New Kentucky defensive analyst Nate Fuqua with his wife, Tiffany.
By LARRY VAUGHT
After two years as the co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach at the University of Cincinnati, former Danville High School all-state lineman Nate Fuqua accepted a job as the new defensive line coach at Army in early January to work under the defensive coordinator he played for during his All-American career at Wofford,
Before he made the move, he had reached out to Kentucky co-defensive coordinator Chris Collins who worked under Fuqua when Fuqua was the defensive coordinator for Georgia State.
“I let him know about my situation and that I was going to Army,” Fuqua said. “I didn’t think any more about it until I got a phone call from him saying there might be an opportunity (for me) at Kentucky.”
That opportunity led to Fuqua being named a defensive analyst on Kentucky coach Mark Stoops’ staff Saturday. He will work primarily with outside linebackers and is eager to learn under Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White.
“I caught the redeye (flight) one weekend (from New York to Lexington) to meet with coach Stoops. I had talked to Brad the week before to gauge my interest but this is a great opportunity for me,” Fuqua, 44, said.
The move was easier to make because his wife and children had not moved from Union in northern Kentucky where they were living to New York to join him
“If they had already been in New York, it would have made things different,” the new UK assistant coach said. “We were going to wait until the first of April to get them up there to get acclimated so that ended up making this move a lot easier.”
Fuqua knows having “grandchildren” accessible to his parents and wife’s parents who all live in central Kentucky is a “big deal” to them, especially since he was been away from the Danville area from 1999 to 2022 before he took the job at Cincinnati.
“I’ve also had a lot of friends reaching out about the move,” he said.
Fuqua first met White when Matt House was the UK defensive coordinator and White was coaching linebackers. He met White — and Stoops — again in 2020 when he brought his Georgia State defensive staff to UK to “talk some ball” that helped his staff.
“Brad White is one of the best (defensive) edge guys in the world,” Fuqua said.
The new UK assistant coach knows several other UK assistant coaches, including defensive line coach Anwar Stewart.
Last season Fuqua coached freshman safety Jiquan Sanks, who had 42 tackles and became the first freshman to start a Cincinnati season opener since 2015.
At Georgia State, he coached 24 players who earned all-conference honors and five Panthers got pro contracts. In 2020 and 2021, his run defense ranked second in the Sun Belt in rushing yards allowed and had 38 sacks and 92 tackles for loss. The Panthers went to four bowl games and won bowl games in 2017, 2020, and 2021.
He started his coaching career at Wofford in 2005 coaching linebackers before becoming defensive coordinator in 2013. Wofford ranked fifth nationally in total defense in 2016 when it reached the FCS quarterfinals.
Fuqua started as a nose tackle and offensive guard at Danville High School and is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame. He became a four-time All-Southern Conference player at Wofford and two-time All-American, including first-team as a senior in 2002. He had 218 career tackles and was also in the Wofford College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
“We are excited to have Nate Fuqua join our program,” Stoops said in a release from UK. “He brings a lot of experience as he’s been a defensive coach for more than 20 years, including a defensive coordinator for the last 11.
“He’s also a Kentucky native and is familiar with this program, having grown up in Danville. He is a welcomed addition to our defensive room.”
