After leading the Ohio Bobcats to the 2022 MAC Championship Game, head coach Tim Albin signed a contract extension with the program ahead of the 2023 college football season. Who else makes up the Ohio coaching staff?
Ohio Bobcats Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Tim Albin
Albin’s contract extension through 2026 comes after just his second full season as the Bobcats’ head coach, having been promoted to the role in mid-2021. However, he’s been a fixture on Ohio’s coaching staff since arriving as offensive coordinator in 2005.
In just his second season at the helm, Albin guided the Bobcats to a 10-4 overall record, including a 7-1 record in MAC play. Although the team lost to Toledo in the conference title game, the Ohio head coach was named the MAC Coach of the Year, and several Bobcat players took home individual awards.
MORE: MAC RB Rankings 2023
As the offensive coordinator from 2005 until his promotion to the head coach role in 2021, Albin’s offenses have been the most productive in Bobcats’ history. The 2016 unit ranked in the top five of program history across several offensive metrics, including setting the record for most pass attempts.
Albin got his first head coaching gig at Northwestern Oklahoma State, where he was named the NAIA Football Coach of the Year in 1999. He joined former Ohio head coach Frank Solich at Nebraska in 2000, filling several roles before becoming OC and running backs coach at North Dakota State for one season in 2004.
Offensive Coordinator, Scott Isphording
A DIII quarterback at Hanover College, Scott Isphording took his knowledge of playing the position and utilized it to become a well-renowned and successful coach at several college football programs. After a one-year stint with the Bobcats in 2009, he rejoined the Ohio coaching staff permanently as QBs coach in 2014 — adding offensive coordinator duties in 2021.
Under his stewardship as QBs coach, Nathan Rourke established himself as one of the great quarterbacks in college football and Bobcats history. In addition to being first-team 2019 All-MAC, Rourke twice won the Jon Cornish Trophy (most outstanding Canadian player in college football) while being developed by Isphording.
Outside of his time with the Bobcats, Isphording has spent significant time coaching in the MAC. Meanwhile, he was named the MAC Recruiter of the Year by Scout.com during his time with Toledo. The Rockets had the conference’s top recruiting class in both his years in the role. His full coaching résumé can be found below.
- Fort Hays State (QBs coach, 1994-1996)
- Colorado School of Mines (QBs/WRs coach, 1996-1998)
- Wittenberg (OC/QBs Coach, 1998-2003)
- Eastern Michigan (QBs coach, 2004-2006; OC, 2007-2008)
- Ohio (TEs coach and recruiting coordinator, 2009)
- Toledo (QBs coach 2010-2013; recruiting coordinator, 2012-2013)
- Ohio (QBs coach, 2014-2023; OC, 2021-2023)
Defensive Coordinator, Spence Nowinsky
Having established himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in the MAC, Spence Nowinsky joined Ohio’s coaching staff for the 2022 campaign. In his first season working with the Bobcats’ defense, the unit averaged two points per game less than in 2021 while ranking third in the conference for rushing defense.
Nowinsky’s reputation comes from a four-year stint with the Miami RedHawks, where his defenses were renowned for their fearless pursuit of the quarterback. In 2021, they were the No. 1 ranked defense in the conference across several metrics. Meanwhile, he coached seven players to All-MAC honors, including MAC Linebacker of the Year, Ivan Pace Jr.
MORE: 2023 MAC Weekly Football Schedule
A high school defensive lineman at Minnesota State, Nowinsky sharpened his tools at the high school coaching level before landing his first college coaching role at Wisconsin as a defensive assistant in 1999. His full college coaching résumé can be found below.
- Wisconsin (defensive graduate assistant, 1999-2002)
- Idaho (DL coach, 2003)
- Minnesota State (DL coach, 2004-2006; OL coach, 2005)
- Emporia State (DL coach, associate head coach, 2007-2008)
- Illinois State (DC, DL coach, 2009-2017)
- Miami (OH) (co-DC, LB coach, 2018-2021)
- Ohio (DC, DEs coach, 2022-2023)
Special Teams Coordinator, Nate Faanes
A former graduate assistant for the Bobcats, Nate Faanes was promoted to the role of special teams coordinator on Ohio’s coaching staff in 2020. He was previously named the linebackers coach in 2019, and coaches that unit alongside his work with the Bobcats’ special teams. Faanes also has experience coaching QBs, RBs, and DEs from a three-year spell at Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Offensive Line Coach, Allen Rudolph
In addition to being the offensive line coach at Ohio, Allen Rudolph is also the co-offensive coordinator alongside Isphording. Rudolph joined the Bobcats in 2019 after leading the offensive line at Arkansas State for three seasons. A former center for Nicholls State, his rich and varied coaching résumé includes roles with JUCO, FCS, FBS, and CFL teams.
Wide Receivers Coach, Dwayne Dixon
A standout WR in his own right after playing in the SEC, NFL, and leading the Arena Football League in receiving yards in consecutive seasons, Dwayne Dixon transitioned into one of the great wide receivers coaches in college football. He joined the Ohio coaching staffing in 2007 after two years with NC State and 15 years with Florida, where he coached 11 All-Americans.
Defensive Tackles Coach, Tremayne Scott
A Bobcats alum who played 35 games for the program between 2009 and 2012, Tremayne Scott originally joined Ohio’s staff as an intern and graduate assistant. He returned to the program in 2018, where he enters his fifth season as the defensive tackles coach. Scott’s other coaching experience came with two seasons at Carthage College in 2016 and 2017.
Safeties Coach, John Hauser
John Hauser joined the Ohio staff in 2022 as the safeties coach following a successful stint with MAC rival Miami (OH). The former Wittenberg standout spent eight years with the RedHawks, with six of them as co-defensive coordinator. Hauser has also coached at the Citadel, Wayne State, Northern Illinois, and was an assistant coach at his alma mater in 2002.
Running Backs Coach, Brian Smith
Brian Smith joined the Ohio coaching staff for the 2022 season as running backs coach and passing game coordinator. Previously, he was the OC and RBs coach at Washington State, also serving as the associate head coach in 2021. Smith got his first college coaching role at Hawaii and made several returns to the Rainbow Warriors in multiple roles — including RBs coach.
Cornerbacks Coach, De’Angelo Smith
A long-term fixture on the Ohio coaching staff, De’Angelo Smith enters his eighth year as the cornerbacks coach for the Bobcats. A standout DB at Cincinnati, Smith was a fifth-round NFL draft pick in 2009 and played for Detroit Lions as a rookie. Following his playing career, he landed at Michigan State as an operations assistant and worked with the DBs from 2015-2016.
Tight Ends Coach, Brian Metz
Entering his fourth season as the Bobcats’ tight ends coach, Brian Metz has been a feature of Ohio’s staff for several years. Although he spent 2019 at UNLV and 2015 at Memphis, Metz has worked with Ohio’s QBs and WRs as an intern and graduate assistant at various points since 2013. Metz has a Master of Coaching Education degree from Ohio.
