Two former Nicholls coaches found a new path in coaching-one for a team in the National Football League and one for an in-state conference rival. Former Nicholls head football coaches Daryl Daye and Jay Thomas have found new coaching jobs with Daye serving as an assistant to Buffalo Bills’ head coach Chan Gailey and Thomas landing the assistant coaching job at Northwestern State.
Daye coached at Nicholls from 1999-2003. Daye’s responsibilities with the Bills include assisting Gailey in the team’s day-to-day administrative operation, as well as several training camp and travel duties.
“It’s a vast job description,” Daye said. “I’ll do everything from film evaluation to being in charge of officials. At Nicholls I had to do everything from fundraisers to getting ready for game day. This is kind of the same situation at a different level with a different style.”
Daye was named the 2002 Southland Conference Coach of the Year. Daye’s 2003 team broke 32 school records and played for the first-ever SLC championship.
That year, the Colonels finished the season ranked 32nd nationally and were among the top 45 percent in NCAA Division I-AA attendance.
Over the course of his career, the team went from a 1.7 overall grade-point average to a 2.5 GPA, more than 150 players were named to the All-SLC academic team and more than 40 players were named to the Verizon All-Academic All American team.
“We were blessed with a lot of great kids that came through the program,” Daye said. “What I remember the most is the relationships with the coaches. We made not just friends but family down there. They are very special to all of us. I’m very proud of the fact that all of our coaching staff ended up at various places. It was great to take a program with those guys and bring it up. We did it the right way by recruiting young kids and built it all the way up academically to being a winner.”
Thomas joined the coaching staff of Northwestern State as an assistant to head coach Bradley Dale Peveto. Thomas, who was the head coach at Nicholls from 2005-2009, will coach the defensive line for the Demons.
“We’re getting a great coach with a lot of tremendous experience and knowledge,” said Peveto. “He’s been a head coach in the Southland Conference for five years and has been coaching in this league for 13 years. Jay brings a wealth of knowledge coaching the defensive line and as a coordinator. He’s a great recruiter who clearly raised the talent level as head coach at Nicholls.
