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Derrick Nix will serve as the Falcons Offensive Assistant and quality control coach after spending the past three seasons coaching at the University of Southern Mississippi. Nix, one of the best-known players to ever wear a Southern Miss uniform, began his coaching career in 2003 as a defensive graduate assistant for the Golden Eagles. The following year, Nix was promoted to Tight Ends Coach before being appointed to the Running Backs coaching position, where he spent the past two years.
In 2006 under Nix's direction, his running backs ran for 2,378 yards and scored 23 touchdowns, the first time the Golden Eagles ran for over 2,000 yards since 1987. True freshman Damion Fletcher, who earned first-team All-Conference USA honors and freshman All-American honors, ran for 1,388 yards and scored 11 touchdowns, the second most yards in a season in the school's history. Fletcher set the freshman rushing record at Southern Miss and for Conference USA, as well. He was also named a finalist for the Conerly Trophy, signifying the top player in the state of Mississippi.
In 2005, Nix got career-best years from youthful players Larry Thomas and Cody Hull. Thomas posted three 100-yard rushing performances in 2005. Hull started the final two games of 2005 and recorded the first 100-yard rushing performance of his career in the New Orleans Bowl with 161 yards on 37 carries, setting the Bowl record and the Southern Miss all-time bowl record. Hull's 37 carries tied for the fourth most in school history, matching Nix's own 37-carry performance against Nevada in 1998.
As the Golden Eagles' Tight Ends Coach in 2004, Nix's crew, used primarily as blockers in the offen-sive scheme, was successful.
Nix was a record-setting running back throughout his Southern Miss playing days. He was so successful that he was named to the Golden Eagle "Team of the Century" that was announced in 2000 and recently became one of only five players in the history of the football program to become a member of the Southern Miss Legends Club.
His name is prominent in the Southern Miss record book, including becoming the first Golden Eagle player ever to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons and the only Southern Miss and Conference USA player ever to rush for 1,000 yards or more in three seasons. Nix's career achievements at Southern Miss also included being the Conference USA freshman of the year and a first-team freshman All-America in 1998.
A sprained ankle along with the kidney problem forced Nix, a three-time All-Conference USA selection, to sit out a year and a half, before returning for a successful senior season. He was invited to participate in the 2003 Senior Bowl.
Nix is a 2002 Southern Miss graduate with a bachelor's degree in sport administration. His older brother, Tyrone, a member of the Southern Miss coaching staff from 1995-2003, was a four-year standout linebacker for Southern Miss and is now the defensive coordinator at South Carolina.
He was born February 22, 1980, in Attalla, Alabama. | 