Temple University Athletics
JEFF NIXON NAMED TEMPLE RUNNING BACKS COACH
12.15.05 | Football
PHILADELPHIA -
Temple University head football coach Al Golden today appointed Jeff Nixon running backs coach. A Penn State football alumnus, the 31-year old Nixon spent the past three years at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he directed running backs and special teams while also serving as recruiting coordinator for two seasons."Numerous people in this business have been on notice about a rising star at UT-Chattanooga named Jeff Nixon," said Golden. "As the recruiting coordinator and running backs coach at UTC, he led a recruiting campaign that garnered the #1 ranking in I-AA. After talking with Jeff, it didn't take long to see that he shares my enthusiasm and passion for both coaching and recruiting. In addition, Jeff and his wife are born and raised in Pennsylvania and his mother still lives in the Philadelphia Metro Area. He is a perfect fit for Temple University."
This past season, the Mocs running game ranked 22nd in Division I-AA under Nixon's direction, averaging 206.18 yards per contest. Junior Eldra Buckley rushed for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns to place 16th among all I-AA ball carriers with 112.09 yards on the ground per game.
Nixon, who tutored running backs in each of his three seasons at UTC, handled multiple responsibilities during his tenure at the Southern Conference member school. In 2003 and 2004, he also served as recruiting coordinator. His efforts on the recruiting trail were recognized by Rivals.com, which ranked the Mocs 2004 recruiting class as the best in I-AA and the 2005 group as the No. 4-ranked class. Nixon supervised the tight ends in 2004 before directing special teams in 2005.
Nixon arrived in Chattanooga after coaching running backs at Division II Shippensburg (Pa.) University from 1999 to 2002. The Red Raiders set a school total offense record in 1999 before accumulating the second highest single-season rushing total in school history in 2001. The program compiled a four-year mark of 27-17 during his stint, including 8-3 records in 1999 and 2001. He coached four all-conference running backs while at Shippensburg, including All-American John Kuhn, who rushed for 1,300 yards as a sophomore, 1,500 yards as a junior and 1,400 as a senior. Kuhn signed a contract with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, and Matt Phillips signed with the New England Patriots.
Nixon spent the 1998 season as the running backs coach at Princeton University. He coached Derek Theissen, who was an all-conference running back that season for the Tigers. Nixon began his coaching career in 1997, working as a student assistant coach under Penn State offensive coordinator Fran Ganter.
Nixon lettered at Penn State under Joe Paterno in 1996, playing running back and on special teams. The Nittany Lions posted an 11-2 record and defeated Texas 38-15 in the Fiesta Bowl to conclude the season ranked No. 7 in both polls. In additional to his on-field achievements, he earned spots on both the Dean's List and the Big Ten Conference All-Academic Team.
Nixon's collegiate career began at West Virginia, as he originally signed with the Mountaineers before transferring to PSU. At WVU, he played played both running back and on special teams as a true freshman. In 1993, under head coach Don Nehlen, the Mountaineers posted a perfect 11-0 regular season. The squad finished 11-1 overall after playing for a national championship against Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
Born October 16, 1974 in Rochester, Pa., Nixon earned an undergraduate degree in elementary education at Penn State in 1998 before receiving a master's in education administration from Shippensburg in 2003. He is married to the former Laura Moss of State College, Pa. The couple has a four-year-old son, William Apollos, twin daughters, Faith and Hope, born Dec. 16, 2002, and a six week-old daughter named Jasmine.
