By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

Starting their respective coaching careers within months of each other as unpaid assistants at Penn State, where they were also college roommates and teammates, Jeff Nixon and Matt Rhule just had a feeling that they would eventually work together.

"I knew early on that Matt would be a head coach, without a doubt, and I knew we would have an opportunity to coach together," said Nixon, an NFL assistant for 10 years before joining Rhule's staff at Baylor as co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach. "We coached one year together at Temple in 2006, but I always kind of knew we'd get back together. It took 10 years, it took a little longer than I thought, but I'm excited to be a part of his staff and see his progress as a head coach. I know he's excited to be here, and I'm excited to be here with him."

Rhule, who was also Nixon's teammate at State College (Pa.) High School, said he has "always believed in him."

"I've never been in a position financially or really in any way to hire him," Rhule said. "But to get here to Baylor and to have a chance to get him to come from the NFL and come back to college football, I think that's a special one personally and professionally. I'm unbelievably confident in him."

A native of New Brighton, Pa., Nixon moved to State College for high school and played two years at West Virginia under Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen. From one legendary coach to another, he played his last two seasons back home at Penn State under Joe Paterno and started coaching as a student assistant in 1997.

"It was just a situation where I kind of regretted not going to Penn State right away," Nixon said. "So, I ended up transferring back, and it all worked out. I didn't play as much as I wanted. I was there with Curtis Enis, who was like the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft. But really, having that Penn State lineage has helped my coaching career."

He still counts Paterno and longtime Penn State offensive coordinator/running backs coach Fran Ganter as two of his coaching mentors, along with Shippensburg University head coach Rocky Rees.

"That was my first full-time job," Nixon said of Shippensburg, an NCAA Division II school in Shippensburg, Pa. "I coached there for four years, got a chance to coach the wing-T, coached three running backs. We ran the wing-T, and we were pretty effective. I coached John Kuhn, who's still playing in the NFL (with the New Orleans Saints)."

He also spent three years at Tennessee-Chattanooga and one season at Temple University before a 10-year run in the NFL with stops in Philadelphia and Miami and last year with the San Francisco 49ers.

"Getting in the NFL kind of just happened," he said. "I was fortunate enough to get a special teams quality control job working for John Harbaugh when he was the special teams coordinator with the Eagles. I was coaching at Temple at the time, so I had connections there in Philly. I had a great 10-year run in the NFL and learned from a lot of great coaches and a lot of great players, of course. It was a great experience for myself and my family."

When he got the chance to reunite with Rhule, though, Nixon didn't even hesitate.

"He was my high school teammate, college roommate, so we're really close," Nixon said. "And then, just the opportunity to coach in Texas. I've been fortunate. My family, we've lived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, California, some really good football places. But, I've always heard great things about Texas football. And then when I visited Baylor, it's such a great academic institution, and then the spiritual aspect of Baylor as well. It was just the perfect fit for me and my family."

It also gave him a chance to become an offensive coordinator and actually call plays for the first time in his 20-year coaching career.

"It's something I've worked for for a long time, and Coach Rhule has given me an opportunity here," said Nixon, who works with co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas, receivers coach Bob Bicknell, offensive line coach George DeLeone and tight ends coach Joey McGuire. "I know I'm ready. We've got a great coaching staff that's helping me, that's behind me, and we're planning on doing great things here."

As far as the running back position, returning 1,000-yard rusher Terence Williams is expected to miss the first three games recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. That leaves sophomore running back JaMycal Hasty to carry the bulk of the load, especially early, after rushing for 623 yards and averaging 5.2 yards per carry a year ago.

"I really have to step up and fill the role while he's gone," Hasty said.

Nixon likes to split the carries between at least two backs, "and if we're good enough, we'll have three guys carry the load, as Baylor has done in the past."

"It will be running back-by-committee," he said. "I still definitely think JaMycal is our starter. And if he stays healthy, he's going to have a big year."

Even with Williams and freshman Abram Smith both out with injuries, there's some depth at the position now with true freshmen Trestan Ebner and John Lovett joining the mix.

In full pads for the first time, the Bears will have an evening workout on Tuesday at McLane Stadium. For season or single-game ticket information, call the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 or go online at www.baylorbears.com/footballtickets.