Kane Ioane begins his third season as Nevada's defensive coordinator in 2025.
Ioane oversaw an incredible season-to-season turnaround of the Wolf Pack defense in 2025, as Nevada produced one of the Mountain West's top pass rushes along with a secondary among the conference's best in takeaways.
The Wolf Pack defense did not allow a 300-yard passer all season, and allowed just one opposing player to hit the 100-yard rushing mark in 2025. The defense improved to fifth in the conference in both rushing defense (149.58 ypg) and passing defense (220.25 ypg) while storming opposing backfields to the tune of 65 tackles-for-loss, led by Mountain West leader and national top-10 performer Dylan LaBarbera (17.0). Safety Murvin Kenion III shared the Mountain West lead with five interceptions on the season, earning a spot on the conference's Second Team while LaBarbera was named to the First Team. EDGE Jonathan Maldonado was another All-Mountain West honoree who enjoyed a career year, making career bests in tackles (38.0), TFLs (9.0), and sacks (5.0).
Another key improvement in Ioane's defense in his second season in charge was the Wolf Pack's stinginess in its own red zone. Nevada ranked fifth in the Mountain West in red-zone defense in 2025, and the discipline of the unit contributed to the Pack ranking second in the conference with the fewest penalties (63).
In his debut season with the Wolf Pack, Ioane oversaw a defense which produced a first-team All-Mountain West selection in cornerback Michael Coats Jr., and an honorable mention in safety Kitan Crawford.
Coats' breakout 2024 campaign saw him end the regular season tied for fifth in the country with four interceptions, and tied for third with 13 pass breakups, adding up to his 17 passes defended. Only Miami's Raion Strader, with 19 passes defended (two interceptions, 17 PBUs), ranks ahead of Coats. Crawford, meanwhile, led the Wolf Pack with 76 tackles, intercepted two passes (one of which he returned for a touchdown), and broke up seven more passes. Crawford would go on to be selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
Ioane came to Nevada from Boise State, where he served as the Broncos’ co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach from 2021-23. Ioane helped oversee one of the Mountain West’s top defenses over the past three seasons, culminating in the Broncos’ 2023 Mountain West championship. In 2022, the Bronco defense ranked among the nation’s best in passing yards allowed (fifth, 167.7 ypg), total defense (sixth, 292.5 ypg), and scoring defense (15th, 19.5 points per game), a season after ranking 12th in the country in scoring defense (19.0 ppg).
Ioane served as defensive coordinator and safeties coach on Choate’s 2019 Montana State staff, as the Bobcats went 11-4 and reached the FCS semifinals. That season, defensive end Bryce Sterk and linebacker Troy Andersen earned All-America honors.
The Billings, Mont., native began his career at Montana State, his alma mater, in 2005, coaching linebackers. His first stint in Bozeman lasted 12 seasons, including the 2015 campaign when he was the defensive coordinator. He was the defensive analyst for Washington in 2017-18 before returning to Montana State in 2019.
As a position coach, student-athletes mentored by Ioane earned five All-America and 13 all-conference honors. Jody Owens was a two-time unanimous All-Big Sky First Team selection in 2011 and 2012, Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2012 and a Consensus All-American in 2012. In 2019, safety Brayden Konkol was named a second-team All-American as well as to the All-Big Sky First Team.
As a student-athlete, Ioane was a four-time All-American at Montana State (2000-03), the 2003 Big Sky Defensive MVP and a 2014 MSU Hall of Fame inductee. He ended his playing career as the Big Sky’s all-time leader in tackles.
Ioane earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Montana State in 2005. He and his wife, Kerri, have one daughter, Avah, and one son, Kyson.
