Northern Arizona names Greene defensive coordinator, Mays running backs coach

Northern Arizona head coach Brian Wright announced on January 12 that the Lumberjacks have added two assistants aimed at shaping the program's defensive identity and rushing development. Trenton Greene will serve as defensive coordinator and safeties coach, while Preston Mays joins as running backs coach in his first collegiate post.

Greene arrives from Montana State, where he coached cornerbacks during the Bobcats' 2025-26 FCS national championship season. His resume includes a safeties coach stint at Missouri Southern State and analyst and quality-control roles at Arizona State, Washington State and Nevada. Those stops give Greene a mix of position-teaching experience and scheme study at both FCS and Power Five levels, and he is expected to translate a championship-room mentality into NAU's secondary and overall defensive structure.

Mays spent the last six years at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School, rising to offensive coordinator and helping pilot an offense that averaged 35 points per game. The NAU hire marks his first collegiate coaching role, moving from prep-school player development to a position coach responsible for the Lumberjacks' backfield technique, ball security and rushing schemes. His background in preparing recruits and younger players for the college game figures to be particularly useful during spring practice and the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Both hires underscore a focus on blending winning experience with hands-on development work. Greene brings recent championship-room experience and defensive scheme detail; Mays brings a track record of building productive rushing units and preparing players for college-level demands. Expect Greene to install coverage concepts and tighten run fits in the secondary, while Mays will work on fundamentals that can immediately affect third-down conversions and red-zone efficiency.

For players and recruiters, these moves send a clear signal: NAU is prioritizing staff who can coach technique and sell a development pathway. For current Lumberjacks, the change means new terminology and likely shifts in practice emphasis when spring ball begins. For the Flagstaff community and season-ticket holders, the hires offer concrete reasons to watch the secondary and the run game as early indicators of progress.

The takeaway? Greene's championship pedigree and Mays' prep-school development chops give NAU practical building blocks. Our two cents? Keep an eye on the secondary and the ground game in spring practices — that’s where these hires will show their value and where the program’s next step should be most visible.