TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer officially announced the addition of Derrick Nix to his coaching staff on Wednesday morning. Nix will serve as the Tide’s wide receivers coach.
“Derrick Nix adds extensive SEC experience to our group – both in coaching and on the recruiting side,” said DeBoer. “He’s very familiar with our current coaches, and he’s also an Alabama native who understands the state, its fans and the passion surrounding Alabama football. I’m excited to add Derrick to our staff, and I know he can’t wait to get to work.”
One of the top offensive minds and recruiters in college football, Nix brings a wealth of experience to Tuscaloosa, highlighted by nearly 20 years as an assistant in the Southeastern Conference.
“I am truly honored and excited to be a part of the gold standard in college football – The University of Alabama,” said Nix. “The rich tradition and great championship history in Tuscaloosa is second to none. I am thankful to Coach DeBoer for an opportunity to be on this great staff, and I am ready to go to work. Roll Tide!”
Nix joined the Crimson Tide after spending the last two seasons in Auburn. While with the Tigers from 2024-25, he served as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Despite a down year in ’25, the Tigers’ backs ranked in the top-half of the SEC for rushing yards and rushing yards per game. The offensive unit also led the conference and tied for third nationally with just eight total turnovers lost.
In his first season on the Plains, Nix coached running back Jarquez Hunter to first team All-SEC accolades. The senior rushed for 1,201 yards, highlighted by a 278-yard effort at Kentucky that finished as the highest single-game total by an FBS player in 2024.
A native of Attalla, Ala., Nix joined the Auburn staff after spending the previous 16 seasons at Ole Miss from 2008-23. While with the Rebels, he worked 12 seasons with the running backs and the final four with wideouts. For his last two seasons, Nix was also tabbed as the assistant head coach.
His final season in Oxford saw the Rebels finish 11-2 while the offense ranked among the top-20 nationally in passing, scoring and total offense. Three OM receivers ranked in the top-12 in the SEC for receiving yards led by Tre Harris, who was fourth in receiving touchdowns (8) and fifth in receiving yards (985) in the league at season’s end.
In 2022, Nix paired a group of elite receivers with the conference’s top rushing offense. Senior transfer Malik Heath led the receiving core, totaling 971 yards and five touchdowns on 60 catches. Jonathan Mingo was close behind, registering 861 yards and five scores across his 51 grabs. A year prior, Dontario Drummond became just the sixth Rebel to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, accumulating 1,028 on 76 catches to go with eight receiving touchdowns.
Nix’s first season as wide receivers coach in 2020 was a memorable one as he guided Elijah Moore to All-America honors. In his first season under Nix’s watch, Moore led the nation in receiving yards per game (149.1) and receptions per game (10.8) on his way to finalist honors for the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top pass-catcher.
While with the Rebels’ running backs, Nix coached some of the most productive players in the Ole Miss history including Dexter McCluster, Brandon Bolden, Jaylen Walton, Jordan Wilkins and Scottie Phillips. He also helped the Rebels finish in the top-three in the SEC for rushing three separate times.
In 2019, the OM ground game finished second in the conference and ninth nationally with a 251.3 yards per game mark. The trio of Jerrion Ealy (722), Phillips (542) and Snoop Conner (512) combined for 1,776 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
During the ’17 season, Wilkins excelled under Nix’s watch, rushing for 1,011 yards to become the fifth Rebel in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau. His 2015 unit featured backs with differing styles and strengths, helping Ole Miss lead the SEC and rank in the top-10 nationally in scoring (40.8) and total offense (517.8 ypg). The Rebels went for 600-plus yards in three games – a school record – and 200-plus rushing yards six total times.
In 2013, Nix helped OM rank in the top-five in the SEC and top-25 nationally for total offense (473.3 ypg), which broke the school record at the time. His 2010 group finished as the third-best unit in the SEC for rushing yards per game (207.6), while Bolden finished second in school history for both total touchdowns (33) and rushing scores (27), third in all-purpose yards (3,681) and fourth in rushing yards (2,604). In his second year on the job in Oxford in 2009, Nix helped McCluster become the first player in league history with 1,000 rushing yards (1,169) and 500 receiving yards (520) in the same season.
Prior to his time at Ole Miss, Nix served as an offensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons from 2007-08. His coaching career began at his alma mater, Southern Miss. He began his time in Hattiesburg as a defensive graduate assistant in 2003 before being promoted to the tight ends coach in 2004 and eventually serving as the running backs coach from 2005-06.
One of the most recognizable names in USM history, Nix was a three-time all-conference selection and a record-setting running back for the Golden Eagles from 1998-2002. He was the first player in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons and the only Southern Miss and Conference USA player to ever rush for 1,000-plus yards in three seasons. His standout career in Hattiesburg earned him a spot on the USM ‘Team of Century’ following his playing career.
Nix earned his bachelor’s degree in sports administration in 2002. He and his wife, Allison, have one daughter, Ava, and twin sons, Derrin and Dray.
While appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions of this proposed appointment, the financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees.
