Tyrone Nix

Infobox Gridiron football person


ImageWidth=
Caption=Tyrone Nix
coaching_years=1995-2000
2001-2004
2005-2007
2008-present
coaching_teams=USM (Defensive assistant)
USM (Defensive Coordinator)
USC (Defensive Coordinator)
Ole Miss (Defensive Coordinator)
Name=Tyrone Nix
DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1972|09|30
Birthplace=Attalla, Alabama, U.S.
Position=Linebacker
College= University of Southern Mississippi
playing_years= 1990-1993
playing_teams= USM

Tyrone Nix (born September 30, 1972 in Attalla, Alabama) is the Defensive Coordinator for the Ole Miss Rebels. He is the former Defensive Coordinator for the South Carolina Gamecocks and Southern Miss Golden Eagles. He is the brother of Derrick Nix, a former Southern Miss star himself and former Southern Miss assistant coach as well as a former Atlanta Falcons assistant coach in the NFL.

College career

Nix is a former starting linebacker himself. Following high school at Etowah High School, he went to the University of Southern Mississippi and played linebacker from 1990 through 1993. He finished his USM career with 295 tackles, ranking among the top 15 in school history, and was one of only three true freshmen to play on the 1990 All-American Bowl team. He was named Golden Eagle team captain in 1993. He was one of the original members of the Southern Miss "Black Attack" defense, which ranked 39th-best in the nation in total defense in 1992. He also was named to the All-South team and the National Independent squad in both 1992 and 1993. He was inducted into the Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame at the Spring 2003 banquet.

Coaching

During his 10 years as a coach at Southern Miss, his alma mater, Nix coached every position on defense. In his last four seasons, he served as the Golden Eagles' defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Nix entered the 2001 campaign with the distinction of being the youngest coordinator in the country at 29 years of age.

In his first year at South Carolina, 2005, Nix served under head coach Steve Spurrier as co-defensive coordinator and tutored the defensive line. The USC defense in 2006 was sixth in the SEC and 29th in the country in scoring defense. In 2007, he coached inside linebackers in addition to managing a Gamecock unit that topped the Southeastern Conference and ranked fifth nationally in pass defense, allowing just 168.8 yards through the air.

On December 11, 2007, Nix accepted the job as defensive coordinator at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), to serve under new Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt.

External links

* [http://www.olemisssports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=12785&SPID=737&DB_OEM_ID=2600&ATCLID=1351223&Q_SEASON=2008 Ole Miss Tyrone Nix Profile]