Preston Hadley - Defensive Coordinator | Linebackers - Staff Directory - University of Northern Colorado Athletics

Staff Directory

Preston Hadley

Title:
Defensive Coordinator | Linebackers
Email:
Phone:
970.351.3046

updated July 2025

Preston Hadley was elevated to Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach at Northern Colorado in December 2022 after joining the Bears from BYU. He enters his fourth season in that role in 2026.

A respected strategist and recruiter, Hadley also took part in the inaugural Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy in May 2024, a career milestone that reflects his emergence as a top-tier coaching talent

During Hadley’s stint for the Cougars, the program went 53-24, including 10-3 and 11-1 campaigns.

No stranger to the Big Sky Conference, Hadley coached at Weber State and served as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator.

In 2017, helped the Wildcats to a Big Sky Conference title, a school-record 11 wins, and two wins in the FCS playoffs. He coached Taron Johnson, the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year while earning first-team Associated Press FCS All-America accolades. Under Hadley’s care, three defensive backs earned all-conference honors in 2017. Weber State’s 2017 defense led the Big Sky in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, and red zone defense, 2017 defense ranked in the top 25 nationally in nine different statistical categories, including No. 6 in interceptions (18), No. 8 in total turnovers (28), No. 9 in red zone defense (.676), No. 13 in pass efficiency defense (107.29) and No. 16 in scoring defense (17.6 ppg).

In 2016, helped Weber State create the top passing defense in the Big Sky, Wildcats earned a 7-5 record in 2016, a third-place conference finish, and WSU’s first trip to the FCS Playoffs in seven years, Coached two all-league defensive backs in 2016.

Hadley graduated from BYU in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's in athletic administration from Concordia-Irvine in 2016.

Year	School	Position
2013	BYU	Graduate Assistant
2014	BYU	Graduate Assistant
2015	Santa Ana College	Cornerbacks, Kick/Punt return, Recruiting Coordinator
2016	Weber State	Secondary Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
2017	Weber State	Secondary Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
2018	BYU	Safeties Coach
2019	BYU	Safeties Coach
2020	BYU	Defensive Ends/Hybrids Coach
2021	BYU	Defensive Ends/Hybrids Coach
2022	BYU	Defensive Ends/Hybrids Coach
2023	Northern Colorado	Defensive Coordinator \| Linebackers
2024	Northern Colorado	Defensive Coordinator \| Linebackers