Scott Boone enters his first season on Rich Rodriguez’s staff following his hiring as linebackers coach on Dec. 20, 2016. Boone joins the Wildcats after serving the last three seasons as defensive coordinator at the University of Nevada.
With more than 30 years coaching experience, Boone will coach linebackers for the Wildcats, a unit he also mentored the last three seasons at Nevada where he guided a defensive resurgence. The Wolf Pack yielded 34.4 points per game in 2013, but never allowed more than 30 points per game in the three seasons under Boone’s direction.
The 2014-15 seasons were particularly successful for Boone. His initial Wolf Pack defense allowed 27.2 points and 447.1 yards allowed, while also making statistical strides in scoring defense, rushing defense, total defense, sacks, tackles for loss, interceptions, fumbles recovered, third down and red zone defense from the year prior.
Boone set the bar even higher in year two, as Nevada improved to just 405 yards and 26.8 points allowed per game. His efforts in the 2015 season culminated with a victory in the inaugural NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl, which marked Nevada’s fifth all-time bowl victory. Boone’s unit again improved in total defense and scoring defense, and grabbed 13 interceptions and recovered eight fumbles to help Nevada rank 15th in the nation in turnover margin.
Player development was notable under Boone’s leadership. In 2015, he helped senior DE Ian Seau, who led the conference and ranked 19th in the nation with 10.0 sacks, earn first team All-Mountain West honors. Senior DE Lenny Jones also earned second team All-MW accolades with 47 tackles and seven sacks that season. Boone’s development of true freshman DB Dameon Baber saw the rookie rank seventh in the nation with six interceptions on the season en route to earning All-MW honors.
Before he joined the Wolf Pack, Boone enjoyed a successful 10-year tenure at William and Mary, where he was a finalist for the FCS Coordinator of the Year award after guiding the Tribe defense to No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense and No. 8 nationally in total defense along with the 15th spot in third-down defense in the FCS.
Boone was William and Mary's defensive coordinator for the last three seasons of his tenure and the linebackers coach for the last seven years. He also coached defensive backs for three seasons with the Tribe.
Prior to his 10 seasons at William and Mary, Boone was the head coach for seven seasons at Randolph-Macon, compiling a record of 37-33, including a 22-18 ledger in conference action. In 1997, Boone guided the Yellow Jackets to a share of the ODAC title, going 4-1 in league play and 8-2 overall, and garnered Richmond Touchdown Club and VaSID Small College Coach of the Year honors.
While at RMC, Boone coached 34 players to First-Team All-ODAC honors in his seven seasons. Also, 14 team and individual school records were broken under Boone.
Prior to his stint at RMC, Boone was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., from 1983 to 1996. In Boone's 14 years as an assistant, Wabash posted an 81-38-2 record.
Boone is a member of the Wabash College Athletic Hall of Fame and was honored in 2011 for his outstanding contribution to the program. In addition to his bachelor's degree from Wabash, Boone holds a Master's of Science - Education in Higher Education Administration from Purdue University, which he received in 1999.
In addition to his time as an assistant coach, Boone was a three-sport starter in football (wide receiver), basketball (guard) and baseball (centerfielder) at Wabash.
He married to the former Jessica Spadafora in 2010, and the couple resides in Reno with their sons James William Boone and Nicholas Salvatore Boone, who was born the day before Nevada’s game at Arizona in 2014. Boone also has a son, Nathan, and a daughter, Delaney.
Boone’s Coaching History
2017 Arizona, Linebackers
2014-16 Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Nevada
2011-13 Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, William and Mary
2007-10 Linebackers, William and Mary
2004-06 Defensive Backs, William and Mary
1997-03 Head Coach, Randolph-Macon
1983-96 Assistant Coach, Wabash
Boone’s Bowl History
2015 NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl, Nevada Defensive Coordinator
2014 R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Nevada Defensive Coordinator
The Boone File
Born: May 9, 1959
Hometown: Veedersburg, Ind.
Family: Wife -- Jessica. Sons, Nathan, James and Nicholas; Daughter -- Delaney.
Education: Bachelor's, Economics, Wabash, 1981. Master's, Science Education, Purdue, 1999.
