Trent Bray

Trent Bray is in his third season as Nebraska's linebackers coach. Bray was named the interim head coach on Nov. 25, 2017, after Mike Riley was relieved of his duties as head coach.

Bray was one of 40 nominees for the Broyles Award in 2016, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach. Bray's linebackers were a strength of the 2016 Blackshirt defense which ranked as one of the nation's most improved units. Senior Josh Banderas led the defense in tackles on his way to earning honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades. Overall, Bray's linebackers combined for better than 250 tackles and 24 tackles for loss. 

Bray earned widespread praise during his first season at Nebraska. He took over a linebacking corps short on numbers and game experience and produced positive results. Bray also had the added hurdle of having several of his players sidelined by injury during the course of the 2015 season. By season's end Nebraska had used five different starting linebackers, including a true freshman and two sophomores.

Despite the injuries, Bray's linebackers combined for nearly 250 tackles and 26 tackles for loss. Freshman Dedrick Young became the first true freshman linebacker to start a season opener at Nebraska. Young went on to record 58 tackles, a NU record for a true freshman, and earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors.

Bray joined Riley's staff at Oregon State after being one of the top defenders in Beaver history. In his first season on the OSU staff in 2012, the defense ranked second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense and third in total defense, rushing defense and pass defense. The play of the defense helped OSU make the largest turnaround in number of victories in the FBS ranks on its way to a berth in the Alamo Bowl.

Bray also coached linebackers at Arizona State from 2009 to 2011, including two seasons as a full-time coach and one year as a graduate assistant. Bray coached Pac-10 all-conference selections Vontaze Burfict and Colin Parker during his time in Tempe.

Bray was a standout linebacker for the Beavers from 2002 to 2005. In his career he totaled 337 tackles to rank among the top 10 tacklers in Oregon State history. He earned Pac-10 all-conference honors as both a junior and senior, and was the Insight Bowl Defensive MVP in 2004, leading the Beavers to a win over Notre Dame.

Following his college career, Bray signed free-agent contracts with the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. He later played in NFL Europe in 2007, before beginning his coaching career with the California Redwoods of the United Football League in 2009.

Bray Profile
Coaching Experience
2015-17: Nebraska, Assistant Coach (Linebackers)
2012-14: Oregon State, Assistant Coach (Linebackers)
2010-11: Arizona State, Assistant Coach (Linebackers)
2009: Arizona State, Graduate Assistant (Linebackers)
2009: California Redwoods (United Football League), Assistant Coach

Playing Experience
2002-05: Oregon State, Linebacker
2007: Hamburg (NFL Europe), Linebacker

Personal
Education: Bachelor’s in Sociology, Oregon State (2007)

Bray Career Highlights

• Helped Nebraska rank in the top 10 nationally in rushing defense in 2015
  One of 40 nominees for 2016 Broyles Award
  Guided Dedrick Young to Big Ten All-Freshman honors in 2015
  Helped 2012 OSU defense rank second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense
  Beaver defense ranked third in Pac-12 in 2012 in total defense, rush defense and pass defense
  Coached two Arizona State linebackers to all-conference accolades
  First-Team All-Pac 10 linebacker in 2005
  Ranks among the top 10 tackles in Oregon State history with 337 career tackles
  2004 Insight Bowl Defensive MVP