Cory White, whose coaching experience includes stints as an offensive coordinator, offensive line and tight ends coach at multiple levels of college football, joined the Northern Illinois University football staff as tight ends coach in March of 2023.
In his first season, NIU tight ends accounted for seven of the Huskies' 15 receiving touchdowns. Grayson Barnes led NIU with five touchdown catches and 18.3 yards per reception. He was second on the team with 422 receiving yards and third in receptions with 23. Chris Carter added two touchdown receptions and averaged 14.8 yards per catch.
White brings 15 years of collegiate coaching experience on the offensive side of the ball, including five total seasons at the University of San Diego where he returned to serve as offensive coordinator and running backs coach in 2022 after coaching tight ends and offensive line for the Toreros in 2018 and ’19, respectively. He coached the offensive line at New Mexico State in 2020 and ’21.
“Cory came highly recommended, and I was thoroughly impressed during the interview process,” said NIU head coach Thomas Hammock. “He’s been an offensive line coach and a tight ends coach, he has experience as a coordinator and he’s an excellent teacher. He has run a style of offense with the personnel groupings similar to what we use. His input is going to enhance our offensive staff and make us more dynamic, especially in how we implement the tight ends in our offense.”
White’s 2022 Torero offense averaged 29 points and 356 yards per game with two offensive players earning All Pioneer Football League honors. The 2022 season marked White’s third stint at USD as he previously worked at the NCAA FCS school from 2012-13 and in 2018-19 with the Toreros winning league championships all four seasons. Two of his players garnered All-America honors, including tight end Dalton Kincaid, with seven Toreros named all-conference over those four campaigns.
As offensive line coach at New Mexico State in 2020 and 2021, White saw one of his players selected in the second round of the Canadian Football League Draft and play in the NFLPA postseason bowl. He had previously worked at NMSU in 2015 as the director of football operations.
White served as Humboldt State’s offensive line coach in 2016 and 2017 where he coached one of the top offensive lines in Division II, one that included four-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year Alex Cappa. Cappa earned All-America honors in each of White's two seasons and represented the Lumberjacks at the 2018 Reese's Senior Bowl. White's offensive line garnered seven All-GNAC awards during the 2016-17 seasons, and led the way for Ja'Quan Gardner who rushed for 2,622 yards and 39 touchdowns over a two-year span.
White earned his bachelor's degree in education from Humboldt State University and has a master's degree from Whittier College. He and his wife, Cheryl, have two sons.
“I’m really excited to come back to coach at the FBS level here at NIU,” White said. “With my background in working with a similar offensive system that has used the tight end quite a bit, I think I can contribute to the success of this offense. Just being here for a few days it’s very evident how hard everyone here works, and how big of a season this program is ready to have.”
White began his coaching career with stops at Chapman (2008-12), San Diego Mesa (2006-07) and Whittier (2004-06) and returned to Chapman as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in 2014, helping lead the program to its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, NCAA playoff appearance and a final Division III ranking of 17th in the nation.
