Nevada Football announces Ronnie Wheat as safeties coach

Nevada football will be adding LSU assistant Ronnie Wheat as its new safeties coach, head coach Jay Norvell announced Friday.

Wheat spent seven seasons as the lead defensive analyst with LSU, beginning in 2013 under coordinator David Aranda. He was on the staff for LSU’s most recent National Championship title.

“We’re very excited to bring Ronnie Wheat to our staff,” Norvell said. “Ronnie has coached linebackers and been a recruiting coordinator in his career. At LSU, he was the lead analyst on defense and worked directly with defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. He was a major contributor in helping LSU put together a championship defense, which is exactly what we are working to do here at Nevada.”

Wheat worked with the linebacker corps under Aranda in recent seasons. He helped develop NFL linebackers, which include rookie Devin White (TAM), along with Kendell Beckwith (TAM), Duke Riley (ATL, PHI) and Lamin Barrow (DEN, CHI). Wheat has also worked with pro bowl linebackers Deion Jones (ATL) and Kwon Alexander (TAM, SF), who has earned a starting role for the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54.

He previously coached as a graduate assistant/recruiting coordinator for five seasons at Millsaps, his alma mater.