University of Nevada Athletics

Nate Costa begins his second season at Nevada as the program's quarterbacks coach in 2023.

Last season, Costa worked with Wolf Pack quarterbacks Nate Cox and Shane Illingworth, as the signal-callers combined to account for a 103.27 passer rating on the season. The Wolf Pack quarterbacks did well at protecting the ball and limiting turnovers, ranking fourth in the Mountain West and 36th in the country with just eight passes intercepted all season.

Cox, in his first FBS season as a starter, set career bests in passing yardage (1,464 yards), passing touchdowns (five), and completions (133), while showing dual-threat ability in rushing for 272 yards and three touchdowns. Cox would finish the season second on the Wolf Pack in rushing yards and third in rushing scores.

Costa joined the Wolf Pack in Jan. 2022 after two stints with Oregon (2019-21, 2013-15). He served as the senior offensive analyst from 2019-21, working closely with quarterbacks, after spending the 2013-15 seasons as a graduate assistant working with wide receivers and quarterbacks. He was a member of five of Oregon’s six conference championship teams and both of the Duck squads that played in National Championship games.
 
In addition to the 2020 Oregon football Pac-12 championship and the 2019 conference and Rose Bowl championship teams, Costa served as a graduate assistant on the 2014 team that claimed the Pac-12 title, won the Rose Bowl and advanced to the first ever College Football Championship game in January 2015. Costa was a quarterback on Oregon’s 2009 and 2010 Pac-10 championship teams and was part of the team that met Auburn in the 2011 Bowl Championship Series.
 
Between his stints on Oregon's coaching staff, Costa spent one season at IMG Academy in Florida and a year at UCLA.
 
He also spent the year after his tenure as a graduate assistant at Oregon working as head of team operations at STRIVR Labs, Inc., a company that is the leader in utilizing virtual reality technology to train athletes. In his role, Costa worked directly with numerous NFL and Division I football teams.
 
In addition to working with quarterbacks, Costa assists with advance scouting of weekly opponents and helps with the creation of the offensive game plan. He also assists with the recruitment of offensive players.
 
In his first season as the senior offensive analyst, Oregon improved nationally in all four major offensive categories from 2018, finishing 16th in 2019 in the nation in scoring offense averaging 35.4 points per game. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Oregon averaged 31.3 points per contest.
 
In his current role, Costa is in charge of situational football for the team. In that role, he scours the college and professional ranks for teachable moments (two-minute drills, unique roles, etc…) and then distributes to relevant parties within the team, both on offense and defense. Costa then helps teach those moments and create those same scenarios in practice with the goal to learn from other teams, as well as from teammates in practice, so when those scenarios come up in games it is not the first time they are experienced.
 
In his first stretch on the Oregon staff, Costa assisted with the on field coaching of both wide receivers and quarterbacks while studying opponent game film to pinpoint opportunities for exploitation within the defensive scheme.
 
During his three years as a graduate assistant, Costa worked with one of the most potent offenses in college football. The Ducks averaged more than 43 points per game each season, including 45.5 in 2013 and 45.4 in 2014. Oregon finished fourth in the country, and first in the Pac-12, in scoring each of his first two seasons before ending up fifth nationally, first in the conference, in his final season.
 
The Ducks also ranked among the nation’s top five teams in total offense each of those seasons, ranking second in 2013, third in 2014 and fifth in 2015. In addition to scoring, Oregon led the Pac-12 Conference in total offense and rushing offense all three of Costa’s seasons.
 
In Costa’s two tenures at Oregon, he has helped coach some of the program’s most heralded quarterbacks as well as a handful of the school’s most accomplished wide receivers.
 
Costa worked with 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota during Costa’s first two seasons, as well as Justin Herbert in 2019. Both quarterbacks were NFL first-round draft picks with Mariota selected second overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2015 and Herbert picked sixth overall in 2020 by the Los Angeles Chargers. Costa also helped coach Vernon Adams Jr., an honorable mention All-Pac-12 pick in 2015 despite missing part of the season with a hand injury, and Tyler Shough, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection by the Associated Press in 2020.
 
Four of Costa’s wide receivers at Oregon eventually played in the NFL with two of them drafted. Receivers Costa worked with also earned five all-conference honors at Oregon.
 
Josh Huff, a third-round pick in the 2014 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, and De’Anthony Thomas, a fourth-round selection the same year, were joined by Bralon Addison (Chicago Bears) and Byron Marshall (Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins) on NFL active rosters.
 
Addison earned all-conference honors in both 2013 and 2015, while Huff (2015), Marshall (2014) and Darren Carrington (2015) all-claimed all-league accolades once.
 
At UCLA in 2018, Costa spent one season as an offensive analyst at UCLA where his duties included helping coach both the running backs and tight ends, while assisting in the construction of weekly game plans based on film study of opponents. He was also involved in scripting practice periods, creating a weekly presentation of opponent tendencies in four-minute situations and the recruitment of offensive players.
 
During his season with the Bruins, Costa helped coach an All-American and a pair of first-team All-Pac 12 selections, as well as three future NFL Draft picks. The Sporting News named tight end Caleb Wilson a second-team All-America selection, while Wilson and running back Joshua Kelly claimed Associated Press first-team all-conference honors following the season.
 
The Arizona Cardinals selected Wilson in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft and he was a member of their practice squad until joining the Washington Redskins’ active roster late in the season. The New England Patriots selected Devin Asiasi in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, while the Los Angeles Chargers picked Kelly in the fourth round to join Justin Herbert, who was their first round pick.
 
At IMG Academy in 2017, after a season working outside of coaching but staying associated with both NFL and NCAA teams, Costa spent a season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at IMG Academy, one of the premier high school football programs in the nation.
 
IMG finished his lone season undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the final MaxPreps top 25 poll and No. 3 in the High School Football America top 100 poll using an offensive philosophy and playbook designed by Costa, who served as the play caller.
 
The former Ducks’ quarterback constructed an offensive designed to utilize tempo and create big play opportunities using a pair of quarterbacks who both ended up starting as true freshmen at Power 5 schools (Zack Annexstad – Minnesota; Artur Sitkowski – Rutgers).
 
Playing Career and Personal
Costa spent five seasons as a quarterback at Oregon, lettering in 2009 and 2010 during which time the Ducks compiled a 22-4 record. He earned the starting quarterback nod in 2008 in fall camp but suffered a season-ending injury less than two weeks before the first game.
 
Costa served as a team captain during his final season, helping the Ducks to a Pac-10 Conference championship and a spot in the 2011 Bowl Series Championship game against Auburn. He was also an integral part of the 2009 conference championship team that played in the 2010 Rose Bowl.
 
Costa runs the Nate Costa Football Camps in his hometown of Hilmar, Calif., to benefit the local youths in the community. He and his wife reside in the Old Southwest area of Reno with their two daughters and their dog.

The Costa File
Hometown: Hilmar, Calif.
Alma Mater: Bachelor's at the University of Oregon, Master's at the University of Oregon
 
COACHING CAREER

2019-21	Senior Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks	Oregon
2018	Offensive Analyst/Running Backs & Tight Ends	UCLA
2017	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks	IMG Academy
2013-15	Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks	Oregon

                                                      
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (7)
2020 Pac-12 Conference – Oregon (Senior Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks)
2019 Pac-12 Conference – Oregon (Senior Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks)
2019 Pac-12 North – Oregon (Senior Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks)
2014 Pac-12 Conference – Oregon (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks)
2014 Pac-12 North – Oregon (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks)
2010 Pac-10 Conference – Oregon (Player)
2009 Pac-10 Conference – Oregon (Player)
 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
2015 College Football Playoff – Oregon (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks)
2011 Bowl Championship Series – Oregon (Player)
 
BOWL GAMES (9)
2021 Fiesta Bowl – Oregon (Senior Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks)
2020 Rose Bowl – Oregon (Senior Offensive Analyst/Quarterbacks)
2016 Valero Alamo Bowl – Oregon (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks)
2015 Rose Bowl – Oregon – Oregon (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks)
2013 Valero Alamo Bowl – Oregon (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks)
2010 Rose Bowl – Oregon (Player)
2008 Holiday Bowl – Oregon (Player)
2007 Brut Sun Bowl – Oregon (Player/Redshirt)
2006 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl – Oregon (Player)
 
NFL DRAFT PICKS COACHED (7)
2020 (RD 1) QB Justin Herbert – Oregon – Los Angeles Chargers
2020 (RD 3) TE Devin Asiasi – UCLA – New England Patriots
2020 (RD 4) RB Joshua Kelly – UCLA – Los Angeles Chargers
2019 (RD 7) TE Caleb Wilson – UCLA – Arizona Cardinals
2015 (RD 1) QB Marcus Mariota – Oregon – Tennessee Titans
2014 (RD 3) WR Josh Huff – Oregon – Philadelphia Eagles
2014 (RD 4) WR De’Anthony Thomas – Oregon – Kansas City Chiefs
 
UNDRAFTED NFL PLAYERS COACHED (2)
WR Bralon Addison – Oregon – Chicago Bears
WR Byron Marshall – Oregon – Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins
 
NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS COACHED (7)
2019 William V. Campbell Trophy – Justin Herbert -- Oregon
2014 Heisman Trophy – Marcus Mariota – Oregon
2014 Walter Camp Award – Marcus Mariota – Oregon
2014 Maxwell Award – Marcus Mariota – Oregon
2014 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award – Marcus Mariota– Oregon
2014 Davey O’Brien Award – Marcus Mariota – Oregon
2014 Manning Award – Marcus Mariota -- Oregon
 
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR COACHED
2014 QB Marcus Mariota – Oregon (Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Maxwell Award)
 
ALL-AMERICANS COACHED
2018 Caleby Wilson – UCLA (The Sporting News – 2nd)
2014 QB Marcus Mariota – Oregon (Unanimous)
 
FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICANS COACHED
2011 RB/WR De’Anthony Thomas – Oregon (FWAA, Bleacher Report, Phil Steele, The Sporting News)
 
CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR COACHED
2014 QB Marcus Mariota – Oregon – Pac-12 (Offensive Player of the Year)
 
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS COACHED (12)
2020 QB Tyler Shough – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd)
2019 QB Justin Herbert – Oregon – Pac-12 (AP – 2nd, Coaches — HM)
2018 RB Joshua Kelley – UCLA – Pac-12 (AP – 1st, Coaches – HM)
2018 TE Caleb Wilson – UCLA – Pac-12 (AP – 1st, Coaches – 1st)
2015 WR Bralon Addison – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – 2nd)
2015 WR Darren Carrington – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – 2nd)
2015 QB Vernon Adams – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – HM)
2014 QB Marcus Mariota – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – 1st)
2014 WR Byron Marshall – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – HM)
2013 QB Marcus Mariota – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – 1st)
2013 WR Bralon Addison – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – HM)
2013 WR Josh Huff – Oregon – Pac-12 (Coaches – HM)