Nurse is going into his fourth season in Cheney after taking over cornerbacks for the 2022 campaign.
In his first year, he helped Eagle defensive back Marlon Jones Jr. to Third Team All-Big Sky honors last season as EWU ranked 3rd in the conference as a team with 13 interceptions, 2nd in defensive TDs with 2, and 4th in passing yards allowed per game (215.2). Jones earned a First Team honors for the 2023 season after grabbing three interceptions and recording 35.0 tackles during the season. In 2024, DaJean Wells earned an Honorable Mention from the conference after tallying 12 pass breakups that ranked second in the Big Sky and 16th in the FCS.
Prior to Eastern, Nurse served as Defensive Coordinator at Carroll College (Mont.), leading the Fighting Saints to a Spring 2021 Frontier Conference Championship and NAIA Playoffs appearance, their first since 2014. Carroll led the Frontier Conference with six interceptions in four games while six players earned All-Conference recognition.
Nurse coached at Big Sky rival Cal Poly prior to Carroll College and has had two coaching stints at UC Davis. He coached cornerbacks and the nickels group at Davis for the 2015-18 seasons, including the Aggies’ 2018 squad that tied EWU (and Weber State) atop the conference leaderboard at 7-1. DB Keleen Culberson earned Big Sky Honorable Mention honors in 2016. Nurse’s resume also boasts coaching stops at Boise State, The Citadel, Houston, North Dakota and Minnesota-Crookston.
Nurse excelled as a corner and safety at BSU from 1999-2003, helping the Broncos to two Big West and two Western Athletic Conference titles. He earned All-WAC honors twice; Second Team as a junior in 2002 and First Team as a senior in 2003.
He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2004. He and his wife, Valerie, are parents of three children: Jaiden, Treyvn and Caysen.
