Nick Mask ’16 enters his 11th season with the Southwestern football program started in 2016. Mask was promoted to the role of Assistant Head Coach in July 2024 as the Pirates offensive play caller, previously serving in the role of offensive play-caller and quarterbacks coach. Mask immediately stepped in making an impact in 2016, winning an SCAC title after the program went 3-7 the previous season. In his 11 seasons, Mask has coached 67 All-Conference standouts.
Coach Mask helped the Pirates offense flourish with a breakout year in 2025 with the most average points per game (26.10) since 2018. Coach Mask helped Tycen Williams break the single-season running back rushing yards record (772) and the rushing touchdown record (8). He also guided Graydon Thompson to the most prolific wide receiver season by any Pirate with a single-season record in receiving yards (983) and touchdowns (10). His contributions led to 11 All-SAA recipients, three All-Region standouts, and one AP All-American.
In 2021, quarterback Landry Gilpin had a breakthrough season under Mask’s tutelage, earning two ASC Player of the Week awards and All-ASC Honorable Mention. In 2022, Damian Gomez took over the starting role for the Pirates earning ASC Offensive Player of the Week in their win against Austin College. In the Pirate's first season in the SAA, freshman quarterback Jaylen Spriggs was named SAA Offensive Player of the Week twice in back-to-back weeks as well as H-Back and Tight End Sam Johnson being named to the D3Football.com All-Region list. In 2024, Mask helped coordinate an All-SAA running back and an offensive linemen, totaling 182 rushing yards per game which was the highest since 2019.
Mask was hired in 2016 to coach running backs immediately after graduating from Southwestern as a three-year letter-winner for the Pirates at defensive end. In four seasons, Mask’s units accounted for five all-conference running back selections, beginning with Dylan Wilburn’s first-team All-SCAC selection in 2016.
In 2017, Mask’s running backs unit produced an offense ranked seventh in the nation in rushing behind the All-ASC duo of Elijah Smith and David Brandenburg. The next season, Brandenburg teamed with Kalon Heim for another pair of All-ASC selections, and Brandenburg, Heim, and All-ASC sportsmanship team recipient Markell Henderson formed a formidable trio. In 2019, Smith returned for an All-ASC honorable mention selection.
One of the original members of the modern football program, Mask received his bachelor’s degree from Southwestern in 2016. He earned his master’s degree in sports management from Texas A&M University in December 2020. He lives in Georgetown with his wife, Ali, and his daughter, Colbie.
