life and high school
Family background and childhood
William Scott Musgrave was born on November 11, 1967, in Grand Junction, Colorado.[2] He was the first son of Dr. Terry H. Musgrave, an optometrist and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force who was born in Evansville, Indiana, on May 26, 1940, and grew up in Decatur, Illinois, and his wife, Mary Day Musgrave.[12][13][14] After attending the Illinois College of Optometry and serving in the U.S. Air Force, Terry Musgrave and his family relocated to Grand Junction in 1966, where he practiced optometry for 38 years, establishing his own practice in 1978.[13][12] The family resided in Grand Junction for over five decades, providing a stable, middle-class upbringing in the rural western Colorado community.[14] Musgrave has one sibling, a younger brother named Doug Musgrave.[12] His parents emphasized education and community involvement; Terry, who passed away on October 3, 2018, after a battle with cancer, actively supported his sons' early athletic endeavors by coaching their Little League baseball teams.[12][14] This familial encouragement for sports, combined with Grand Junction's tradition of youth athletics in a region surrounded by the Colorado National Monument and the Western Slope's outdoor lifestyle, introduced Musgrave to competitive team activities from a young age.[14] His initial exposure to football came through local youth programs, reflecting the sport's popularity in Colorado's high school-centric culture.[15] This foundation in a supportive family and active community environment prepared Musgrave for his later athletic development in high school.High school achievements
Bill Musgrave attended Grand Junction High School in Grand Junction, Colorado, where he excelled as a multi-sport athlete, lettering in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field.[16] Over his final two seasons in football, he amassed 4,290 passing yards, 42 touchdown passes, and 17 interceptions on 279 completions out of 468 attempts, achieving a 59.6% completion rate.[16] In his senior year of 1985, Musgrave led the Grand Junction Tigers to an undefeated record entering the Colorado 3A state championship game, where they fell to Loveland High School.[17] That season, he threw for a then-state-record 30 touchdown passes, showcasing his arm strength and accuracy as one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation.[18] Musgrave's outstanding performance earned him prestigious accolades, including the Colorado High School Athlete of the Year award from the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.[19] He also received the Denver Post Gold Helmet Award, recognizing him as the state's top football player and scholar.[16] As a highly touted recruit, Musgrave drew interest from multiple college programs before accepting a scholarship to play quarterback at the University of Oregon, marking the beginning of his collegiate career.[1]College career
University of Oregon
Bill Musgrave enrolled at the University of Oregon in 1986 and redshirted his freshman season, preserving a year of eligibility while learning the Ducks' offensive system.[20] He transitioned to the starting quarterback role in 1987 as a redshirt freshman under head coach Rich Brooks, who guided the program through a period of resurgence after several down years. Over his four-year tenure as the primary starter from 1987 to 1990, Musgrave compiled an overall record of 28-19, contributing significantly to the team's improved competitiveness in the Pacific-10 Conference.[4] Musgrave's leadership was pivotal in key victories, most notably in the 1989 Independence Bowl, where he directed a comeback drive to secure a 27-24 win over Tulsa, marking Oregon's first bowl appearance in 19 years and ending a drought of postseason success.[4] Under Brooks' mentorship, which emphasized poise and decision-making in a pro-style offense, Musgrave developed into a reliable field general, serving as a three-year team captain and earning the team's MVP honors in 1990.[21] His growth helped elevate the Ducks' passing attack, transforming a program previously reliant on run-heavy schemes into one capable of balanced aerial assaults. Musgrave shattered several school passing records during his career, including becoming Oregon's all-time leader in passing yards and total offense, benchmarks that underscored his impact on the team's offensive evolution.[21] In recognition of his contributions to Oregon football, he was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000, honoring his role in laying the groundwork for future successes.[21]College statistics
During his four seasons at the University of Oregon from 1987 to 1990, Bill Musgrave established himself as one of the most productive passers in program history, accumulating 8,343 career passing yards—a school record that stood until Marcus Mariota surpassed it in 2014. He also threw for 60 touchdowns and 40 interceptions, setting multiple Oregon benchmarks in the process.[4][22][23] Musgrave's passing production varied by year but peaked in 1989, when he led the Pacific-10 Conference in both passing yards and touchdowns while ranking eighth nationally in total passing yards. The following table summarizes his year-by-year passing statistics:| Year | Games | Completions | Attempts | Completion % | Yards | TDs | INTs | Yards/Attempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 10 | 139 | 234 | 59.4 | 1,836 | 13 | 8 | 7.8 |
| 1988 | 6 | 62 | 121 | 51.2 | 815 | 8 | 4 | 6.7 |
| 1989 | 12 | 231 | 401 | 57.6 | 3,081 | 22 | 16 | 7.7 |
| 1990 | 12 | 209 | 362 | 57.7 | 2,611 | 17 | 13 | 7.2 |
| Career | 40 | 641 | 1,118 | 57.3 | 8,343 | 60 | 41 | 7.5 |
Professional playing career
San Francisco 49ers
Bill Musgrave was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round, 106th overall, of the 1991 NFL Draft out of the University of Oregon, but was waived at the end of training camp and signed to the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad on August 28, 1991.[26][27] He signed with the 49ers shortly thereafter and spent the next four seasons (1991–1994) as a backup quarterback, primarily behind Hall of Famers Joe Montana in his final years and then Steve Young.[1][28][11] During his tenure, Musgrave saw limited action on the field, appearing in just two regular-season games, recording statistics in one (1991).[2] His most notable contribution came in the postseason, when he entered Super Bowl XXIX as the third-string quarterback late in the fourth quarter of the 49ers' 49–26 victory over the San Diego Chargers on January 29, 1995, completing his only pass attempt for six yards to backup tight end Ted Popson.[29][30] This appearance earned him a Super Bowl ring as part of the championship team.[4] The 49ers were perennial contenders throughout Musgrave's time in San Francisco, qualifying for the playoffs each season from 1991 to 1994 with records of 10–6, 14–2, 10–6, and 13–3, respectively, though they fell short in the NFC Championship Game in both 1992 and the earlier rounds in 1991 and 1993 before finally securing their fifth Super Bowl title in 1994.[31] Musgrave's role was largely developmental, learning from elite quarterbacks and contributing to practice preparations during the team's dominant West Coast offense era under head coach George Seifert.[32]Denver Broncos
After being waived by the San Francisco 49ers at the end of the 1994 season, Musgrave signed with the Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent in March 1995, reuniting with head coach Mike Shanahan from his time in San Francisco.[33][2] Musgrave spent the next two seasons as the primary backup quarterback to John Elway, appearing in four games in 1995 with limited action, completing 8 of 12 passes for 93 yards.[2] In 1996, he saw increased opportunities, appearing in six games including one start—a 6–41 loss to the Green Bay Packers on December 8—where he completed 31 of 52 passes for 276 yards, though he threw two interceptions.[2] Overall, in 10 regular-season appearances with Denver, Musgrave completed 39 of 64 passes for 369 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions, primarily serving in relief roles during Elway's absences.[2] Musgrave participated in preseason games and training camps for the Broncos in 1995 and 1996, contributing to practice squad preparations and depth at quarterback, but did not feature prominently beyond mop-up duty in the regular season.[18] Entering the 1997 training camp, Musgrave announced his retirement from the NFL on July 22, marking the end of his professional playing career after failing to secure a roster spot amid competition from Bubby Brister and other backups.[34]Professional statistics
Bill Musgrave's professional NFL career as a quarterback was marked by limited playing time as a backup, appearing in 12 games with just one start across five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (1991–1994) and Denver Broncos (1995–1996).[2] His statistical output reflected this reserve role, with modest passing totals and negligible rushing contributions.[2]Passing Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Starts | Completions/Attempts | Yards | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | San Francisco 49ers | 1 | 0 | 4/5 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 133.7 |
| 1993 | San Francisco 49ers | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | Denver Broncos | 4 | 0 | 8/12 | 93 | 0 | 0 | 89.9 |
| 1996 | Denver Broncos | 6 | 1 | 31/52 | 276 | 0 | 2 | 57.9 |
| Career Totals | 12 | 1 | 43/69 | 402 | 1 | 2 | 76.8 |
Rushing Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Carries | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | San Francisco 49ers | 1 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 1995 | Denver Broncos | 4 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
| 1996 | Denver Broncos | 6 | 12 | -4 | 0 |
| Career Totals | 12 | 19 | -11 | 0 |