Nelson Vazquez enters his first season as a member of the Ichabod coaching staff and he will coach the wide receivers after a successful five-year run at New Mexico Military Institute. He was initially the wide receivers coach before being elevated to the position of passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
In the summer of 2024, Vazquez was selected from a pool of more than 1,500 applicants to participate in the NFL team's National Coaching Academy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he gained on-field experience, had interactive sessions, learned business insights, had media training, learning film review, and instruction on key football software with NFL players, coaches and staff.
The Broncos captured the NJCAA Division I national championship in 2021 with a 31-13 win over Iowa Western to mark the program's first national title. NMMI had the nation's best rushing attack, compiling 3,746 yards along with 41 touchdowns on the ground and Vazquez helped complement that potent rushing attack with a passing game that put up 1,879 yards and 23 touchdowns. NMMI's offense finished second in total yardage with 5,625 yards and led the nation in scoring with 526 points, 40.5 per game.
The Tampa, Florida, native has been coaching since 2015, first as wide receivers coach at his alma mater Plant High in Tampa before moving on to nearby Wesley Chapel High, where he coached wideouts and coordinated the offense.
Vazquez was a wide receiver at Plant and helped guide the Panthers to a 14-1 campaign and a state championship in 2008. He later attended Mendocino College in Ukiah, California, where he appeared in nine games as a sophomore in 2010, catching 32 passes for 517 yards and eight touchdowns.
Later, he ran track and played football at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. He obtained a degree in justice studies with a minor in sociology.
Nelson graduated from FHSU with a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies in 2014 and was a student-athlete on the FHSU Football and Track and Field teams.
Vazquez and his wife Gabrielle have two daughters, Kennedy and Emery.
