Chad Nice

Cornell University Athletics

Title

Special Teams Coordinator
Email

cwn4@cornell.edu
Phone

255-5637
Twitter

@CoachCNice

Coaching Experience

• Sprint Football Special Teams Coordinator, Cornell University (2024-Present)
• Football Assistant Coach/Special Teams Coordinator, Cornell University (2017-2023)
• Football Assistant Coach, Dartmouth College (2016-17)
• Football Assistant Coach, Columbia University (2012-14)
• Football Assistant Coach and Offensive Coordinator, United States Merchant Marine Academy (2008-12)

Playing Experience

• Cornell University (2001-04)

Education

• B.A., Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University (2005)

At Cornell

Former Big Red standout Chad Nice '05 joined the Cornell sprint football coaching staff in 2024 as special teams coordinator and made an immediate impact, coaching a pair of all-league selections as the sprint football team improved its win total by two games.

Nice returned home to his alma mater in 2017 and reunited on the varsity staff with head coach David Archer '05, as the two started together on offense for three seasons. He worked with the running backs from 2017-21, adding the role of special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2020. Nice moved to wide receivers coach for the 2021 campaign..

Despite losing returning first-team All-Ivy League selection Chris Walker due to injury, the Big Red increased the team's rushing average 25.0 yards per game over the previous season. The group posted 163.7 rushing yards per game over the team's final seven games. The Big Red's 14 rushing touchdowns were the most by a Big Red team in a single season since 2007. Leading the way was sophomore Harold Coles, who posted a pair of 100-yard rushing games and broke off a 90-yard touchdown run at Ivy champ Yale, the second-longest run from scrimmage in Big Red history. Additionally, senior Jack Gellatly earned first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

In his second season, Cornell had its most successful campaign running the ball since 2006 (156.1 yards per game), with Coles picking up second team All-Ivy League accolades. The Big Red had one of the most challenging schedules in the country against the run, with seven of its opponents ranking in the top 20 defenses in the FCS.

Coles earned first team All-Ivy honors in 2019 after the most productive rushing season for the Big Red since 2006, ranking 25th nationally and second in the conference in rushing yards per game (92.4 ypg.) while averaging 5.94 yards per carry (17th nationally, first in Ivy) in nine contests. Coles had four 100-yard rushing games in 2019, including three in Ivy contests. He surpassed the 2,000-yard mark for his career and graduates No. 8 on Cornell's career rushing list and first in career yards per rush. The team's 15 rushing touchdowns was the most since 2012.

As wide receivers coach, Nice helped develop Thomas Glover from a reserve running back into a two-time All-Ivy receiver who graduated in the top 15 all-time at Cornell for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Prior to Cornell

Nice spent the previous two seasons at Dartmouth as running backs coach (2015-16), helping the Big Green to the 2015 Ivy League title - the program's first in 19 years. Dartmouth scored 27 touchdowns on the ground during his two seasons.

He previously spent three years on the staff at Columbia (2012-14) as a running backs coach and assisting with special teams after four years at the United States Merchant Marine Academy while coaching the quarterbacks and wide receivers before being elevated to offensive coordinator for his final two years. During that time, the USMMA's offense finished first or second in most major offensive categories, including scoring offense, first downs, and rushing in 2010, and rushing yards, yards per rush and yards per pass attempt in 2011.

Playing Career