Report: Utah State to hire New Mexico State’s Nate Dreiling as defensive coordinator

Joe Coles
·1 min read
Utah State Aggies players step on the field during an NCAA football game against New Mexico Lobos at Maverik Stadium in Logan on Nov. 26, 2020.
Utah State Aggies players step on the field during an NCAA football game against New Mexico Lobos at Maverik Stadium in Logan on Nov. 26, 2020. | Yukai Peng, Deseret News
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The Utah State Aggies are “set” to hire New Mexico State’s Nate Dreiling as their new defensive coordinator, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The Aggies parted ways with defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen in late December and wasted no time finding their next hire. Dreiling will be tasked with turning around Utah State’s defense, which allowed 34.7 points per game, ranking No. 120 in the country.

Dreiling spent the last two seasons at New Mexico State, where the Aggies held opponents to 23.9 points per game in 2022 and 22.8 points per game in 2023 — ranking No. 44 in FBS this year.

Dreiling worked his way from a graduate assistant at Kansas from 2015-16 to a defensive coordinator position at Pittsburgh State, then a defensive analyst position at Oregon in 2020 before becoming the defensive run game coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Southeast Missouri State. He then was hired by New Mexico State to run its defense.