After spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons at UCF, Mike Dawson returns to Orlando as the Knights’ defensive run game coordinator and edge coach. Dawson was a member of Frost’s staff during his stint with the program during UCF’s 2017 National Championship run.
“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to join Coach Frost’s staff,” said Dawson. “Having previously worked with him at Nebraska and UCF, I’ve seen firsthand the passion, leadership, and commitment he brings to the game, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Scott.
“I’m looking forward to contributing to the success of this program, working with an outstanding group of coaches, and helping our players grow both on and off the field.”
Dawson rejoins the Knights following a year as a senior defensive analyst for Kansas in 2024 and a season at Ohio State in a similar capacity in 2023. He spent a total of four seasons on Nebraska's coaching staff with Frost as well. Dawson coached Nebraska’s defensive line in 2018, before spending the 2019 season as the outside linebackers coach for the New York Giants. He returned to Lincoln to coach the outside linebackers in 2020 and 2021 and the defensive line/edge rushers in 2022.
His defensive line featured a pair of All-Big Ten performers in his first year at Nebraska and he helped key a Cornhuskers unit that moved up 27 spots in the national scoring defense rankings from the 2017 season. The line helped Nebraska total 25 sacks, 11 more than the Huskers recorded the previous season.
In addition to the pressure created by the defensive line, the unit also helped the Huskers post the ninth-most pass breakups in school history (58). In 2020, Dawson’s outside linebackers helped Nebraska rank among the top of the Big Ten Conference in total defense and lower its opponent rushing yards per attempt. Outside linebacker JoJo Domann led the team with 58 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss en route to earning All-Big Ten honors.
Dawson played a key role in the continued improvement of the Nebraska defense in 2021. Nebraska allowed 22.7 points per game, the fewest points allowed in 11 seasons. The Huskers also allowed their fewest yards per game in five seasons at 366.0 per game.
Individually, Dawson oversaw the continued development of outside linebackers Caleb Tannor and Garrett Nelson. Tannor finished the season with a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss, while Nelson led Nebraska in TFLs (10.5) and sacks (5) ranking among the Big Ten leaders in both categories.
In 2022, Dawson coached Nebraska's defensive line and edge rushers. Nelson again led Nebraska in TFLs (9.0) and sacks (5.5) while former walk-on Colton Feist had a career year in his first season as a starter with 46 tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss. On the season, 34.5 of Nebraska's 60 TFLs came from Dawson's players as did 15 of the Huskers' 21 sacks.
In his previous two seasons at UCF in 2016 and 2017, he helped turn around the Knights’ defense. UCF improved by more than 12 points per game in scoring defense during Dawson’s tenure, and the defense forced 58 turnovers and scored nine defensive touchdowns in his two seasons. UCF ranked third nationally in turnovers forced in Dawson’s two seasons at the school, and his defensive line played a key role in that area by helping the Knights recover 23 fumbles.
With Dawson on the staff, UCF's defense saw incredible success in 2016. UCF led the American Athletic Conference in five defensive statistical categories, ranked second in the nation in red zone defense and third in the nation with five defensive touchdowns.
The Knights also ranked ninth in the nation with 7.9 tackles-for-loss per game and 17th overall with 2.92 sacks per game. Noseguard Jamiyus Pittman was named to the All-American Athletic Conference Second Team after recording 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries.
In 2017, the defensive line was the strength of the UCF defense. The Knights successfully rotated up to nine defensive linemen into virtually every game, keeping the front three fresh and leading to successful defense. Dawson coached senior defensive end Jamiyus Pittman to first team all-conference honors, while sophomore Trysten Hill was named to the league's second team.
Former Eagles head coach and current San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly hired Dawson in January 2013 to be a defensive quality control coach. That year, the organization tied for third in the NFL in games holding their opponents to 21-or-fewer points, and tied for third in the league with 31 takeaways. Philadelphia won the NFC East title in 2013 with a 10-6 record.
Dawson served as assistant defensive line coach from 2014-15, with the 2014 team completing the year fifth in the NFL by holding opponents to just 3.7 yards per rush. The Eagles also tied for the second most sacks with 49.
Before joining the Eagles, Dawson was away from the coaching ranks when he agreed to be the athletic director at North Middlesex High School in Massachusetts in January 2012. That was the same school Dawson served as a football captain when it went undefeated in 1992, while he also played for the hockey team.
From 2009-11, Dawson worked as Boston College's special teams coordinator. In 2010, freshman kicker Nate Freese went 22-for-25 in field-goal attempts, while punter Ryan Quigley collected 26 punts inside the 20. A year earlier, kicker Steve Aponavicius took over as the Eagles' all-time leading scorer with 290 points, and he finished his career ranked first in school history in field-goal percentage and extra points made.
In his first full-time assistant coaching position at the FBS level, Dawson was in charge of the linebackers at Akron from 2006-08. Brion Stokes paced the team in tackles in 2007, and he was among the Mid-American Conference's top-10 in tackles for loss and sacks. Stokes went on to be an All-MAC Second Team pick that year, and he capped off his career as a Zip with 38.5 tackles for loss, good for second on Akron's all-time list.
Dawson began a six-year stint at New Hampshire as a linebackers coach in 2000 before ultimately climbing to be the defensive coordinator from 2004-05. The 2005 Wildcats reached the FCS quarterfinals as the defense helped UNH lead the nation in takeaways with 45. New Hampshire combined for a 21-5 record from 2004-05.
Starting his coaching career, Dawson first served as a defensive line coach in the spring of 1998 for UMass-Lowell, then joined Maine as a defensive assistant (1998-99) and Pittsburgh as a graduate assistant (fall 1999).
Dawson was a three-year starter at linebacker and defensive end from 1994-96 at UMass-Amherst where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in sports management in 1997.
A native of Pepperell, Mass., Dawson and his wife, Jodi, have a son, Frankie.