RUSTON – Louisiana Tech head football coach Sonny Cumbie has announced the promotion of Nathan Young as the program's new offensive coordinator. Young replaces Tony Franklin who recently announced his retirement.
 
"We are excited to announce the promotion of Nathan Young to Offensive Coordinator," stated Cumbie. "Nathan is one of the smartest, and most creative football coaches I have had the opportunity to work with. He is ready for this opportunity to lead our offense in this new expanded role. His impact in our run game this past season was seen, and we will build off that and continue to play winning football on offense. With the players and coaches returning, we're excited about what 2026 will bring for the Bulldogs!"
 
In addition to serving as the offensive line coach for the past four seasons (2022-25), Young was the co-offensive coordinator in 2024, including the final eight games as the team's primary play caller.
 
In 2025, Young's offensive line paved the way for four 300-yard rushing games, including a season-high 426 yards against Sam Houston, the most by a Bulldog team in a single game since 1991. Tech registered three games with five or more rushing scores with six against Sam Houston and five scores on the ground versus Liberty and Missouri State.
 
The Bulldogs had the second-best rushing attack in Conference USA at 195.4 yards per game, which ranked 24^th nationally. LA Tech recorded seven individual 100-yard rushing performances, including four by quarterbacks, something that had been accomplished just once in program history prior to the 2025 season.
 
"The appointment of Nathan Young as offensive coordinator will assure that the improvements on offense will continue to build off a top 25 rushing attack we established in 2025 as well as the No. 2 scoring offense in the conference against league opponents," said Tony Franklin. "Nathan is a brilliant football mind who played a huge role in the revitalization of the offense in 2025, and he will be one of college football's best young coordinators. I am excited to watch him and coach Luke Olson lead LA Tech to many Sunbelt Conference wins and championships as together they will make a dynamic duo of two of the top coordinators in the game."
 
The 2024 season saw Young take over as the play caller for the final eight games of the regular season after being handed the reins to the offensive prior to the Middle Tennessee State game. In his first game as offensive coordinator, Young and the Bulldogs posted a season-high 551 yards, accumulating a season-best 329 yards through the air with six scores, along with a season-high 222 rushing yards.

The Bulldog offense registered six 100+ yard rushing performances with Young as a play caller and seven total for the season. Young's offensive line, anchored by All-CUSA honorable mention guard Bert Hale, helped pass block for an offensive unit that ranked fourth in CUSA with 223.4 pass yards per game.
 
In 2023, he tutored a Bulldog offensive line that protected the quarterback position in the passing offense, which ranked third in Conference USA at 260.9 yards per game while registering four 300-yard passing games. Behind excellent run-blocking, the Bulldogs eclipsed the 100-yard mark in rushing seven times, highlighted by a 357-yard rushing performance in a win over Northwestern State.  As a team, the 'Dogs averaged 384.7 yards of total offense per game while ranking third in CUSA in first downs gained with 243.
 
Under Young's guidance in 2022, the Bulldog offensive line paved the way for seven 100+ yard rushing games.  His linemen helped pave the way for a passing game that ranked 32nd nationally at 267.2 yards per game.  Four offensive linemen earned Honorable Mention All-CUSA honors.
 
Young came to Ruston after serving as the offensive line coach at Stephen F. Austin for three seasons.  Prior to SFA, he spent two years at San Antonio's Madison High School (2017-18) after coaching nine seasons at his alma mater, Abilene Christian (2008-16). 
 
He was a two-time First Team NCAA Division II All-American as a player at ACU in 2006 and 2007 and was named the Lonestar Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year both seasons.  Young was inducted into the Abilene Christian Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

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