Portland State University Athletics

Portland State football coach Nigel Burton enters his fifth season on the Park Blocks as Head Coach of the Viking program.

In his time, Burton has transformed the image, structure, discipline and support for PSU football. On the field, the Vikings have made incremental steps forward as well. The Vikings had a 7-4 record in 2011 - their first winning season in five years. Then, after a step back to 3-8 in 2012, PSU improved 2.5 games to 6-6 in 2013.

Last year’s team produced a .500 record under Burton, but came agonizingly close to much more success, losing four of five Big Sky Conference games by a combined total of just 16 points. Along the way, PSU established a handful offensive records, identified new stars and produced three All-Americans, presenting a lot of hope for coming seasons as only 15 players exhausted their eligibility.

About to begin his fifth season at Portland State, Burton has an 18-27 record with the Vikings. A former PSU assistant coach (2001-02), he also had stops at Oregon State (2003-07, defensive backs coach) and Nevada (2008-09, defensive coordinator).

In his short time as head coach at PSU, Burton has become a fixture on the local sporting scene and in the community. His personality and charisma have helped increase the visibility of PSU football by becoming a popular part of the media as well as a regular guest on local sports talk radio shows, Comcast SportsNet’s Talkin’ Ball show, and TV sports shows like KGW TV’s Sports Sunday.

THE SEASONS
Although the Vikings were just 2-9 in 2010, anyone who watched could see the significant improvement over 2009. Outside of the two wins, Portland State suffered a pair of last-second losses to quality opponents (Montana and Weber State) and held significant first-half leads in two other games, only to give them up in the second half (Montana State, Northern Colorado).

The Vikings showed remarkable improvement offensively, featuring first-team All-Big Sky performers Cory McCaffrey and Julius Thomas (who went on to the Denver Broncos of the NFL), and the league’s top rushing attack. On defense, the Vikings took some lumps as a young group transitioned to a 4-3 scheme and had to battle Oregon, Arizona State and FCS National Champion Eastern Washington among others.

Finishing the deal in those kinds of games was Burton’s emphasis in 2011 and his team and players responded. The Vikings improved to 7-4, 5-3 in the Big Sky Conference and came within one game of serious consideration for the NCAA I FCS playoffs.

The five-game improvement over the previous season landed Portland State in third place in the Big Sky after preseason prognosticators had the Vikings picked seventh. Simply put, PSU was one of the most improved teams in the nation, and Burton was one of 20 finalists for National Coach of the Year. He was also named as a finalist for the Oregon Sports Awards’ Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year. In addition, two more Vikings headed to the NFL - cornerback DeShawn Shead (Seattle) and linebacker Ryan Rau (Philadelphia).

In 2012, PSU continued to impress with a dynamic offense featuring both the run and pass, totaling 35 points and nearly 440 yards of offense per game - its best numbers in more than a decade. However, on defense the Vikings were a Jekyll and Hyde group, at times impressive forcing turnovers, making big plays, tackles for loss and run stopping. The Vikings allowed 86 yards or less on the ground to five Big Sky opponents including 0 rushing yards to national semifinalist Eastern Washington. However, an injury-riddled pass defense suffered and the Vikings lost second-half leads in four games, including three by double digits.

True freshman quarterback Kieran McDonagh finished eighth in voting for the Jerry Rice National Freshman of the Year Award. Linebacker Ian Sluss was a consensus All-American, and center Mitch Gaulke earned national honors as a FCS Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star.

Burton’s 2013 Vikings had one of the top offensive units in the nation. The Vikings ranked third in the nation in both total offense (540.5) and rushing average (277.7), setting five school records along the way to a 6-6 mark. Punter Kyle Loomis led the nation with a school-record 46.5 yard average, earning consensus All-American honors. DJ Adams, also an All-American, had the fourth-best rushing season in school history (1,600 yards). Gaulke was again named an FCS ADA Academic All-Star.

FIRST-TIME HEAD COACH
Nigel Burton was named the new head football coach at Portland State University on December 8, 2009.

Burton, who had been the Defensive Coordinator for the Nevada Wolf Pack in 2008 and 2009, returned to the school for which he was an assistant coach during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. He is the 13th head coach in the history of Portland State football, and is charged with returning the Vikings to prominence in the Big Sky Conference and nationally at the NCAA I Football Championship Subdivision level.

“I’m thrilled to have Nigel Burton as our Head Football Coach. Nigel brings the whole package - great recruiting skills, a focus on student-athlete success, strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to teach,” said Portland State Director of Athletics Torre Chisholm. “He has been a leader in all his endeavors, as well as a winner. I expect great things from the football program and student-athletes under Nigel’s leadership.”

Said Portland State President Wim Wiewel: “Nigel is the right man for the job. Obviously he knows football inside and out, but he also understands he has to care about the academic side. He’s truly a team player and I think he will become a big part of the PSU and Portland communities.”

 “The opportunity to come back to a university that I loved being a part of before was outstanding,” Burton said. “I believe the potential is here to return to the dominance that Portland State once had. The improvement of facilities and campus life is a big part of that. Portland State is a great place to get a world-class education, to play great football and live in one of the best cities in the country.”

PAST EXPERIENCE
Burton spent two seasons with the Nevada Wolf Pack. In that time, Nevada improved from 6-7 prior to his arrival, to 7-6 in 2008 and 8-5 in 2009. That improvement continued in 2010 as the team went 13-1.

In 2009, Burton’s defense allowed five fewer points per game and 26 fewer yards per game than prior to his arrival in 2007. In 2008, his run defense was ranked sixth in the nation (88.6 yards per game), while the team was ninth in tackles for loss, tenth in sacks, 19th in red zone defense and 26th in passes intercepted. Nevada ranked first in rushing defense in the Western Athletic Conference in each of his two years.

Prior to his time with Nevada, Burton spent five seasons at Oregon State as the secondary coach (2003-07). During that time, Oregon State was 39-24 and won all four bowl games in which it participated. The Beavers ranked among the top three teams in total defense in the Pac-10 each of those five seasons. Six of the defensive backs coached by Burton during those years went on to NFL careers.

Former Viking Head Coach Tim Walsh hired Nigel Burton as his defensive backs coach in 2001. He was responsible for cornerbacks as well as the kick and punt return teams. Burton had two first-team All-Conference performers in his two seasons at PSU (Reynard Carrie, 2001; Mitchell Fitzhugh, 2002). Burton was scheduled to take over as special teams coordinator at Portland State in 2003 before getting a position as secondary coach to Oregon State.

Burton began his coaching career as a defensive assistant at the University of South Florida in 2000.

More than coaching, Burton brought with him a reputation as one of the west coast’s top football recruiters. He has shown the ability to attract talented student-athletes to his program. In 2006, Burton was named one of the top 10 recruiters in the Pac-10 by Rivals.com. Burton also has a strong student-athlete academic progress program off the football field. He came from a program at Nevada that maintained an APR rate over 925 throughout head coach Chris Ault’s tenure.

BACKGROUND
A 1999 graduate of the University of Washington, Burton was a three-year starter at safety, leading the Huskies to three bowl games. Burton was a three-time Academic All-Pac-10 and Academic All-District selection as well. As a senior in 1998, Burton was a team captain. He started his career at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA and was a starter as a freshman before the program was eliminated.

While at Washington, Burton was appointed to the Management Council to represent the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (1997-99).

Other honors include the Black Coaches Association Postgraduate Award (2000) and the NACDA John McClendon Memorial Minority Scholarship (2000).

Burton served as a Championships Intern with NCAA in 1999. He was a graduate assistant at the University of Florida in 1999, assisting with football recruiting and the Life Skills program. He moved on to coach and earn an MBA at South Florida the following year.

Other credits include being a consultant for the NCAA Initial Eligibility Consultants’ Group from 1999-2004 and serving as a defensive intern with the Denver Broncos in 2002.

Burton is a native of Sacramento where he attended Jesuit High School. He earned a bachelors degree in Business Administration at Washington in 1999, and an MBA from the University of South Florida in 2001. However, including Washington, Portland State and Oregon State, Burton has spent 13 years in the Pacific Northwest.

Burton and his wife, Heather, have a son, Jace (8), and daughter, Ella Joyce (5).

THE NIGEL BURTON FILE
5th year at Portland State

Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Alma Mater: Washington, 1999 (BS, Business Administration); South Florida, 2001 (MBA)
Playing Experience: Safety, University of Washington (1996-98); Safety, University of the Pacific (1995)
Date of Birth: July 30, 1976
Family: Wife, Heather; Son, Jace (8); Daughter, Ella Joyce (5)

COACHING EXPERIENCE:
2010-14 - Portland State, Head Coach (18-27 overall)
2008-09 - Nevada, Defensive Coordinator (15-10 overall, two bowl games)
2003-07 - Oregon State, Secondary (39-24 overall, four bowl games)
2001-02 - Portland State, Defensive Backs (13-9 overall)
2000 - South Florida, Defensive Assistant (7-4 overall)

ALL-AMERICAN VIKINGS UNDER NIGEL BURTON

ALL-BIG SKY CONFERENCE VIKINGS UNDER NIGEL BURTON
2010
1st team: RB Cory McCaffrey, TE Julius Thomas
2nd Team All-Big Sky Conference: CB DeShawn Shead
HM: QB Connor Kavanaugh, C Adam Kleffner, OT Dustin Waldron, OT Kyle Ritt, K Zach Brown, DE Carl Sommer, DT Julious Moore, P Thomas Duyndam
Academic: RB Willie Griffin, OL Mitch Gaulke, SS Nick Green, CB Cameron Hein, QB Tygue Howland, OL Adam Kleffner, CB DeShawn Shead, SS Nathan Snow, LB Kevin Takeno

2011
1st Team: RB Cory McCaffrey, K Zach Brown, ST Nevin Lewis, SS DeShawn Shead
2nd Team: OL Dustin Waldron, DT Myles Wade, LB Ian Sluss
HM: QB Connor Kavanaugh, C Mitch Gaulke, OL Kyle Ritt, WR Justin Monahan, LB Ryan Rau, KR DeShawn Shead, DE Jack Forbes, LB Joel Sisler, P Thomas Duyndam
Academic: DT Myles Wade, WR Antwun Baker, QB Drew Hubel, OL Mitch Gaulke, QB Justin Engstrom, S Nick Green, WR Ronnie Simmons, OL Adam Kleffner, SS DeShawn Shead

2012
2nd Team: LB Ian Sluss, DE Marquis Jackson
HM: WR Justin Monahan, RT Mitchell Van Dyk, LT Kyle Ritt, C Mitch Gaulke, LG Cornelius Edison, RB DJ Adams, LB Jaycob Shoemaker, DT Dereck Jester, LB Khalil Bass, S Joel Sisler, S Mike Williams, K Zach Brown, ST Nevin Lewis
Academic: DE Nick Alexander, LB Brandon Brody-Heim, LS Kameron Canaday, C Mitch Gaulke, WR Nick Green, DE Marquis Jackson, TE Gage Loftin, DE Jacob Nall, S Nathan Snow, WR Alex Toureen

2013
1st team: SR RB  DJ Adams, JR P Kyle Loomis, SR OT Mitchell Van Dyk 
3rd team: JR WR Kasey Closs, JR OG Cornelius Edison, SR S David Edgerson
HM: FR OT Kyle Smith, SR C Mitch Gaulke, JR DT Joe Lopez, SO DT Junior Alexis, SR DE Jeremy Boone, SR LB Jaycob Shoemaker, SR S Dean Faddis, SO CB Aaron Sibley, FR KR Nate Tago, SO ST Hayden Plinke

PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS UNDER NIGEL BURTON
• A return to the traditional Viking green as the primary team color.
• A major upgrade to the coaching offices, team conference rooms and video capabilities to aid in game preparation and recruiting.
• A re-engagement of Viking football alumni with the program.
• A more structured off-season workout program.
• Institution of a cap-and-gown program to improve student-athlete academic progress.
• An emphasis on recruiting locally, resulting in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation in 2012 and including primarily northwest and Oregon players.