Mardy Gilyard begins his fourth season as defensive backs coach at Nichols College in 2022.
The Bison – who saw the 2020 campaign cancelled due to COVID-19 – saw five student-athletes earn Coast Conference (CCC) Football All-Conference honors, including a pair from the defensive secondary. Additionally, six were named to the Worcester Area Football Association (WAFA) All-Star Teams and 17 garnered CCC Academic All-Conference honors.
In his first season in Dudley in 2019, Gilyard helped Jared Abbruzzese earn CCC First Team honors after collecting 60 tackles, six pass breakups, and two interceptions. Dylan Kehoe, meanwhile, registered 11 pass breakups and four INT.
Selected in the fourth round of the of the 2010 National Football League (NFL) Draft by the St. Louis Rams, Gilyard was a standout wide receiver at the University of Cincinnati. The Daytona Beach, Fla. Native finished his career with the Bearcats with 204 receptions for 3,003 yards and 25 touchdowns. He earned All-America honors following his senior season, where he caught 87 passes for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Gilyard averaged 22.3 yards on kick returns as a rookie with the Rams before being released following training camp the following season. He later spent time with the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs organizations.
Gilyard has been a member of the Massachusetts Pirates of the National Arena League (NAL) since 2018, where he has caught 153 passes for 1,697 yards and 48 touchdowns in two seasons.
