It was only a matter of time before NC State assistant Ryan Nielsen got a promotion of some kind, whether that was elsewhere in the college ranks or in the NFL. On Tuesday afternoon, Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren announced that Nielsen is leaving to become the DL coach for the New Orleans Saints. It’s a tough loss for the program.
Nielsen, who served in that same capacity for the Wolfpack, had been on Doeren’s staff since his first season in Raleigh. He helped to build one of the most disruptive and skilled defensive lines in the country, which helped the defense make some significant strides overall.