Fresno State defeats Colorado 69-14 at Bulldog Stadium
Last updated on Feb. 20, 2013
Nick Toth (pronounced TOETH) is in his second season as the defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs and is the position coach for the linebackers. He was hired on Jan. 4, 2012.
Toth's first season at Fresno State marked a successful overhaul of the Bulldog defense with vivid results.
In the first year running Toth's 3-4 defense, Fresno State ranked in the top 25 of the FBS in six defensive categories. The Bulldogs were 22nd in total defense (338.9 ypg), ninth in sacks (3.08 per game), fourth in pass efficiency defense (100.75) and second in pass defense (167.2 ypg).
In addition, Fresno State also ranked fifth nationally in take-aways with 35, third in interceptions with 22 and the Bulldogs scored eight defensive touchdowns on the year.
The turnover department was one that Fresno State had struggled with on the defensive side of the ball before Toth's arrival. Fresno State had ranked 111th or worse in turnovers gained in each of the six previous seasons and had no more than 16 take-aways in any of those years.
After having only nine turnovers gained in 2011, the year before Toth's hiring, Fresno State came back in 2012 and recorded the greatest turnover turnaround in the FBS since the turn of the century. Finishing with 35 take-aways in 2012, the Bulldogs' differential in turnovers gained in one season under Toth was plus-26.
NICK TOTH PROFILE
Hometown
Cleveland, Ohio
Date of Birth
Oct. 16, 1975
Education
•Ohio (1999)-bachelor's in political science
•Ohio (2001)-master's in athletic administration
Playing History
RB & DB, Ohio (1994-99)
Family
Wife: Jennifer Sons: Nicholas (6), Michael (4), Johnathon (1)
COACHING HISTORY
•2012-Present: Fresno State (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
•2010-11: Texas A&M (Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator)
•2009: The Citadel (Defensive Backs/Special Teams)
•2007-08: Ashland (Ohio) University (Defensive Coordinator)
•2006: Mercyhurst (Pa.) College (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
•2005: Elon (Defensive Backs/Special Teams Coordinator)
•2002: Dakota State (Madison, S.D.) Univ. (Defensive Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
•2000-01: Ohio(Graduate Assistant/Defense)
CHAMPIONSHIPS AND BOWL GAMES AS A COACH
•2012: Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl (Fresno State)
•2011: Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Texas A&M)
•2010 (2011): Cotton Bowl (Texas A&M)
Not only did the team flourish under Toth, by his players achieved statuses never gained before at Fresno State.
Strong safety Phillip Thomas became Fresno State's first-ever unanimous All-American in 2012. Thomas was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, won the CFPA Defensive Back Trophy and was the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after leading the nation with eight interceptions.
Free safety Derron Smith went on to earn first-team All-Mountain West accolades after tying for sixth nationally with six interceptions. Nose guard Tyeler Davison was also a first-team all-conference selection and in all, Toth's defense produced seven all-conference honorees in 2012.
Toth came to Fresno State from Texas A&M where he was the outside linebackers coach while also serving as the Aggies' special teams coordinator in 2010 and 2011.
In his first season with the Aggies Toth oversaw the development of linebacker Von Miller, who captured the prestigious Butkus Award during an All-American campaign in 2010. Miller went on to be the No. 2 overall pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2011 NFL Draft.
In 2011, Toth helped direct the A&M defense that led the nation in sacks with 51.
Prior to his two seasons at Texas A&M, Toth was the defensive backs coach and special teams coach at The Citadel in 2009.
Toth gained three years of experience working as a defensive coordinator from 2006-08. In 2006, he was the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at Mercyhurst (Pa.) college and from 2007-08 he was Ashland (Ohio) University's defensive coordinator.
He came to Fresno State with great knowledge of the secondary, as he coached the defensive backs at Elon (2005), Ohio (2004) and Dakota State (2002). Toth was also the special teams coordinator at Elon, spent the 2003 season as the tight ends coach at Ohio and he was a defensive graduate assistant with the Bobcasts from 2000-01.
A graduate of Ohio University in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in political science, Toth played running back and defensive back for the Bobcats form 1994-99. After graduating, he worked on year on the high school level before returning to Ohio as a graduate assistant. He earned his master's degree in athletic administration from Ohio in 2001.
Toth is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and was born on Oct. 16, 1975. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three sons; Nicholas IV (7), Michael (5) and Johnathon (2).
