Mark Nelson (born July 25, 1956)[1] is a gridiron football coach and a former professional Canadian football linebacker. He is the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach for the Saint Mary's Huskies of U Sports. He played for seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion having won as a coach in 1993, 1996 and 2016.
| Saint Mary's Huskies | |
 Nelson with the Argonauts in 2021 | |
| Born: | July 25, 1956 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | Special teams coordinator Linebackers coach |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| College | East Central Oklahoma State |
| CFL draft | 1980, Round: Terr. Exemption |
| Drafted by | Calgary Stampeders |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1992 | Edmonton Eskimos (ST coach/LB coach) |
| 1993–1994 | Edmonton Eskimos (ST coach/RB coach) |
| 1995 | San Antonio Texans (LB coach) |
| 1996 | Toronto Argonauts (DL coach) |
| 1997–1999 | Valdosta State Blazers (DC/LB coach) |
| 2000 | Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (DC/DB coach) |
| 2001 | Kentucky Wildcats (ST coach/TE coach) |
| 2002 | Kentucky Wildcats (ST coach/DL coach) |
| 2003 | Baylor Bears (ST coach/DL coach) |
| 2004–2005 | Baylor Bears (ST coach/LB coach) |
| 2006 | Tulsa Golden Hurricane (ST coach/DL coach) |
| 2007 | Louisville Cardinals (ST coach/DL coach) |
| 2008 | Louisville Cardinals (ST coach) |
| 2009 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (DC/LB coach) |
| 2010–2011 | Edmonton Eskimos (LB coach) |
| 2012 | Edmonton Eskimos (DC/LB coach) |
| 2013 | Montreal Alouettes (LB coach) |
| 2014–2017 | Ottawa Redblacks (DC/LB coach) |
| 2018–2019 | Ottawa Redblacks (LB coach) |
| 2020–2021 | Toronto Argonauts (STC) |
| 2022 | Carleton Ravens (STC/LB coach) |
| 2023–present | Saint Mary's Huskies (STC/LB coach) |
| As player | |
| 1980–1985 | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1986 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Playing career edit
Nelson played college football for the East Central Oklahoma State Tigers. Nelson was drafted in the 1980 CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders where he played for 7 years before retiring with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1987. Nelson played linebacker and fullback during his CFL run.[2]
Coaching career edit
Nelson has coached for 16 different teams. More recently, on December 20, 2013, he was named the Ottawa Redblacks' defensive coordinator.[3] In 2018, he was demoted from defensive coordinator for the Redblacks to their linebackers coach.[4]
On February 6, 2020, it was announced that Nelson had joined the Toronto Argonauts as the team's special teams coordinator.[5] The league did not play in 2020, so he coached for one season with the Argonauts in 2021. He was not retained by the team for the 2022 season.[6]
On June 23, 2022, it was announced that Nelson had joined the Carleton Ravens to serve as the team's special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.[7] After one season with the Ravens, he joined the Saint Mary's Huskies coaching staff as the team's special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.[8]
Personal life edit
Nelson's father, Roger is on the Edmonton Eskimo's Wall of Honour and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.[2] His son, Kyle was a long snapper for the San Francisco 49ers.
References edit
- ^ "N".
- ^ a b Davidson, Neil (26 November 2015). "RedBlacks' defensive coach Mark Nelson knows old-school football". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- ^ "Gibson among 8 coaching hires in Ottawa". Canadian Football League. December 20, 2013.
- ^ "From Redblacks defensive co-ordinator to linebackers coach, Mark Nelson puts team first". Ottawa Sun. Ottawa Sun. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- ^ "Argos announce 2020 coaching staff". Toronto Argonauts. February 6, 2020.
- ^ "Argos announce 2022 coaching staff". Toronto Argonauts. January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Ravens Name New Coordinators". Carleton Ravens. June 23, 2022.
- ^ "Saint Mary's Huskies hire long-time CFL assistant coach Mark Nelson, former Argos DB Jermaine Gabriel". 3DownNation. April 15, 2023.