RENO, Nev. – Nevada Passing Game Coordinator/Secondary coach Joey Thomas has been named a 2026 Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow by the New Orleans Saints.

The purpose of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship is to give opportunities to observe, participate and gain experience with the ultimate goal of earning a full-time NFL coaching position. Applicants for the fellowship must have NFL experience or coaching experience at the high school, college or other professional league level.

Thomas will assist the Saints staff during the 2026 preseason before returning to the Wolf Pack's Fall Camp.

"It's truly a blessing anytime you have an opportunity to be around elite minds and to grow. This fellowship and the New Orleans Saints is exactly that," Thomas said. "I want to grow my knowledge in all areas of Football from leadership, schematics, scheduling, nutrition, injury prevention, meetings, drills, and to see how they are currently doing things at the highest level. I had the opportunity to play in the League for a while but it's been some time since I've been around an NFL training camp. It'll be nice to be back in that environment."

The 2026 campaign will mark Thomas' third at Nevada. The Montana Football Hall of Fame and NFL veteran has made an immediate impact on the Wolf Pack secondary since his arrival in 2024 as three Wolf Pack defensive backs have earned All-Mountain West honors under his tutelage. Cornerback Michael Coats Jr. was named to the All-Mountain West First Team in 2024 and last season safety Murvin Kenion III was named to the Second Team while cornerback AJ Odums earned All-Mountain West Honorable Mention.

The growth of the Wolf Pack secondary under Thomas' tutelage was immediate. In 2024, the Wolf Pack secondary ranked second in the Mountain West and 39th in the country in passing defense, allowing just 198.6 yards a game. The latter figure was a stark improvement from the 2023 campaign in which the Wolf Pack defense gave up 254.1 passing yards a game, ranking dead last in the Mountain West and 112th in FBS.

A season later, Thomas' unit made seven of the Wolf Pack's 11 interceptions paced by a Mountain West-leading five from Kenion, while breaking up 27 passes after disrupting 33 in 2024. The standout play of the Nevada secondary, especially after losing much of its production from 2024 to 2025, is a testament to Thomas' desire to continually improve his craft and impart his knowledge. And, ahead of the 2026 campaign, rising sophomore defensive back Aiden Walker was voted to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team after a standout freshman season in 2025.

"I'm obsessed with learning. So, I grow daily. I see this fellowship as another opportunity. I am excited to take what I gather from this experience and implement it, this season and future seasons to come," said Thomas.

Prior to joining head coach Jeff Choate's Nevada staff, Thomas served as the Senior Defense Analyst at the University of Texas and spent two seasons (2020-21) on the FAU staff, joining as an analyst in 2020 before being elevated to wide receivers coach in 2021. He began his collegiate coaching career at Fort Scott Junior College in Kansas in 2019, serving as passing game coordinator, special teams coordinator, secondary coach, and the team's academic coordinator.

Thomas rose to the collegiate ranks following a stellar prep coaching career in the Pacific Northwest. He was named the Seattle Times' "Star Times" Coach of the Year in 2016, his first season at the Garfield High School helm, where he coached until 2019.

From 2011-16, Thomas led the Ballard High School football program in Seattle. There, he guided the Beavers to two division titles, appearances in the state tournament, and a 12-4 Metro record over his final two seasons.

Thomas' return to the Saints, the club for which he played in 2005, also provides a return to a familiar environment and familiar faces over his coaching career. Such names include Saints head coach Kellen Moore and defensive pass game coordinator Terry Joseph.

"[The fellowship is] a unique opportunity because I played for the Saints and worked with Coach Joseph at the University of Texas, whom I have a ton of respect and appreciation for. So, to connect back with Coach Joseph, I'm truly in for a treat," Thomas said. "When I retired and got into high school coaching, one of the first coaches I went to go visit to learn how to plan a practice, get a feel for things, learn some tips, and ideas of how to run a program was Tom Moore--Coach Kellen Moore's father. So, it's a full circle moment for me."