MSU Athletics

Ashton Aikens enters his third season as wide receivers coach at Midwestern State in 2021.

In his first season at MSU in 2019, he mentored All-LSC honorable mention selection Xavier Land, who closed his career as the program's third all-time receiver with 149 receptions for 1,871 yards. Land paced the receiving corps with 47 catches for 674 yards and five touchdowns, while sophomore Kylan Harrison averaged a team-best 22.8 yards per catch finishing with 22 receptions for 502 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Mustangs produced a pair of breakout performers during the shortened spring season in 2021. Freshman Ja'Marzeyea Arvie ranked eighth in NCAA Division II making seven receptions per game and was 49th nationally with 66.3 receiving yards per game. Harrison continued to establish his deep threat ability leading the LSC and ranking 14th in Division II averaging 22.1 yards per reception. He also matched Arvie at 66.3 receiving yards per game.

Aikens enjoyed successful stints as a wide receivers coach at Western Michigan and Southern Illinois following a two-year run as special teams quality control at his alma mater, Northwestern.
 
Western Michigan boasted a top-three total and passing offensive in the Mid-American Conference in 2018. Aikens' receiving corps boasted a Football Writer's Association of America Freshman All-America and second-team All-MAC pick Jayden Reed and senior D'Wayne Eskridge.
 
Reed caught 56 passes for 797 yards and eight touchdowns, while Eskridge ranked fifth in receiving yards per game in the MAC making 38 receptions for 776 yards while ranking 11th nationally with a 20.4 yards per catch average.
 
The Broncos made a huge passing game improvement in Aikens' second season on staff from 164.8 passing yards per game in 2017 to 237.4 last fall.
 
Aikens also played a pivotal role in the passing game in his three seasons at Southern Illinois. In his first season at SIU, the Salukis caught a program record 29 touchdowns. The next season, Southern Illinois broke the program record for receiving yards per game, then broke that record again a season later.
 
In 2016, Southern Illinois was the only program in FCS football with four 500-yard receivers during the regular season. The Salukis finished the 2015 campaign ranked fourth in FCS in passing offense after rating ninth nationally in Aikens first year with the program in 2014.
 
Prior to Southern Illinois, Aikens served as special teams quality control for two seasons at Northwestern. In 2013, he coached second-team Walter Camp All-America kicker Jeff Budzien after working with All-America punt returner Venric Mark in 2012.
 
Aikens started his coaching career at Trinity International serving as a graduate assistant for the NAIA program in 2010 before earning promotion to full-time assistant for the 2011 season.

Playing Career

Aikens was a four-year letter winner at wide receiver at Northwestern under coach Randy Walker after playing running back at Detroit Country Day High School.
 
He caught 70 passes for 733 yards in his career at NU. As a senior, Aikens had 32 catches for 401 yards and received Northwestern's Rashidi Wheeler Award, which is presented to the player who best embodies the spirit and enthusiasm of the late Northwestern safety.

Personal

Aikens and his wife, Carla, wed in July of 2011. They are the parents of two sons -- Ashton and Robert -- and daughter, Annika.

He earned a Bachelor's of Science in Communications Studies from Northwestern in 2005.

The Aikens File

Graduate Assistant (WR/TE) at Trinity International - 2010
Assistant Coach (WR/ST) at Trinity International - 2011
Graduate Assistant (ST/QC) at Northwestern - 2012-13
Assistant Coach (WR) at Southern Illinois - 2014-16
Assistant Coach (WR) at Western Michigan - 2017-18
Assistant Coach (WR) at Midwestern State - 2019-