He’s a captain of enthusiasm. He’s a human energy burst. He’s a passionate leader. He’s a documented coaching whiz on defense and special teams. He’s all in, for the long haul. And he’s going to do it the right way.
Those qualities have all been evident from the time Bradley Dale Peveto strode to the podium in front of 250 people on Dec. 22, 2008 to shake the hand of Northwestern State director of athletics Greg Burke before making his first remarks as the Demons’ head football coach.
He’s known as “Coach Peve” to many - “Big Daddy Peve” to others - and is a fast-bonding friend to anyone who crosses his path.
A pair of Texas couples visiting Natchitoches encountered him at lunch in a local restaurant. They came away feeling they had met the local Chamber of Commerce president, so detailed and effusive were his tips on places to visit, things to do and dining recommendations.
That personality has contributed to a long-recognized knack for recruiting. It’s been borne out at NSU both with players and coaches.
The Demons’ 2009 signing class, put together in six weeks after Peveto was hired, was ranked No. 1 in FCS by Rivals.com experts.
The 2010 class was rated No. 4 nationally among FCS schools in the Rivals.com rankings the day after National Signing Day. In 2011, apparently resulting from complaints by FBS programs, Rivals.com stopped ranking FCS signing classes - but Peveto and staff didn’t stop signing highly-recruited prospects.
Looking through his coaching staff, Peveto has blended accomplished NSU assistants with top-quality newcomers to Natchitoches such as former UCLA and Texas A&M assistant Gary DeLoach, former Southeastern Louisiana offensive coordinator Allen Rudolph and former Central Arkansas offensive coordinator Todd Cooley. His staff has followed his lead and is very active and visible in the community and with NSU alumni and supporters.
Peveto is a former LSU co-defensive coordinator whose highly-successful 24-year college football coaching career includes the Tigers’ 2007 BCS national championship and Northwestern State’s FCS semifinal playoff season of 1998.
Along with his head coaching duties, Peveto is the Demons’ linebackers coach. His expertise is undeniable. Senior Derek Rose has been an All-America selection in 2010 and 2011, with Peveto’s guidance undoubtedly speeding his progression. Peveto’s development of players at that position was critical to the success of the LSU Tiger defense that ranked among the top five in the nation in 2005-07. In 2007, linebacker Ali Highsmith earned first-team All-America honors from CBSsports.com, while also being named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press. Highsmith earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2006, while junior Darry Beckwith was a second-team All-SEC pick.
While coaching a position keeps Peveto engaged with the defense and gives him good perspective, he hangs his hat just as much on developing the character of his players and emphasizing academics. Not a day passes without an inspirational message. Daily in preseason camp and regularly throughout the year, the Demons go through “Character Education” sessions with speakers providing advice on life and the pursuit of excellence.
His focus on academic achievement is relentless. That showed up right away and was reflected in NSU posting one of the most improved Academic Progress Rate scores among any FCS football program in his first year, 2009-10. That 42 percent jump was reported in the May 2011 APR release by the NCAA and ranked seventh among the 117 FCS programs in Division I.
Peveto is the 13th head coach in the 102-year history of intercollegiate football at Northwestern. He was defensive coordinator for the Demons from 1996-98 under the school’s winningest head coach, Sam Goodwin.
Northwestern won the Southland Conference championship and reached the FCS playoffs in 1997 and 1998, going 12-2 in the SLC and 19-7 overall in those seasons. The 1998 team, outright SLC champions, finished with a No. 3 national ranking after reaching No. 2 at the outset of the national playoffs, hosting three postseason games in Turpin Stadium before a fourth-quarter rally by eventual national champion Massachusetts halted the 11-3 Demons in a semifinal game. The 1997 Demons shared the SLC title by winning six straight games after a 2-3 start, capping the run with a stirring 38-21 homefield triumph over rival Stephen F. Austin, denying the Lumberjacks a co-championship and a postseason berth.
Peveto has also been defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State and Houston, where he was also assistant head coach in 2002. He has also been part of coaching staffs at Arkansas, Southern Mississippi, Stephen F. Austin and Trinity Valley Community College. The Orangefield, Texas, native played in four bowl games from 1982-86 at SMU, where he was a safety, special teams star and team captain while the Mustangs went 43-14.
With Peveto on the sidelines as co-coordinator and linebackers coach in 2008, LSU’s defense ranked 17th in the nation in rushing defense (110 ypg) and 32nd in total defense (326 ypg). In his three previous years with LSU, Peveto held a dual role, serving as the special teams coordinator and coaching the Tiger linebackers.
As LSU’s special teams coordinator, Peveto had both his punter (Patrick Fisher) and placekicker (Colt David) earn first-team All-SEC honors in 2007. It marked the first time in school history that LSU had the All-SEC punter and kicker on its roster in the same season. Fisher averaged a league-best 44.5 yards per punt in 2007, while David kicked a school-record 26 field goals and led the SEC in scoring with a league record 147 total points.
In his three years as LSU’s special teams coordinator, the Tigers returned two punts for touchdowns and a pair of kickoffs for a score. They also blocked six kicks, converted 49-of-71 field goals and 165-of-167 extra points.
In 2005, Peveto’s impact was immediate as the Tigers fielded some of the best special teams units in the country. LSU ranked first in the SEC and fifth in the nation in net punting (39.0 average). The Tigers were also first in the conference in kickoff coverage (45.5 net average) and second in the league and 12th nationally in punt return average (14.1). LSU’s field goal and point-after-touchdown units were also much improved as the Tigers converted 45-of-46 PATs in 2005 and connected on 14-of-24 field goals.
Peveto (pronounced PEA-vit-toe) left LSU on a high note. He completed his duties as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at LSU when the Tigers dominated Georgia Tech in the 2009 Chick-Fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. LSU’s defense shackled the nation’s No. 1 rushing offense in a 38-3 rout. Several of his final LSU recruits helped the Tigers win the 2011 SEC title and reach another national championship game.
In his three years as defensive coordinator at Northwestern (1996-98), Peveto’s defense quickly earned the nickname “Purple Swarm” and coined the phrase “Swarm, Baby, Swarm” for his attacking defensive style, which had NSU ranked nationally in several statistical categories during each of his three seasons. Four of his players earned All-America honors. In addition, four Demon players were selected in the NFL draft, three after the 1998 season, including current Washington Redskins safety Mike Green.
Under his direction, the Demon defense also set single-game records for fewest yards allowed, fewest rushing yards allowed, and most quarterback sacks. NSU also set school season records for most defensive touchdowns scored. In addition, the “Purple Swarm” also set season records for quarterback sacks in two of his three seasons, accumulating 52 in 1998 and 122 in the last three years.
Peveto comes from a family with a rich football coaching tradition. His late father, Ed, coached high school football in the southeast Texas area and was inducted into the Greater Houston Coaches Hall of Honor in 1993 and into the Golden Triangle Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997. Two of his brothers, Jeff and Garey Birt, coached at high schools in the southeast Texas area.
Peveto is married to the former Melissa Weser, and the couple has a daughter, Payton Marie (10), and a son, Jacob Edward (8).
