Northeastern State University Men's Football

In just his second season leading the Northeastern State University Football program, Head Coach Darrin Chiaverini engineered one of the largest turnarounds in all of college football and delivered one of the greatest seasons in RiverHawks history. After laying the groundwork for improvement in 2024, Chiaverini and the RiverHawks surged to a 9-3 record in 2025, capturing the First American Bowl Championship, marking NSU’s largest year-to-year win jump since the 1994 national championship season and the program’s most wins in a season since 2000. The 2025 campaign reset expectations, shattered records, and re-established Northeastern State as a rising force regionally and nationally.  On January 2, 2026 College Football Network selected Coach Chiaverini as the Division 2 Coach of the Year. The RiverHawks’ transformation was historic. NSU set school records for total points (483), touchdowns (65), and points per game (40.3), outscoring opponents by 282 points across the season. The team closed the year on a dominant seven-game winning streak, overwhelming opponents by 255 total points during that stretch and capping the season with a 56-21 victory over East Central University in the inaugural First Americans Bowl. Behind Chiaverini’s leadership, the RiverHawks became one of the most explosive and balanced offenses in the country while fielding one of the most opportunistic defenses in school history. Among the season’s defining moments were three of Chiaverini’s first signature “brick games” performances that anchor the long-term foundation he is constructing in Tahlequah. The campaign opened with a statement win in the 48th annual Red Feather Classic, where NSU stunned Saginaw Valley State 28–21 despite entering as 25-point underdogs. In late October, the RiverHawks reclaimed the President’s Cup for the first time since 2013, defeating in-state rival Central Oklahoma in a wire-to-wire performance. NSU capped the regular season with a dramatic comeback victory over West Alabama, shutting out the Tigers 16–0 in the fourth quarter to secure a 33–20 win over a playoff program from the year prior. The 2025 offense reached unprecedented heights under Chiaverini’s system, averaging 441.5 yards per game and 7.3 yards per play, while producing 3,422 passing yards, 1,876 rushing yards, 33 rushing touchdowns, and 27 passing touchdowns. Quarterback Donnie Smith delivered a historic season, setting school records with a 71.8% completion percentage and 231 completions. Running back Ramon McKinney Jr. became NSU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2012, ranking among the program’s best all-time in all-purpose yards and scrimmage touchdowns. Also, for the first time in school history NSU had a 3,000 yard passer in Donnie Smith, a 1,000 yard rusher in Ramon McKinney Jr. and a 1,000 yard receiver in LaVontae Shenault.  The RiverHawks also made history with a rare offensive trio, as McKinney, La’Vontae Shenault, and Cameron Woods became the first group in school history to feature a 1,000-yard rusher alongside two receivers exceeding 800 receiving yards. Shenault finished second all-time at NSU with 75 receptions, and second all time with 1,044 yards, while Woods capped his RiverHawks career with another All-American caliber season. Special teams were a major strength as well. Kicker Troy Nguyen delivered one of the greatest seasons in NSU history, breaking the school record for PATs by going a perfect 52-for-52, and setting the single-season scoring record for a kicker with 79 total points, a crucial component of the program’s offensive surge. The RiverHawks defense was equally impactful, allowing just 18.50 points per game, a dramatic improvement from years past and establishing themselves as one of the nation’s elite ball-hawking units. The RiverHawks set a school record with 22 interceptions, producing six multi-interception games and four pick-six touchdowns. Defensive back Marvelous Owens led the way with seven interceptions, while three defenders recorded 10+ tackles for loss, and the unit combined for 16 sacks and a season of consistent disruption. Coach Chiaverini’s transformational leadership, strategic vision, and ability to maximize player development have propelled Northeastern State into a new era. The 2025 season stands as one of the most successful and defining campaigns in RiverHawks football history, proof of the culture, discipline, and competitive identity Chiaverini has instilled in Tahlequah. With a revitalized foundation, national recognition, and continued momentum, Chiaverini has positioned NSU as a program on the rise and a contender for years to come. Chiaverini comes to NSU from Chaffey College, where he took over a program that was a combined 2-18 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In his first season with the Panthers, he completely revitalized the program, coaching the team to an 11-0 record and ending the season as the American Metro Conference Champions and 2023 American Division Bowl Champions.   Chiaverini’s other accolades from the 2023 campaign include QB Dereun Dortch being named American Metro Conference MVP and Chiaverini being awarded the title of American Metro Conference Coach of the Year. The Panthers also set four school records during the 2023 campaign, including 46.0 ppg (ranked #1 in conference, T-#1 in CA), 513.0 ypg (ranked #1 in conference, #2 in CA), 58% - 3rd Down Conversions (ranked #1 in conference, #1 in CA), and 89% - Red Zone Scoring (ranked #1 in conference, #1 in CA).   Chiaverini spent the 2022 season as senior analyst for UCLA. Under his leadership, UCLA’s offense was ranked fourth in the country with 507.8 ypg, and ranked ninth in the country averaging 39.6 ppg. UCLA finished the season ranked 17th in the final AP Poll, and earned a berth in the Sun Bowl in El Paso Texas.   Prior to his time at UCLA, Chiaverini was on the staff of his alma mater, the University of Colorado, filling several positions during his tenure from 2016-2021. In those six years, he was wide receivers coach (all six years), offensive coordinator (five seasons), assistant head coach (one year) and briefly interim head coach, while also serving in the dual role of recruiting coordinator. He has been nationally recognized for his recruiting efforts; Rivals.com named him one of the top 25 recruiters in the country for the three recruiting classes pre-COVID (2018, 2019 and 2020).   Under Chiaverini's mentorship during his time at Colorado, he coached five receivers that finished among the university’s all-time top 20 in yards (passing Chiaverini on the list, dropping him down to 21st). He also worked with the top two quarterbacks in passing yards in CU history, Sefo Liufau and Steven Montez.   Chiaverini was the special teams coordinator and outside receivers coach during the 2014-15 seasons for Texas Tech. During his tenure with the Red Raiders, he recruited from the Dallas, Houston, and the Southern California regions. One of his players, Jakeem Grant, earned second-team All-America honors at kick returner for the 2015 season.   Prior to his time at Texas Tech, he spent four years at Riverside (Calif.) City College from 2010-2013, where he was the associate head coach and co-offensive and special teams coordinator, in addition to being in charge of recruiting. Riverside was 40-5 during his four years and produced 15 NCAA Division I players.   His special teams units at Riverside were some of the best of the junior college ranks, with an impressive 22 blocked kicks in four seasons. Chiaverini coached the top punt returner in the state of California in 2011 and 2012, while Riverside's offense led California in scoring in 2011 and in total offense in 2013.   Before Riverside, he rejoined his college coach, Rick Neuheisel, as the assistant special teams coach at UCLA for the 2009 season. He helped pilot one of the top units in the Pac-10 conference and the Bruins captured the Eagle Bank Bowl trophy with a 30-21 win over Temple.   Chiaverini got his start in coaching at Mt. San Antonio College in 2007, starting as a receivers coach and then promoted to co-offensive coordinator in 2008.   Prior to his coaching career, Chiaverini was one of Neuheisel’s first commitments in Colorado’s 1995 recruiting class. He earned four letters from 1995-98 and served as one of the team captains his senior season. He caught 97 passes for 1,199 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 12.4 yards per reception in his career, exiting at the time as CU’s seventh all-time receiver. He remains in the top 15 in both catches and yards. He led the team as a senior with 52 catches for 630 yards and five scores.   He was a member of three CU bowl champion teams (Cotton, Holiday and Aloha), making an additional 10 catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns, one a 72-yard bomb from his best friend, quarterback Mike Moschetti, against Oregon in the ’98 Aloha Bowl.   He was a fifth-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 National Football League Draft and went on to set the club’s rookie receiving record with 44 catches for 487 yards and four touchdowns. He spent four years in the NFL, also playing for Dallas and Atlanta; he would conclude his NFL career with 62 catches for 662 yards and seven scores. He then finished his professional playing days with the Austin Wranglers in the Arena Football League.   Chiaverini was born on October 12, 1977 in Orange, Calif., and graduated from Corona (Calif.) High School, where he was a USA Today honorable mention All-American in football and an All-County performer in baseball. He is married to Shannon (Burchfield) Chiaverini, and the couple has two children, Curtis, who was a player and student coach for the Colorado Buffaloes and currently serves as a coach at Northeastern State University, and Kaylie who graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with honors. She will start graduate school in the spring of 2025.    AT-A-GLANCE—He has coached in 106 Division I-A (FBS) games as a full-time coach, and has coached in four bowl games (2009 Eagle Bank, 2015 Texas, 2016 Alamo, 2020 Alamo)   COACHING HISTORY Season: Team – Position 2008: Mt. San Antonio College – Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach 2009: UCLA – Special Teams Assistant Coach 2010: Riverside City College – Co-Off. Coordinator/Associate HC/ Special Teams Coordinator 2011: Riverside City College – Co-Off. Coordinator/Associate HC/ Special Teams Coordinator 2012: Riverside City College – Co-Off. Coordinator/Associate HC/ Special Teams Coordinator 2013: Riverside City College – Co-Off. Coordinator/Associate HC/ Special Teams Coordinator 2014: Texas Tech University – Special Teams Coordinator 2015: Texas Tech University – Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Receivers Coach 2016: University of Colorado – Co-Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 2017: University of Colorado – Co-Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 2018: University of Colorado – Co-Offensive Coordinator/WR Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 2019: University of Colorado – Assistant HC/WR Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Interim HC 2020: University of Colorado – Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach 2021: University of Colorado – Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach 2022: UCLA – Offensive Analyst – Tight Ends/Wide Receivers 2023: Chaffey College – Head Coach  

Noah Sutherland enters his second season on the Northeastern State football staff as its Offensive Line Coach, while he enters his first season as Run Game Coordinator. In Sutherland's first season in 2024, the rushing attack saw significant improvement, with the offensive front paving the way for the gain of 558 additional yards from the previous season, improving by 0.7 yards per attempt. The team added 40.8 more rushing yards per game, and scoring 11 more touchdowns than the previous season. The offensive line also helped NSU to their highest single-game rushing touchdown total since 2001 when the RiverHawks landed six scores on the ground against Lincoln (Ca.) on Oct. 26.  Coach Sutherland came to Tahlequah in Jan. 2024 from Cal Lutheran where he had two stints with the Kingsmen.  He coached two offensive linemen to Second Team All-Conference selections and the offense was second in the conference for rushing touchdowns. As the tight end coach, Sutherland helped a Kingsmen tight end lead the conference in touchdowns at the position.  In between his time at Cal Lutheran, Sutherland spent time at Northern Arizona University where he was the Offensive Assistant and coached the offensive line. He coached three All-Big Sky selections. In 2019, the offense was first in the Football Championship Series (FCS), fifth in total offense, 10th in scoring offense, and 23rd in sacks allowed.  Before Sutherland got into coaching, he played football at UCLA from 2003-07. He started 23 games at offensive tackle and guard and also saw playing time at defensive tackle and tight end. He was a member of the Leadership Council during his junior and senior seasons.  Sutherland continued his athletic career with the Oakland Raiders and went to the Rookie Camp Tryout as an offensive tackle in 2008.  In 2007, he graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in History. In 2020, he added a Master's of Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona.  

Landon Corwin is in his second season on the Northeastern State football staff, where he serves as an offensive student assistant coach. Previously, Corwin played at Jenks HS, where he earned All-District honors at tight end and graduated in 2024.

Jeremy Atwell enters his second season with Northeastern State Football program as Special Teams Coordinator and Safties coach, while the 2025 campaign marks his first as Assistant Head Coach. In his first season at NSU, Atwell coached kicker Troy Nguyen to the most successful season in Tahlequah at the position in over a decade. Nguyen would score 57 points, the most for a kicker since 2011, while knocking down seven field goals with a season long of 49 yards. Atwell coached the punting unit to their highest average yardage total (41.3) of Northeastern State's NCAA era. Atwell additionally helped in coaching a defense that allowed 6.36 fewer points per game and 70 fewer points overall, as well as achieving their first shutout victory since 2011 with a 48-0 triumph over Lincoln (Ca.) on Oct. 26. He helped develop a pass defense that surrendered 741 yards and 24 fewer first downs through the air. Atwell came to Tahlequah in the winter of 2024 after spending the 2023 season as Northwestern State’s linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.  He was previously the defensive coordinator at Albany State where he built a defense that led the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in pass efficiency defense and was second in the league in scoring defense in conference games, allowing just 7.4 points per game, and in third-down defense, al- lowing a 31.1-percent conversion rate. Under Atwell, the Rams were a top-10 unit nationally in scoring defense (14.9 points per game) and produced four All-SI- AC selections. Before his one season at Albany State, Atwell was the defensive coordinator at New Mexico Highlands for two seasons. Atwell’s 2021 defense ranked third nationally in Division II in interceptions, leading the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. It also led the RMAC in total turnovers forced, ranking 11th nationally in that category as the Cowboys posted their most wins (6) since 2012. That defense, which ranked fourth in the RMAC in third-down defense, produced three All-RMAC selections. Atwell’s two seasons at New Mexico Highlands came after six years coaching at Louisiana high schools. During the 2019 season, Atwell was the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Terrebonne High School, coordinating an offense that averaged 33.5 points per game and committed just five turnovers. Atwell’s Thibodaux team featured four FBS prospects — three of whom signed with Power Five programs. Atwell spent five seasons as the head coach at Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma, taking the Terriers to the state playoffs each season. Before his high school excursion, Atwell spent nine seasons on staff at Nicholls as the Colonels’ assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. While with Nicholls, Atwell produced a remarkable turnaround on defense — lifting the Colonels upward in five major statistical categories in two seasons. Under Atwell’s tutelage, the Colonels were the least-penalized defense in the Southland and ranked in the top four in third-down conversion percentage, pass defense, and total defense while creating 22 total turnovers. Atwell’s time at Nicholls produced 21 All-Southland honorees, three All-Americans, and a pair of NFL Draft picks — Lardarius Webb (Baltimore) and Kareem Moore (Washington). From 2002-05, Atwell was the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Thibodaux High School, helping the Tigers break a 10-year playoff drought in 2003. In his four seasons on staff, Atwell helped Thibodaux post a 22-21 record while coaching 26 all-district and three all-state selections. Atwell’s college coaching career also included a season as the defensive ends coach at Nicholls (2001) and a year as an assistant defensive backs coach at Southeast Missouri State where Atwell was a two-year letterman who earned first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors as an inside linebacker. A team captain, Atwell led the Redhawks in tackles, tackles for loss, fumble recoveries, and forced fumbles. He was the runner-up for the OVC Defensive Player of the Year honor after leading the conference in tackles for loss. A 2000 graduate of Southeast Missouri State, Atwell earned his master’s degree in human performance and sport from New Mexico Highlands. Atwell and his wife, Cindy, have two sons, Christian and Cameron, and a daughter, Callie.

Curtis Chiaverini enters his second season on the Northeastern State Football coaching staff as its Quarterback Coach and his first as Recruiting Coordinator. Chiaverini assisted in the development of starting quarterback Dereun Dortch in 2024. Dortch accounted for 1,760 passing yards and 21 total touchdowns (17 passing, four rushing), both marking the highest totals for a Northeastern State signal-caller since 2016. The passing game excelled in the fall, averaging 97.36 more yards per game, increasing yards per attempt by 2.35, and amassing 1,071 additional passing yards and 13 more touchdowns.  Chiaverini joined the program in the winter of 2024 and came to NSU from Abilene Christian (Texas) where he was an Offensive Analyst for the Wildcats during the 2023 season.  He previously held a similar role at the University of Northern Colorado. Chiaverini was also a student coach at the University of Colorado following a playing career with the Buffaloes where he played wide receiver.  In high school, he was a two-time All-League wide receiver and helped Valor Christian win the 2016 Colorado Class 5A State Championship. 

Jonathan Davis enters his second season on the Northeastern State football coaching staff. Davis assisted in the development of a much improved pass defense in 2024. The unit yielded 741 fewer passing yards and 24 fewer passing first downs on the season, while coming away with three interceptions in the program's first shutout victory since 2011 in a triumph over Lincoln (Ca.) on Oct. 26. Davis spent previous time at Texas Tech, where he began as a player before transitioning to the role of student assistant in 2022. His time with the Red Raiders was preceded by a stellar high school playing career at South Oak Cliff HS in Dallas.  With the Golden Bears, Davis made 142 tackles across his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. He tallied a career-high 56 takedowns as a senior, with 28 solo stops and three tackles for loss alongside four pass deflections en route to first team All-District 6-5A honors. Davis also competed in track and field in high school, participating on a 4x400 relay team that finished second in district.

Jarek Broussard is in his second season as Running Backs Coach on the Northeastern State Football staff. In 2024, Broussard assisted in developing a young position group, led by true freshman Ramon McKinney Jr. McKinney would go on to collect 892 yards of total offense and tally 11 scores, including seven on the ground. Despite over 75% of the team's rushing yards being accounted for by freshmen and sophomores, the unit gained 558 additional yards from the previous season, improving by 0.7 yards per attempt. The ground game, under Broussard's leadership, added 40.8 more rushing yards per game, scoring 11 more touchdowns than the previous season. Broussard joined the program in 2024 after a successful playing career. He was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 at the University of Colorado and played for NSU head coach Darrin Chiaverini when he was the Offensive Coordinator for the Buffaloes.  Broussard finished his CU career 31st on CU’s all-time rushing list with 1,474 yards, averaging 5.44 yards per carry. During the 2020 season, Broussard led the Pac-12 and Power 5 in rushing and was third nationally, becoming the first CU player to lead a conference in rushing since 2002.  Broussard was one of three winners of the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award, rebounding from two ACL surgeries which forced him from missing the majority of the 2019 season.  He was rated as a 3-star recruit out of High School where he garnered first-team TAPPS All-State and All-District honors as a wide receiver both seasons. Broussard majored in ethnic studies at Colorado and was a recipient of the Clancy A. Herbst Jr. Student-Athlete Achievement Award in 2021, given to CU student-athletes for overcoming personal, academic or emotional challenges or difficulties to success both academically and athletically.