Terry Joseph

Terry Joseph is in his second season on the Husker coaching staff and is in charge of the Husker secondary. In his first season at Nebraska, Joseph directed a secondary that helped Nebraska rank among the nation's top pass defenses.

The 39-year-old Joseph has helped maintain, and perhaps even enhance, Nebraska's reputation of annually producing one of the nation's best secondaries. In his first year, Joseph's secondary helped Nebraska lead the nation in opponent pass completion percentage (47.1 percent), rank fourth in pass defense (168.2 yards allowed per game) and ninth in pass efficiency defense (105.32).

The 2012 pass defense ranking marked the third straight year NU had ranked in the top 20 nationally in pass efficiency defense. Joseph replaced a pair of returning starters in his first season and he was more than up to the task as the stats and honors prove.

The 168.2 passing yards per game the Blackshirts allowed was the second-fewest by a Nebraska defense since 1993, while the 47.1 completion percentage was the lowest for the Husker program since 2001.

Individually, safety Daimion Stafford earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after leading the conference with four interceptions in league play. Stafford ranked second on the team with 96 tackles, and he has two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Ciante Evans earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from CBS and honorable-mention accolades from the league's coaches. Evans has totaled 56 tackles, and ranked second on the team with eight breakups. Stanley Jean-Baptiste led NU with nine pass breakups, including a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown against Minnesota. Evans added a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown against Idaho State. Senior safety P.J. Smith also earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors in 2012.

Nebraska's two interception returns for touchdowns tie for the second-most since 2006, while the Huskers' 13 interceptions in 2012 eclipsed its 2011 total.

Before coming to Nebraska, Joseph spent two seasons as the defensive backs coach at Tennessee, where he also served as the recruiting coordinator. Joseph helped the UT defense rank among the nation's top pass defenses in both 2010 and 2011. In 2011, the Vols finished 12th nationally in passing yards allowed with an average of just 177.8 yards per game. Joseph oversaw a young defensive backfield, including true freshman Brian Randolph, who earned SEC all-freshman honors in 2011.

In Joseph’s first season in Knoxville in 2010, Joseph helped the Vols rank in the top 20 in the nation with 18 interceptions, and the group played a key role in a late-season run that earned Tennessee a trip to the Music City Bowl. Safety Janzen Jackson and cornerback Prentiss Waggner each earned second-team All-SEC honors. Waggner returned three interceptions for touchdowns to set a school record.

Joseph joined the Tennessee staff after working under Dooley for three seasons at Louisiana Tech from 2007 to 2009, where he also served as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator. Joseph played a key role in a defensive turnaround at Louisiana Tech.

The highlight of Joseph’s stint at Louisiana Tech came in 2008, when the Bulldogs finished second in the Western Athletic Conference and earned their first bowl trip in seven seasons. Tech completed an 8-5 season with a 17-10 victory over Northern Illinois in the Independence Bowl. Joseph also coordinated Tech’s recruiting efforts, and the 2009 class was ranked second in the WAC. Joseph was ranked as one of the top five recruiters in a non-BCS conference by Rivals.com.

Joseph worked alongside Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini as a defensive graduate assistant at LSU in 2006. During his one season in Baton Rouge, Joseph helped the Tiger defense rank third nationally in total defense, and LSU finished the year with a Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame.

Joseph began his coaching career in the Louisiana prep ranks, working as an assistant at two New Orleans area schools. Joseph worked at Archbishop Shaw from 1999 through 2002, and at Destrehan High School from 2003 to 2005.

Joseph earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State in 1996. He was a baseball standout at the school, and is one of only 12 players in Southland Conference history to earn first-team all-conference honors three straight seasons. Joseph was the conference player of the year in 1995, when he was coached by former Nebraska baseball coach Dave Van Horn. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American with the Demons, Joseph owned 10 school records when he completed his collegiate baseball career.

Joseph was a 13th-round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs and played four seasons in the minor leagues with the Cubs and San Diego Padres.

Joseph and his wife, Amanda, are the parents of two daughters, Taylor and Lynleigh. Joseph is the cousin of former Nebraska quarterback Mickey Joseph, who was a four-year letterman for the Huskers from 1988 to 1991. 

Terry Joseph File      

Date of Birth: Nov. 20, 1973

Family: Wife, Amanda; daughters, Taylor and Lynleigh

Coaching Career
2012-present-Nebraska, Secondary Coach
2010-11-Tennessee, Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator
2007-09-Louisiana Tech, Secondary Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2006-LSU, Graduate Assistant
2003-05-Destrehan (La.) High School, Assistant Coach
1999-2002-Archbishop Shaw (La.) High School, Assistant Coach

Bachelor's Degree: Northwestern State (1996)