Image courtesy of Arkansas State University
JONESBORO, Ark. (1/3/25) – Arkansas State head football coach Butch Jones announced Friday that Nate Dreiling has been named the Red Wolves’ defensive coordinator.
“A proven winner who was part of an NCAA championship as a player and who has produced outstanding results as a defensive coordinator at successful programs at the FBS, FCS and Division II levels, Nate Dreiling is an individual who has consistently demonstrated the ability to make an immediate and positive coaching impact on the defensive side of the ball,” said Jones. “A highly-respected defensive mind in college football, his players are known for giving maximum effort and his defensive units have ranked among the best in the nation in multiple statistical categories. We’re excited to add a proven leader, coach and recruiter of his caliber to our staff. We want to welcome Coach Dreiling, his wife Alexa, daughters Baylor and Baisley, and son, Baker, to the Arkansas State football family.”
Dreiling brings 10 years of collegiate experience, five as a defensive coordinator, to A-State. He spent the 2024 season as the interim head coach and defensive coordinator at Utah State.
“I am thrilled for this opportunity with Arkansas State and want to thank Coach Jones and (A-State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics) Jeff Purinton for this opportunity,” said Dreiling. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Jones and the programs he has built. I’m looking forward to joining this A-State program that has a lot of momentum and is in a position to build on its continued success.”
Elevated to interim head coach at Utah State on July 2, Dreiling guided the Aggies to a strong finish with wins in three of their last four Mountain West Conference contests. Utah State ranked top 50 nationally in sacks, 2.33 per game to rank 44th, and interceptions, 13 to rank 36th. Against Hawaii, the Aggies snagged five interceptions, the most since a school-record-tying seven against Idaho in 1971, and registered seven sacks.
Under the direction of Dreiling, eight Utah State players earned All-Mountain West honors, including three second-team recipients. In addition to interim head coach and defensive coordinator duties, Dreiling coached the defensive ends, and Cian Slone was one of three Aggies to earn Second Team All-Mountain West accolades after posting 7.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries. The Aggies had three defensive players named honorable mention all-Mountain West.
Dreiling arrived at Utah State after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator at New Mexico State. He helped NM State to a 17-11 record and consecutive bowl games, along with an appearance in the Conference USA championship game in its first year in the league in 2023.
During the 2023 season, Dreiling helped New Mexico State to a 10-5 record, including a 7-1 mark in Conference USA. It was just the second time in program history that a NMSU team won 10 or more games. The Aggies defense was one of the best units in the nation as it allowed 22.8 points per game to lead the conference and rank 44th in FBS. NM State also ranked second in the conference and 48th nationally in rushing defense at 143.7 yards per game. Under the direction of Dreiling, the Aggies led the conference and were fifth nationally in red zone defense.
In his first season at New Mexico State in 2022, Dreiling inherited a defense that ranked 127th in total defense among FBS schools. The ’22 Aggies were the most improved defensive unit in college football that year, climbing 98 spots to 29th in the nation with an average of 336.3 yards allowed per game. NMSU also ranked 16th in the nation in passing defense as it allowed 186.8 yards per game. Under Dreiling, seven New Mexico State defenders earned postseason honors, four in 2023 and three in 2022.
Prior to his time at New Mexico State, Dreiling spent the 2021 season as the defensive run game coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks collected a top-10 victory to cap off their season with a 31-14 triumph against No. 8 UT Martin to finish 4-2 in Ohio Valley Conference action. With Dreiling on the sidelines, Southeast Missouri held UT Martin to just 14 points, its lowest offensive output in over a year.
Dreiling went to Southeast Missouri after a one-and-half-year stint on head coach Mario Cristobal’s staff at Oregon. With Dreiling on staff, the Ducks brought in the nation’s sixth-best recruiting class in 2021. As a defensive analyst for Cristobal, Dreiling helped Oregon capture the 2020 Pac-12 title before taking part in the Fiesta Bowl.
Returning to the program he led as a player, Dreiling’s first full-time coaching stop came at NCAA Division II Pittsburg State. For three seasons, Dreiling served on the on the Gorillas’ coaching staff as a safeties coach (2017) and then as the program’s defensive coordinator (2018-19).
In his first season at Pittsburg State, he helped the Gorillas force 25 turnovers, while ranking second in the nation in fourth-down conversion percentage (.200) and 19th in fumble recoveries. In two seasons as the Gorillas’ defensive coordinator, 17 players garnered all-conference honors, including honorable mention All-America safety Morgan Selenaea. All told, Dreiling’s defensive schemes allowed Pittsburg State to rank among the top two in its conference in 11 different statistical categories in 2018 and 2019.
Dreiling began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kansas. Helping oversee the Jayhawks’ linebackers (2015) and defensive line (2016), Dreiling assisted in the development of three all-Big 12 performers, including Dorance Armstrong, a fourth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.
One of the best NCAA Division II players in the nation on either side of the ball, Dreiling terrorized opposing offenses through his four-year career (2010-13) at Pittsburg State. A four-time All-American, Dreiling led the Gorillas to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2011, a year in which he was named the NCAA Division II National Defensive Player of the Year by the Don Hansen Football Committee.
The 2011 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Defensive Player of the Year amassed a trio of all-MIAA awards and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2013. His 491 career tackles top both the Pittsburg State and MIAA all-time charts.
Dreiling’s success on the field caught the eye of numerous NFL teams following his collegiate career. The linebacker signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers ahead of the 2014 season and spent time on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad that same year. He wrapped up his playing career by signing on with the Omaha Mammoths of the now-defunct Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL) for the remainder of 2014.
Dreiling and his wife, Alexa, have two daughters, Baylor and Baisley, and a son, Baker.
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