SEC program reportedly looking to swipe a key assistant coach from Buch Jones and the Arkansas State Red Wolves
Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones could be in danger of losing a key assistant coach that he just recently hired. Earlier this offseason, Jones hired Nate Dreiling, a rising star in college football, to serve as the Red Wolves' defensive coordinator. Dreiling, however, may not make it to the sidelines for Arkansas State this […]
Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones could be in danger of losing a key assistant coach that he just recently hired.
Earlier this offseason, Jones hired Nate Dreiling, a rising star in college football, to serve as the Red Wolves' defensive coordinator.
Dreiling, however, may not make it to the sidelines for Arkansas State this fall.
According to a report from On3, Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners are targeting Dreiling for a spot on OU's coaching staff.
Oklahoma lost defensive coordinator Zac Alley to the West Virginia Mountaineers earlier this offseason. The Sooners targeted Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to replace Alley, but Knowles ended up leaving Columbus to join the Penn State Nittany Lions' staff under James Franklin.
Dreiling, who just turned 34 this past October, is a former linebacker who played briefly in the NFL before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2015.
The Kansas native was a defensive analyst at Oregon in 2020 before eventually landing a defensive coordinator job at New Mexico State in 2022.
Dreiling served as the interim head coach at Utah State in 2024, going 4-8 in a less-than-ideal situation.
Landing Dreiling was a solid hire for Jones and Arkansas State, but it could be tough to keep him away from Oklahoma. It's unclear which role the Sooners are targeting Dreiling for, but even a position coach job at Oklahoma would seemingly be an upgrade for the talented young coach.
Jones, by the way, just wrapped up his fourth season as the head coach at Arkansas State. The Red Wolves went 8-5 in 2024, which was good enough to land Jones a contract extension through the 2029 season.
