Longtime Bay Area collegiate and NFL coach
Peter Hansen was hired as UNLV's defensive coordinator in January 2020.
Hansen, who will also oversee the Rebels' inside linebackers, became the eighth full-time member of Arroyo's first staff at UNLV. Hansen comes to Las Vegas from Stanford University where he spent the last six seasons coaching inside linebackers for the Cardinal.
Hansen's position group was a reliable cog for the Cardinal during his time at Stanford. Last season, Curtis Robinson finished second on the team with 64 tackles en route to earning Honorable Mention All-Pac-12. Previously, two-time All-Pac-12 performer Bobby Okereke led the team in tackles in 2017 and 2018 and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
A native of Palo Alto, California, Hansen tutored All-America inside linebacker Blake Martinez, the Cardinal's leading tackler for two seasons and fourth-round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 2016.
Hansen helped the Cardinal rank among the Pac-12's best defensive units in 2015: second in third-down conversion percentage, third in total defense, third in scoring defense and fourth in rushing defense. Under Hansen's watch in 2014, the Cardinal defense ranked second nationally in scoring defense and third in total defense.
Hansen spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons at Stanford as a defensive assistant and also served as a strength and conditioning intern for the Cardinal in 2008.
Hansen went to the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and worked as a defensive assistant for three years, during which the team posted a 36-11-1 regular-season record and advanced to three straight NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. In 2011, Hansen worked with inside linebackers Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman. He moved to outside linebackers in 2012 and worked with Ahmad Brooks, Parys Harrelson, Corey Lemonier, Aldon Smith and Dan Skuta.
Prior to his Stanford tenure, Hansen was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Palo Alto High School, for four seasons (2004-07), including serving as the team's defensive coordinator in 2006 and '07.
Hansen was a two-sport athlete at the University of Arizona, playing both football and basketball. On the gridiron, he blocked seven field-goal and point-after attempts during his career and earned second team All-Pac-10 honors as a special teams performer in 2000. Hansen was a member of the Wildcats basketball team during the 1999-2000 and 2001-02 seasons.
Hansen graduated from Arizona in 2001 with a degree in economics.
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