A long-time assistant with coaching and recruiting ties to the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, Buddy Wyatt was hired in December 2006 by Coach Bill Callahan to guide the Husker defensive line.

Wyatt jumped right into the fray as he assisted the Huskers during their preparations for the Cotton Bowl, where NU’s starting defensive front four combined for 17 tackles, including three for loss and two sacks. This year Wyatt will oversee replacing four starters on the line while working with a solid core of young talent.

In June of 2007, Wyatt was recognized when he was selected to participate in the Expert Coaches Academy, an NCAA program that addresses the critical shortage of ethnic minorities in head coaching positions in the sport of college football, primarily at the Division I level. He is the third Husker assistant in the past two years to be invited.

Wyatt came to the Huskers with 15 years of Division I coaching experience, including spending his previous four seasons as the defensive line coach at the University of Alabama. During Wyatt’s tenure in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide annually ranked among the nation’s top defenses.

Alabama ranked 18th nationally in total defense and 29th in scoring defense during the 2006 campaign. A year earlier, the defense paced the Crimson Tide to a 10-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory, ranking first nationally in scoring defense (10.7 ppg), second in total defense (255.1 ypg) and ninth against the run (94.3 ypg). Alabama also ranked second nationally in total defense (245.5 ypg) and was seventh in scoring defense in 2004.

Wyatt is also recognized as one of the nation’s top recruiters. Wyatt has been responsible for recruiting the Mississippi High School Player of Year to the Crimson Tide program each of his last two seasons—running back Terry Grant in 2006 and Jimmy Johns in 2005.  Wyatt helped attract top-20 ranked recruiting classes to Tuscaloosa in each of his last three campaigns, while focusing much of his recruiting efforts in the state of Florida.

A native of Victoria, Texas, Wyatt also has an outstanding track record of recruiting in the state of Texas, specifically during his time at Texas A&M from 2000 to 2002. Among Wyatt’s top recruits with the Aggies was defensive lineman Johnny Jolly, a rookie with the Green Bay Packers in 2006.

In addition to his most recent stop at Alabama, Wyatt has five years of experience at Big 12 Conference schools, including working as a defensive line coach at Oklahoma State, Colorado and Texas A&M.

Wyatt took over the Alabama defensive line after three seasons as part of R.C. Slocum’s coaching staff at Texas A&M from 2000 to 2002. While with the Aggies, Wyatt helped coach future NFL players Rocky Bernard, Ty Warren, Ronald Edwards and Ronald Flemons, and assisted on two A&M teams that played in bowl games. Nebraska Associate Athletic Director for Football Operations Tim Cassidy was on the Texas A&M staff with Wyatt.

Wyatt was a member of Gary Barnett’s coaching staffs for three seasons from 1997 to 1999. He coached the Northwestern defensive line in 1997 and 1998, then moved to the University of Colorado with Barnett in 1999, where he helped the Buffs to an appearance in the Insight.com Bowl. While Wyatt was a member of Barnett’s staffs he worked with Husker offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, who served as an offensive assistant under Barnett at both schools.

Wyatt’s first stop in the Big 12 Conference came at Oklahoma State in 1996, where he served as the defensive line coach for Bob Simmons. While with the Cowboys, Wyatt coached defensive tackle Jamal Williams, who is currently one of the top defensive linemen in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers.

The first full-time coaching stop for Wyatt came at the University of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995. He served under Head Coach Jim Wacker, who was Wyatt’s college coach at TCU.

Wyatt played for the Horned Frogs as a defensive lineman from 1986 to 1989. He graduated from TCU with a degree in education in 1990. After two seasons in the professional ranks, Wyatt returned to his alma mater where he served as a graduate assistant during the 1991 campaign.

Wyatt is joined in Lincoln by his wife, Andrea, and children Fredrick and Ariel.