SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State head football coach Bobby Petrino has added Austin Appleby to his coaching staff for the upcoming season.

Appleby, who will coach the Bears' wide receivers, spent last season as an offensive analyst and quality control coach for coach Jim McElwain at Central Michigan. Prior to his stop in Mount Pleasant, Appleby spent the 2018 campaign as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator at Mount Union (Ohio).

The native of North Canton, Ohio finished his college career at Florida where he became the first graduate transfer in program history to start at quarterback for the Gators. He helped lead coach McElwain's Gators to an SEC Eastern Division title his senior year and went on to earn MVP honors in the 2017 Outback Bowl victory over Iowa.

He passed for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in his lone season at Florida and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to coming to Gainesville, Appleby played three seasons at Purdue where he played in 16 games from 2013-15, accumulating 19 touchdown passes and 2,777 passing yards for the Boilermakers. He earned his undergraduate degree from Purdue in 2015 with a B.S. in Selling and Sales Management.

Appleby signed a professional contract with the Dallas Cowboys after his time at Florida and also spent time with the Orlando Apollos of the AAFL in 2019. He also spent part of the 2017 season as a volunteer quarterbacks coach at his alma mater.

During his high school career at North Canton Hoover, he was a finalist for the Elite 11 Quarterback Award and passed for more than 2,800 yards and 15 touchdowns in his last two prep seasons.

Appleby replaces Stephen Bravo-Brown who recently accepted a position with the Cleveland Browns. Appleby's hire is contingent on final approval by the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its next scheduled meeting.