Gary Nord - Football Coach - Florida Atlantic University Athletics

Gary Nord

Title:
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Coaching Experience
25+ years of coaching experience

2005 Florida Atlantic (Offensive Coordinator)
2004 Florida Atlantic (Quarterbacks)
2000-2003 Head Coach UTEP
1997-99 UTEP (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
1996 Pittsburgh (Wide Receivers)
1995 Oklahoma (Offensive Coordinator)
1989-94 Louisville (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
1987-88 Louisville (Wide Receives)
1985-86 Louisville (Running Backs)
1981-84 Louisville (Tight Ends)

Bowl Games as a Coach:
1991 Fiesta
1993 Liberty
2000 Crucial.com Humanitarian
2007 New Orleans

All-Americans Coached:
Brian Natkin (unanimous, 2000)

All-WAC Players Coached:
Glen Beard, Ricky Bishop, Jimmy Carpenter, Carey Clayton, Crance Clemons, Alan Gray, Menson Holloway, Lee Mays, Trey Merkens, Brian Natkin, Rocky Perez, Jeff Seeton, Paul Smith, D.J. Walker, Anwar White

All-Sun Belt Players Coached:
Rusty Smith ('07 SBC Player of the Year)

At Florida Atlantic
Is entering his fourth season as FAU's offensive coordinator and fifth season overall. 2007 was the first year he has been afforded the luxury of working with two returning quarterbacks and the end result was Rusty Smith being named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Smith broke the single-season yards record, the single-season touchdown mark and was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week four times. The duo fostered a strong spring season and translated it into a better preseason as the team prepared for its most difficult schedule yet as well as its most productive offense. Nord's first season with the Owls saw the Kentucky native work with Jared Allen, a player who had mastered the system during his five-year career. Allen represented FAU in the Hula Bowl and was invited to participate in the Indianapolis NFL combines and later played in NFL Europe's championship as the starting quarterback. Danny Embick emerged as the starting QB following Allen's departure, but was a senior. Embick, an athletic quarterback who possessed the arm strength and readability to play the pro-style or dump it and run if need be, opened the season with a near victory over Kansas and earned Sun Belt Player of the Week honors. He also led the team in every aspect both on and off the field. At the start of the 2006 season, Nord wrestled with a neck-and-neck race that saw Smith start the first game, Clayton out-performed his younger counterpart until he was sidelined with an injury that opened the door once more for Smith. No matter who is under center, quarterbackshave flourished under Nord's tutelege.

At UTEP
The Louisville, KY, native served as head coach for four seasons (2000-2003) at the University of Texas El Paso, where he tallied a 14-34 record. His first season as the Miner's head coach the squad posted an 8-4 record, which tied the Western Athletic Conference Championship for the first time in 44 years. The 8-4 record was the highest win total in 12 years. The four losses came at the hands of Oklahoma, Texas A&M;, TCU and Boise State -- all on the road. Those teams had a combined record of 40-9 at the end of the season. The Miner's not only earned a spot in the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl, they also received votes for both top-25 polls, also for the first time in 12 seasons. Nord was named the WAC Coach of the Year and was one of 10 semifinalists for Football News' national Coach of the Year Award and one of four runners-up for national Coach of the Year by American Football Monthly.

Despite being decimated by injuries, in 2002, UTEP knocked off state rival Rice in El Paso before a regional television audience. Nord came to FAU with the understanding of not only Coach Schnellenberger, but the process of building from the ground up after he finished the 2001 campaign with 25 freshmen and sophomores listed on the two-deep. During his head coaching stint at UTEP, five Miners were selected in the draft, and a handful of others have signed free agent contracts.

With Nord as offensive coordinator, UTEP improved from 97th nationally in total offense in 1997 to 51st in 1998 and 43rd in 1999. In 2000, the Miners ranked 22nd nationally in scoring offense, 27th in passing offense and 36th in total offense. UTEP rated 19th in the country in passing efficiency defense.

Nord has 23 years of collegiate coaching experience. He came to UTEP in 1997 after previous coaching stops at Louisville (1981-94), Oklahoma (1995) and Pittsburgh (1996).

Oklahoma
Nord was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 1995 under Schnellenberger and the wide receivers coach at Pittsburgh in 1996 under Johnny Majors.

Louisville
Nord was on staff at Louisville, his alma mater, when the Cardinals posted an 11-1 record in 1990, and won the Fiesta Bowl. Louisville also won the Liberty Bowl in 1993.

In all, Nord recruited and/or worked with five future NFL players at Louisville - Browning Nagle (formerly with the Atlanta Falcons), quarterback Jeff Brohm (formerly with the Denver Broncos), offensive lineman Bruce Armstrong (formerly with the New England Patriots), and wide receivers Ernest Givens (formerly with the Tennessee Oilers) and Mark Clayton (formerly with the Miami Dolphins).

Coaching Accomplishments:
Three Miners were named to The Sporting News' WAC All-Freshman Team in 2002 (RB Matt Austin, LB Thomas Howard, DL Chris Mineo)...UTEP had two Sporting News freshman All-Americans in 2001 (DB Jahmal Fenner, LB Robert Rodriguez)...DB D.J. Walker was named All-WAC for the third consecutive season in 2002...led UTEP to its first-ever WAC title in 2000, and first conference championship in 44 years, earning WAC Coach of the Year honors...one of 10 semifinalists for Football News' national Coach of the Year Award...also directed the Miners to their first bowl bid in 12 years...the Miners ranked 22nd nationally in scoring offense, 27th in passing offense and 36th in total offense...UTEP received votes in both polls for the first time in 12 years...QB Rocky Perez was eighth in the nation in passing efficiency, WR Lee Mays was eighth in the country in receiving and TE Brian Natkin received national honors as well.

A familiar figure on the Schnellenberger coaching staff, Nord reunited with the head coach after working on Schnellenberger's staffs at Louisville and at Oklahoma. He served as the Cardinals Offensive Coordinator during the rise to top-10 status and as Oklahoma's Offensive Coordinator during Schnellenberger's tenure.

Past or Present NFL Players Coached:
Bruce Armstrong, Jeff Brohm, Carey Clayton, Mark Clayton, Crance Clemons, Jon Dorenbos, Ernest Givens, Menson Holloway, Joey Knapp, Lee Mays, Trey Merkens, Browning Nagle, Brian Natkin, Paul Smith and Jared Allen (NFL Europe).

As a Player:
Nord was a tight end at Louisville, where he earned his bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1979.

About Nord
Personal Information:
Birth date: June 12, 1957
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Education: 1979 - B.A. Liberal Arts, Louisville
Marital Status: Wife Kathy
Children: Colleen, Nicole, and Nathan, a UofL freshman.