UNLV announces Keith Heyward, Nick Holz as new coordinators
California outside linebackers coach Keith Heyward and Raiders assistant wide receivers and quarterbacks coach Nick Holz have been named defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively, at UNLV, the school announced Friday.
Heyward worked with UNLV coach Marcus Arroyo at Oregon from 2017-19 where Heyward was the safeties coach (2017-19) and co-defensive coordinator. Arroyo and Heyward served as assistant head coaches for Oregon coach Mario Cristobal during the 2019 campaign when Oregon won a PAC-12 title and the Rose Bowl.
Heyward fills the vacancy after UNLV’s former defensive coordinator Peter Hansen left to become inside linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos.
Holz has spent the past decade serving in various roles in the Raiders’ organization, mainly as an assistant wide receivers coach and an offensive quality control coach. Before joining the organization in 2012, he’d spent time at Stanford with Jim Harbaugh as a recruiting and operations assistant, and Nebraska, where he started as a video intern before becoming an offensive quality control coach.
He arrives at UNLV to replace Glenn Thomas, who left to take the offensive coordinator position at Arizona State.
In Arroyo’s second season, the Rebels finished 2-10. Heyward will be tasked with improving a defense that gave up an average of 32.8 points and 409.8 yards per game last season. Holz has the responsibility of revamping an offense which scored just 20.8 points and 312.3 yards per game.
UNLV begins spring football practice March 29.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.
