Nate Poss joined the UTEP staff in March 1997 as director of football operations. Now the assistant athletic director for football operations, Poss’ duties are wide-range, most importantly helping head coach Dana Dimel in the day-to-day operations of Miner football.
Poss has had many responsibilities during his stint with five head coaches. Some previous have included recruiting West Texas and Southern California, coordinating recruiting weekends, as well as planning and implementing the Miners' unique August training camps from 1999 to 2019 in Socorro and Ruidoso, N.M., and Alpine, Texas. With former head coach Mike Price, Poss helped coordinate the always popular “Miners Across Texas” summer camps.
He also helps arrange community service appearances for Miner players and coaches, particularly with local schools, the Child Crisis Center and the Boys and Girls Club. The football team has annually ranked among UTEP’s top sports programs in community service hours.
A West Texas native, Poss helps the coaching staff in other areas, including overseeing the training table, compliance and recruiting weekends and assisting with academics. He works hand-in-hand with on-campus entities to coordinate players’ scholarship checks and campus finances. He also coordinates football players' campus housing at Miner Village, as well as assists with apartments off campus.
Poss graduated from Big Spring High School in Big Spring, Texas, where he was named to the school’s “Team of the Century” for football. His performance as a wide receiver and defensive back gained him a scholarship to Rice. At Rice, Poss played defensive back for coordinator Charlie Bailey, former head coach of the Miners.
Poss earned four letters (1973-76) and was in the starting lineup two years (1975-76) for the Owls.
Upon receiving his B.A. in Commerce and Religion from Rice in 1978, Poss spent three years as sports editor of the Big Spring Herald and one year as editor of Big Time Sports magazine that served the Permian Basin. From 1984-88 Poss lived in Miami, Fla., where he was a marketing representative for the Fina Corp.
In 1988 Poss returned to school at Sul Ross State University and worked on his master’s degree in Education, which he received in 1989. During his stay at Sul Ross, Poss served as running backs and defensive backs coach, as well as assistant basketball coach.
Poss also coached in the Texas prep ranks at Kermit High School (1991), Greenwood High in Midland (1992-93) and Coronado High in El Paso (1994-96). He was president of the El Paso Coaches’ Association in 1996-97.
Poss is currently the national President for the collegiate Director of Football Operations organization. This is a high honor of leadership and consists of organizing and implementing two live national meetings in May 2021 at the Dallas Cowboys The Star, and January of 2022 at the AFCA meetings in San Antonio. He is also the Conference USA spokesman to that organization. Poss also served as the President of the El Paso Coaches Association in 1997.
Nate’s father, Delnor Poss, served as director of athletics at Midland Junior College for 17 years. In 1995, the elder Poss was honored as NJCAA Athletic Director of the Year. He has coached four national championship golf teams at Midland College. Delnor Poss was also inducted into the College Golf Hall of Fame in the summer of 2009.
