RENO, Nev. – Matt Lubick, recognized among the nation's most prolific coordinators and top recruiters, has been named Nevada's offensive coordinator, head coach Jeff Choate announced Monday.
Lubick, who served in the same capacity at Nebraska (2020-21), Washington (2017-18), and Oregon (2016), most recently spent the past two seasons (2022-23) as a senior analyst at Kansas.
Lubick was diagnosed with leukemia Oct. 7, and has been undergoing treatment at the Anschutz Center for Advanced Medicine in Aurora, Colo.
The son of longtime Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick, Matt previously spent six successful seasons of his career out west, being part of two Pac-12 championships teams (Oregon, 2014, and Washington, 2018), five teams that finished the season ranked in the national top-20, and four 10-win teams. As Oregon's passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2014, Lubick helped the Ducks rank in the national top five in scoring and total offense, and reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
In 2012, he was named Football Scoop's national Receivers Coach of the Year, as well as being one of three finalists for the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) National Assistant Coach of the Year award. He was also recognized as one of just 10 assistant coaches on ESPNU's recruiting "Dream Team."
Lubick's arrival in Reno reunites him with Choate, a fellow Western Montana alumnus and college teammate with the Bulldogs in 1991. Choate went on to serve on the Bulldog coaching staff from 1992-93, overlapping for two seasons during Lubick's playing career (1991-94).
Choate on Lubick: "Matt has obviously had a long battle, and it's really gratifying to see him come out the other end. One of the things he talked about with our team was gratitude, how grateful he was for the opportunity to coach at Nevada. And I can say the same thing—I'm extremely grateful that Matt is going to be our offensive coordinator. We're very excited to have him in a position where he can engage with us now. Matt's an extremely accomplished coach, and even better person, and I'm looking forward to what he's able to bring."
"Whether it was at Oregon, or Nebraska, or Kansas, he's been a guy that has really done a great job of pairing the run game with the play-action pass game. I think it's going to be a great combination to have he, Brian, and Mike combining our front end and what we do with our play-action game and our drop-back game."
A Bozeman, Montana native, Lubick began his coaching career in 1995 as a student assistant and academic supervisor on his father's Colorado State staff. In the three decades since, Lubick has risen through the ranks, first becoming an offensive coordinator in 2016, overseeing an Oregon offense which set school records for passing yards (4,687), completions (326) and first downs passing (198). Oregon ranked 13th nationally in completion percentage and 15th in total offense despite having a true freshman starter at quarterback and four freshmen starters on the offensive line.
"I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to work for Coach Choate Nevada. He has assembled an elite staff that I am excited to be a part of," Lubick said. "I have been a believer in Coach Choate ever since he coached me in college. His energy, passion, and drive are contagious. He is an exceptional leader and makes everyone around him better."
Taking over the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach roles at Washington a season later, Lubick oversaw a Huskies offense which ranked in the top 25 nationally in first downs, completion percentage and third down conversions in each of his two seasons in Seattle (2017-18).
Along with the 2018 Pac-12 title, Washington won 10 games in each of Lubick's two seasons, with appearances in the Rose and Fiesta Bowls. Washington also won the Pac-12 Championship in 2018. The 2017 campaign also featured Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis' breakout season, in which he hauled in a career-high 63 passes and earned consensus All-America honors.
As a wide receivers coach at Oregon, Lubick helped Bralon Addison rank 17th nationally in receiving touchdowns (10) in 2015. A year earlier, Byron Marshall had 1,004 receiving yards. The play of Lubick's wide receivers helped Oregon quarterbacks lead the nation in passing efficiency in both 2014 and 2015. In Lubick's first season in 2013, Josh Huff was 10th nationally with 12 touchdown receptions and 23rd in the country with 1,140 receiving yards. Huff set Oregon records that season in both categories. The Ducks improved from 73rd nationally in passing yards per game to 21st in Lubick's first year as passing game coordinator and went from 75th to seventh in passing plays over 20 yards. In 2014, Oregon led the nation in passing efficiency and ranked 10th nationally in passing yards per game.
Lubick spent three seasons as the wide receivers coach at Duke from 2010 to 2012, helping the Blue Devils to a bowl game in 2012, a first for the program since 1994. That season, Jamison Crowder and Conner Vernon combined for 161 receptions and 2,148 receiving yards, setting an ACC record for most combined receptions by two teammates in conference history and becoming just the second tandem in ACC history to each have 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. Vernon earned All-ACC accolades each of his three seasons under Lubick while ending his career as the ACC's all-time leader in receptions (283) and receiving yards (3,749).
Lubick also left his mark as a recruiter in Durham. Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe called Lubick "simply the best recruiter I've ever worked with."
Lubick also boasts experience as a defensive backs coach, coaching the safeties for three seasons at Arizona State from 2007 to 2009. The Sun Devils ranked in the top 35 nationally in pass efficiency defense in each of Lubick's three seasons, including 15th in 2007 and 20th in 2009. ASU also ranked in the top 30 nationally in passing defense both seasons. As recruiting coordinator, Lubick oversaw one top-20 recruiting class and two top-30 classes, while personally recruiting Vontaze Burfict, the highest-rated recruit in program history. Rivals named Lubick a top-10 recruiter in the then-Pac-10 Conference in each of his three years at ASU and twice Lubick was named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters.
Lubick's first time coaching wide receivers at a power-conference school came at Ole Miss from 2005-06, where he was a member of Ed Orgeron's staff. Lubick coached future NFL Pro-Bowlers Dexter McCluster and Mike Wallace while in Oxford.
Prior to his stop at Ole Miss, Lubick spent four years on his father's Colorado State staff, coaching wide receivers from 2001-04. He helped the Rams to the 2002 Mountain West title and three bowl games. Lubick coached David Anderson, who ended his career as the most prolific receiver in Colorado State history. In 2003, Anderson set the then-school record with 1,293 receiving yards, and he ranked 12th nationally in receiving yards per game (99.5).
Lubick was a four-year starting defensive back at Western Montana, an NAIA school located in Dillon, Montana. As a senior in 1994, Lubick earned all-conference and All-America honors.
Lubick earned his degree in exercise and sports science from Colorado State in 1995.
