Completed Event: Football at Temple on September 13, 2025 , Win , 42, to, 3
Final
Football
42
at Temple
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Football
Nate Dreiling
- Title:
- Inside Linebackers Coach
Coaching Notes and Accomplishments
• Named Oklahoma’s inside linebackers coach on Feb. 1, 2025.
• Spent the 2024 season at Utah State as defensive coordinator and interim head coach. Dreiling was briefly hired as defensive coordinator at Arkansas State before coming to Oklahoma.
• Brings 10 years of collegiate coaching experience, including five as a defensive coordinator. In addition to his season at Utah State, he coordinated defenses at New Mexico State (2022-23) and Pittsburg State (2018-19).
• Was elevated to interim head coach at Utah State on July 2 and guided the Aggies to a strong finish with wins in three of their last four Mountain West Conference games. Throughout the 2024 season he continued to serve as defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach. Utah State ranked among the top 50 nationally in sacks (2.33 per game; 44th) and interceptions (13; 36th), and eight players earned All-Mountain West honors.
• Prior to Utah State, Dreiling spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at New Mexico State. He helped guide the Aggies to a 17-11 overall record and consecutive bowl games, along with an appearance in the 2023 Conference USA championship game in their first year in the league.
• His 2023 NMSU defense ranked 44th nationally in scoring defense (22.4 points per game), 48th in rushing defense (143.7 rushing yards per game) and fifth in red zone defense (72.6%).
• In Dreiling’s first season at New Mexico State, the Aggies improved from 127th to 29th nationally in total defense (336.3 yards per game allowed in ’22) and ranked 16th in passing defense (186.8 yards per game).
• Prior to his stint at New Mexico State, Dreiling spent one year at Southeast Missouri State as the defensive run game coordinator and inside linebackers coach. The Redhawks ended their season with a 31-14 win over FCS No. 8-ranked UT Martin, limiting the Skyhawks to their lowest scoring output in more than a year.
• Previously served as a defensive analyst on Mario Cristobal’s staff at Oregon for the 2020 season. The Ducks won the Pac-12 title and played in the Fiesta Bowl, and hauled in the sixth-ranked recruiting class during the 2021 cycle.
• Dreiling’s first full-time coaching job was at his alma mater, Pittsburg State. He coached safeties in 2017 and served as the program’s defensive coordinator in 2018 and ’19.
• In his first season at Pittsburg State, Dreiling helped guide a Gorillas defense that forced 25 turnovers and ranked second nationally in fourth down conversion percentage (.200) and 19th in fumble recoveries (12).
• Over Dreiling’s two seasons as Pittsburg State defensive coordinator, the Gorillas produced 17 all-conference performers, including safety Morgran Selenaea, who earned honorable mention All-America in 2018. His defenses ranked first or second in 11 different statistical categories in 2018 and ’19.
• Began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under at Kansas (2015-16), working with the Jayhawks’ linebackers and then defensive line. He assisted in the development of three All-Big 12 performers, including Dorance Armstrong, who was a fourth-round NFL Draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.
As a Player
• Dreiling was a four-time All-American at Pittsburg State (2010-13) and led the Gorillas to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2011, the same year he was named the national defensive player of the year by the Don Hansen Football Committee and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Defensive Player of the Year.
• Was a three-time team captain at Pittsburg State, and finished his career with a school- and MIAA-record 491 tackles and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2013.
• Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2014 and spent time on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad that same year. He signed on with the Omaha Mammoths of the Fall Experimental Football League for the remainder of the 2014 season.
• Earned his bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State in 2013.
• Named Oklahoma’s inside linebackers coach on Feb. 1, 2025.
• Spent the 2024 season at Utah State as defensive coordinator and interim head coach. Dreiling was briefly hired as defensive coordinator at Arkansas State before coming to Oklahoma.
• Brings 10 years of collegiate coaching experience, including five as a defensive coordinator. In addition to his season at Utah State, he coordinated defenses at New Mexico State (2022-23) and Pittsburg State (2018-19).
• Was elevated to interim head coach at Utah State on July 2 and guided the Aggies to a strong finish with wins in three of their last four Mountain West Conference games. Throughout the 2024 season he continued to serve as defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach. Utah State ranked among the top 50 nationally in sacks (2.33 per game; 44th) and interceptions (13; 36th), and eight players earned All-Mountain West honors.
• Prior to Utah State, Dreiling spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at New Mexico State. He helped guide the Aggies to a 17-11 overall record and consecutive bowl games, along with an appearance in the 2023 Conference USA championship game in their first year in the league.
• His 2023 NMSU defense ranked 44th nationally in scoring defense (22.4 points per game), 48th in rushing defense (143.7 rushing yards per game) and fifth in red zone defense (72.6%).
• In Dreiling’s first season at New Mexico State, the Aggies improved from 127th to 29th nationally in total defense (336.3 yards per game allowed in ’22) and ranked 16th in passing defense (186.8 yards per game).
• Prior to his stint at New Mexico State, Dreiling spent one year at Southeast Missouri State as the defensive run game coordinator and inside linebackers coach. The Redhawks ended their season with a 31-14 win over FCS No. 8-ranked UT Martin, limiting the Skyhawks to their lowest scoring output in more than a year.
• Previously served as a defensive analyst on Mario Cristobal’s staff at Oregon for the 2020 season. The Ducks won the Pac-12 title and played in the Fiesta Bowl, and hauled in the sixth-ranked recruiting class during the 2021 cycle.
• Dreiling’s first full-time coaching job was at his alma mater, Pittsburg State. He coached safeties in 2017 and served as the program’s defensive coordinator in 2018 and ’19.
• In his first season at Pittsburg State, Dreiling helped guide a Gorillas defense that forced 25 turnovers and ranked second nationally in fourth down conversion percentage (.200) and 19th in fumble recoveries (12).
• Over Dreiling’s two seasons as Pittsburg State defensive coordinator, the Gorillas produced 17 all-conference performers, including safety Morgran Selenaea, who earned honorable mention All-America in 2018. His defenses ranked first or second in 11 different statistical categories in 2018 and ’19.
• Began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under at Kansas (2015-16), working with the Jayhawks’ linebackers and then defensive line. He assisted in the development of three All-Big 12 performers, including Dorance Armstrong, who was a fourth-round NFL Draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018.
As a Player
• Dreiling was a four-time All-American at Pittsburg State (2010-13) and led the Gorillas to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2011, the same year he was named the national defensive player of the year by the Don Hansen Football Committee and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Defensive Player of the Year.
• Was a three-time team captain at Pittsburg State, and finished his career with a school- and MIAA-record 491 tackles and was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2013.
• Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers in 2014 and spent time on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad that same year. He signed on with the Omaha Mammoths of the Fall Experimental Football League for the remainder of the 2014 season.
• Earned his bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State in 2013.
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