Chris Ault

Bio

Chris Ault coached Nevada 28 seasons and guided the team to new heights. The Wolf Pack started in NCAA Division II, moved to I-AA (FCS) then to I-A (FBS). Ault is believed to be the only coach in NCAA history to win conference championships or be nationally ranked at three divisional levels from the same school. His record was 233-109-1, a winning percentage of .681. In the Big Sky Conference, his teams won four championships and were in NCAA I-AA (FCS) playoffs seven times. As a member of the Big West Conference at level I-A (FBS) his teams won three conference titles and were in two bowl games. Sports Illustrated named him to its list of the 50 greatest sports figures in the State of Nevada. On Nov. 2, 1991, his team trailed Weber State 49-14 in the third quarter and rallied to win 55-49, overcoming a 35-point deficit and setting an NCAA record for the largest comeback victory. In 1991, Ault received the Eddie Robinson Award as the national coach of the year for Division I-AA (FCS). He was also named the Coach of the Century in 1999 by the Reno-Gazette-Journal and was honored with the Chevrolet-ABC Award as coach of the year in 1978. In 1986, he added the job of athletics director for the University of Nevada. Ault resumed his career as an active coach in 2004 and added conference crowns in the Western Athletic Conference. He was the innovator that created the Pistol Offense.