Bruce Read

Bruce Read enters his second season at Nebraska and brings a veteran special teams coach to Mike Riley's staff. Read has 31 years of expertise in coaching special teams, and also worked for Riley at Oregon State and with the San Diego Chargers. 

In his first season at Nebraska, Read's specialists produced outstanding results. Punter Sam Foltz averaged bettter than 44 yards per punt and was the Big Ten Conference Punter of the Year. Place-kicker Drew Brown finished the season by making his final 11 field goals, and his 21 field goals were the second-most in NU history. True freshman long snapper Jordan Ober was nearly flawless in his first season of action. Read's kickoff coverage unit also ranked in the top four in the Big Ten and the top 25 nationally.

Read spent the previous six seasons from 2009 to 2014 with Riley at Oregon State, Read's third stint in Corvallis. He also coached the Beaver special teams in 1997 and 1998, and from 2004 to 2006. OSU special teams players achieved numerous school records and all-conference accolades under Read’s direction.

In 2014, Beaver kickers connected on 19-of-22 field goals and were perfect on PAT attempts. In 2012, Jordan Jenkins earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors as a coverage specialist and OSU led the conference in field goal percentage. Place-kicker Trevor Romaine was one of the nation's most accurate place-kickers that season, connecting on 89 percent of his field goals.

In 2011, return specialist James Rodgers becoming the school’s career all-purpose yardage leader with 6,377 yards, partially fueled by 2,385 career return yards. In the 2011 season, OSU ranked seventh in the NCAA in punt returns, just a year after ranking fourth nationally with a school-record 26.4-yard kickoff return average, and sixth nationally in punt return average.

In 2006, punt returner Sammie Stroughter was a third-team All-America selection, while kicker Alexis Serna earned Pac-10 all-conference honors. Under Read's direction in 2005, Serna earned the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker.

Read was also on Riley’s San Diego Chargers staff, helping San Diego rank among the best in the league in special teams. The Chargers led the NFL in kickoff return average in 1999, and ranked in the top six in composite special teams rankings twice in three years.

Read also worked as an NFL assistant with the New York Giants (2002-03) and Dallas Cowboys (2007-08). Read began his coaching career at the University of Montana from 1985 to 1996, working for his father Don Read.

Read Coaching History
Coaching Experience
2015-16: Nebraska, Assistant Coach (Special Teams Coordinator)
2009-14: Oregon State, Assistant Coach (Coordinator of Special Teams)
2007-08: Dallas Cowboys, Assistant Coach (Special Teams)
2004-06: Oregon State, Assistant Coach (Special Teams)
2002-03: New York Giants, Assistant Coach (Special Teams)
1999-2001: San Diego Chargers, Assistant Coach (Special Teams)
1997-98: Oregon State, Assistant Coach (Special Teams)
1985-96: Montana, Assistant Coach (Special Teams)

Personal
Education: Bachelor’s in Social Science, Portland State, 1986
Family: Wife, Christina; Children, Justin, Joshua

Read Career Highlights

• Coached punter Sam Foltz and place-kicker Drew Brown to All-Big Ten honors in his first season at Nebraska
• Foltz was named Big Ten Punter of the Year, while averaging better than two yards per punt more than any other conference punter in league games
• Helped Oregon State to five bowl appearances while on Mike Riley's staff
  

• Beaver kickers connected on 19-of-22 field goals in 2014
• In 2012 Oregon State led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage
• Return specialist/receiver James Rodgers set an Oregon State record for career all-purpose yardage, including more than 2,300 career return yards
• OSU ranked in the top 10 nationally in punt return average in consecutive years in 2010 and 2011
• The Beavers ranked fourth nationally with a school-record 26.4 kickoff return average in 2010
• Punt returner Sammie Stroughter was a third-team All-America selection in 2006
• Place-kicker Alexis Serna won the Lou Groza Award in 2005 and was a three-time All-Pac-10 pick
• San Diego Charger special teams ranked in the top six in National Football League twice in Read’s three seasons