A former Husker offensive lineman, Greg Austin was in his fourth season at his alma mater in 2021. In addition to coaching the offensive line, Austin was promoted to run game coordinator for the Husker offense prior to the 2020 season. Austin owns 12 seasons of experience coaching in the collegiate and NFL ranks. He has spent nine of those 12 seasons with fellow Husker alum Scott Frost, including serving as Frost’s offensive line coach for six straight seasons.
Austin has experienced much success in his coaching career. At Nebraska, he has helped the Huskers average 200 rushing yards per game in each of his three seasons. Nebraska is one of only 10 schools, and the only Power Five program to average at least 200 rushing yards in each of the past three seasons.
In his eight seasons in the collegiate ranks, Austin has been a part of three conference championship teams and four squads that finished with a top-10 national ranking. Austin also boasts NFL experience, coaching the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line for three seasons, helping the Eagles win the 2013 NFC East Division title. Austin is a proven developer of talent, as he has coached eight all-conference offensive linemen the past four seasons at Nebraska and UCF, and with the Eagles, his offensive linemen combined for six Pro Bowl appearances in three seasons.
The play of Austin’s lines have led to tremendous offensive success at every stop. In eight seasons at the collegiate level, Austin’s teams have finished in the top 25 nationally in total offense five times, and four times his teams have finished in the top 10 nationally in both scoring and total offense. Austin also helped the Eagles rank among the NFL’s top five teams in total offense in two of his three seasons in Philadelphia.
Nebraska (2018-21)
Austin made great progress with the Husker offensive line in his first season in 2018. Nebraska ranked as the nation’s fifth-most improved offense, including the No. 3 most improved rushing attack. The Huskers totaled 2,500 passing and 2,500 rushing yards in the same season for just the fourth time in school history, including having both a 1,000-yard rusher and receiver for the first time ever.The offensive line was key to Nebraska setting a school record with a streak of seven consecutive games gaining at least 450 yards and setting Husker records for the most points (54) and total yards (659, broken in 2019) in a Big Ten Conference game. The line protected true freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez and helped him produce one of the top statistical seasons by a freshman quarterback in NCAA history, while also paving the way for four different Huskers to have a 100-yard rushing game, including Devine Ozigbo, who became Nebraska’s first 1,000-yard rusher in four seasons.
In 2019, Austin helped develop an offensive line that featured no seniors in the playing rotation. The unit helped Nebraska average more than 200 yards passing and rushing per game, and for the second straight year the Huskers posted their most points (54) and yards (690) in a Big Ten Conference game. Against Illinois, Nebraska produced 300 yards rushing and 300 yards passing, just the second time in program history the Huskers had accomplished that feat. The line also helped NU set a school record with an 87 percent completion rate against Indiana.
The 2020 season was Austin’s first adding the run game coordinator to his duties. The Husker run game finished second in the Big Ten, averaging better than 201 yards per game. The offensive line also protected the quarterbacks well, allowing the Huskers to complete a school-record 68.1 percent of their passes on the season. Matt Farniok and Brenden Jaimes each capped their outstanding Nebraska careers with more than 40 starts and both were selected in the NFL Draft. Jaimes started a Nebraska offensive line record 40 games in his career and earned all-conference recognition for the third straight season in 2020, while Farniok was a two-year team captain and earned All-Big Ten honors as a senior.
Before Nebraska
UCF: Austin's offensive line helped pave the way for the Knights’ remarkable two-year offensive turnaround. UCF was the only FBS team to score 30 points in every game in 2017, and they led the nation in scoring. UCF averaged 48.2 points per game in 2017, just two seasons after UCF scored the third-fewest points in the country in 2015, averaging just 13.9 points per game.
UCF won the American Athletic Conference title in 2017, putting together the first perfect regular season in school and AAC history en route to a 13-0 record and No. 6 final ranking. The Knights not only led the country in scoring but ranked fifth in total offense, second in passing efficiency and 10th in passing. Austin’s offensive line allowed only 13 sacks to rank fifth nationally, and his unit helped the Knights average 5.2 yards per carry and score 39 rushing touchdowns, which ranked ninth nationally. In a testament to his line's versatility, UCF ranked in the top 25 nationally in both yards per pass and yards per rush in 2017. Both offensive tackles and UCF’s center were recognized as all-conference performers, while quarterback McKenzie Milton was the AAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Austin’s first year at UCF in 2016 marked his first full-time coaching job at the collegiate level. He helped the Knights become the nation’s most improved team in 2016, as UCF won six games following a winless season in 2015. Austin’s line helped the offense make tremendous strides in his first season, as the Knights moved up 59 spots in the scoring offense national ranking.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Before earning his first full-time coaching role in the collegiate ranks, Austin spent three seasons as the assistant offensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015. The Eagles ranked in the top five in the NFL in total offense in both 2013 and 2014. Philadelphia won the NFC East in 2013, when LeSean McCoy led the NFL in rushing. Offensive tackle Jason Peters earned a Pro Bowl selection in each of Austin’s three seasons in Philadelphia, while guard Evan Mathis was a Pro Bowler in 2013 and 2014 and center Jason Kelce was a 2014 Pro Bowl selection.
OREGON: Austin began his coaching career at Oregon, where he coached with Frost for three seasons, serving as an intern in 2010 and as the Ducks’ offensive graduate assistant in 2011 and 2012. Oregon posted a 36-4 record and finished in the top five in each of Austin’s three seasons on staff, winning two conference titles and playing for the 2010 national championship game, when the Ducks led the country in scoring and total offense. Overall, Oregon ranked in the top 10 nationally in both scoring and total offense in each of Austin’s three seasons in Eugene.
Playing Career (Nebraska)
As a player at Nebraska, Austin battled injuries throughout his career. He made 18 career starts at offensive guard and was an honorable-mention All-Big 12 pick as a senior in 2006, when the Huskers played in the Big 12 Championship Game and the Cotton Bowl. Austin was also a two-time academic All-Big 12 selection in the classroom.
Personal
Coaching Career
2020-present: Nebraska, Assistant Coach (Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line)2018-19: Nebraska, Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
2016-17: UCF, Assistant Coach (Offensive Line)
2013-15: Philadelphia Eagles, Assistant Coach (Assistant Offensive Line)
2011-12: Oregon, Offensive Graduate Assistant
2010: Oregon, Intern