Western Carolina has turned to a veteran defensive coach with Southern Conference experience to fix a unit that proved costly a year ago.
Head coach Kerwin Bell announced the hiring of Nick Reveiz as the Catamounts’ new defensive coordinator, filling the vacancy created when Jerry Odom resigned earlier this month to pursue other opportunities.
Reveiz arrives in Cullowhee after three seasons directing the defense at Charleston Southern, where his units showed steady production in the Big South/Ohio Valley Football Association.
The Buccaneers ranked 34th nationally in FCS last season in scoring defense, allowing 24 points per game, forced 24 fumbles and finished eighth in the country in fourth-down defense. CSU also limited Sun Belt opponent Coastal Carolina to 13 points and knocked off eventual Celebration Bowl champion South Carolina State.
The hire comes with a clear mandate.
Western Carolina’s offense ranked among the Southern Conference’s most productive in 2025, averaging more than 493 yards per game — third in the league — including a conference-best 355.7 passing yards per contest. But defensive struggles repeatedly undercut that production.
The Catamounts surrendered 459.8 yards per game and a league-worst 38.6 points per outing, numbers that proved decisive in several key games. Western Carolina opened the season by building a 35-7 lead against Gardner-Webb before falling 52-45 after being outscored 24-3 in the fourth quarter. Late-season losses to Mercer (49-47) and East Tennessee State (52-35) ultimately kept WCU out of the FCS playoffs, a destination the school hasn’t reached since 1983.
Reveiz brings 13 years of collegiate coaching experience and familiarity with the region. He previously coached at VMI in 2022, helping implement the Keydets’ defensive scheme while mentoring All-America linebacker Stone Snyder.
Before that, he spent five seasons at Albany State, including four as co-defensive coordinator, where the Golden Rams led NCAA Division II in total defense in 2021 by allowing just 199.2 yards per game and only 75 total points across 12 contests.
He began his coaching career at Carson-Newman under longtime head coach Ken Sparks.
As a player, Reveiz was a two-time team captain at Tennessee, recording 168 career tackles and earning Academic All-SEC honors before spending time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011.
Western Carolina is scheduled to open spring practice March 2, with the annual Spring Game set for April 11 at E.J. Whitmire Stadium. The 2026 season opener comes Aug. 29 against Eastern Kentucky.
