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Melvin Rice joined Vanderbilt’s staff as an assistant coach entering the 2024 season, coaching the Commodore safeties.
Rice worked with an experienced group during his first season in Nashville, as seniors CJ Taylor, De’Rickey Wright and Marlen Sewell led the way to help Vanderbilt produce its first winning season and bowl victory in over a decade. Taylor and Sewell were voted team captains and paired with Wright, helped mentor a pair of young safeties in sophomore Jalen Gilbert and freshman Dontae Carter.
Taylor paced the group with 64 tackles, 2.5 for loss, two forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions. In his final game as a Commodore, Taylor intercepted a Georgia Tech pass late in the third quarter of the Birmingham Bowl. The pick set-up a score three plays later that put Vandy up 28-13 in the eventual 35-27 win. Wright added 48 tackles and an interception while Sewell contributed 20 tackles.
Gilbert and Carter each played all 13 games as a sophomore and freshman, respectively. Carter notched 11 tackles and a pair of pass break-ups.
Rice joined Vandy following two seasons at New Mexico State where he was co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for one of the top turnarounds in the nation. New Mexico State had won more than three games just one time since 2010, but while Rice was on head coach Jerry Kill’s staff the Aggies earned consecutive bowl berths and went to the Conference USA championship game in 2023.
In 2023, the Aggies led CUSA in scoring defense, led by all-conference safety Jordan Vincent. NMSU was named National Team of the Week after its 31-10 upset at Auburn that season. The 2022 campaign saw safety Bryce Jackson earn All-Independent accolades as the Aggies ranked 16th in FBS in pass defense and 30th nationally in total defense.
Before New Mexico State, Rice spent six seasons on the staff of head coach Rod Carey at Temple and Northern Illinois. Rice coached cornerbacks at Temple in 2020-21, while coaching Owl safeties in 2019.
Rice was at Northern Illinois from 2016-18, helping NIU lead the MAC in defense in 2017 and 2018, while capturing the MAC title in 2018. Three-time All-MAC selection Shawun Lurry earned All-America honors in 2015, just the fourth first-team All-American in school history. While at NIU, Rice also coached Jimmie Ward and Rashaan Melvin, both who went on to pursue NFL careers. In 2016, the Huskies led the MAC in interceptions.
At Temple, the Owls were fifth in FBS in passing defense during the 2021 season. During his time in Philadelphia, Rice mentored cornerback Christian Braswell, who became a sixth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and safety Benny Walls, who was named the Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week in 2019 after returning a fumble for a touchdown and adding an interception in a 24-2 win over Georgia Tech.
Rice spent the 2015 season as cornerbacks coach at Southeast Missouri State, mentoring future NFL player Mike Ford. Ford led the Ohio Valley Conference in interceptions and was an all-conference pick and has played seven seasons in the NFL for Detroit, Denver, Atlanta and Cleveland.
Before SEMO, Rice spent three seasons as a defensive quality control assistant at Minnesota, helping the Golden Gophers to three bowl games during that time while working for head coach Jerry Kill. Rice mentored a slew of All-Big Ten and future NFL players including Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Eric Murray, Craig James, Jalen Myrick, Brock Vereen and Troy Stoudermier.
He started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, serving as a graduate assistant on the 2010 Northern Illinois team which went 11-3 and won the MAC West and the Humanitarian Bowl. He helped coach the cornerbacks, including All-MAC corner Chris Smith.
Rice was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter at NIU. He played in two bowl games and the 2005 MAC Championship. He capped his career with 175 total tackles, eight for loss, two interceptions and 18 pass break-ups. Rice played for Kill during his senior season at NIU.
All told, Rice helped Northern Illinois have the best defense in the MAC as a player (2008), graduate assistant (2010) and twice as an assistant coach (2017-18).
The Chicago native spent one season as an assistant coach at Morgan Park High School, helping the team to the state playoffs. As a prep player at Morgan Park, Rice was a first-team All-Public League selection and earned all-state honors from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Champaign News-Gazette and Illinois High School Football Coaches Association as a senior.
Rice earned his degree from Northern Illinois in 2009, majoring in sociology and criminology. He and his wife, Gabrielle, have five children — sons Macklin, Mackai, Mackari and daughters Mackinnley and Mackenzie.
The Rice File
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
High School: Morgan Park
College: Northern Illinois (sociology and criminology, 2009)
Wife: Gabrielle
Children: Macklin, Mackai, Mackari, Mackinnley and Mackenzie
Playing Experience
2005-08 • Northern Illinois (cornerback)
Coaching Career
2009 • Morgan Park High School • Assistant Coach
2010 • Northern Illinois • Graduate Assistant • Defense
2011 • Minnesota • Quality Control • Defense
2012 • Minnesota • Quality Control • Defense
2013 • Minnesota • Quality Control • Defense
2014 • Minnesota • Quality Control • Defense
2015 • Southeast Missouri State • Assistant Coach • Cornerbacks
2016 • Northern Illinois • Assistant Coach • Cornerbacks
2017 • Northern Illinois • Assistant Coach • Cornerbacks
2018 • Northern Illinois • Assistant Coach • Cornerbacks
2019 • Temple • Assistant Coach • Safeties
2020 • Temple • Assistant Coach • Cornerbacks
2021 • Temple • Assistant Coach • Cornerbacks
2022 • New Mexico State • Co-Defensive Coordinator • Safeties
2023 • New Mexico State • Co-Defensive Coordinator • Safeties
2024 • Vanderbilt • Safeties
Postseason Experience
2005 • Northern Illinois • MAC Championship Game (player)
2006 • Northern Illinois • Poinsettia Bowl (player)
2008 • Northern Illinois • Independence Bowl (player)
2010 • Northern Illinois • Humanitarian Bowl Champions
2012 • Minnesota • Meineke Car Care Bowl
2013 • Minnesota • Texas Bowl
2014 • Minnesota • Citrus Bowl
2017 • Northern Illinois • Quick Lane Bowl
2018 • Northern Illinois • MAC Championship Game Winners
2018 • Northern Illinois • Boca Raton Bowl
2019 • Temple • Military Bowl
2022 • New Mexico State • Quick Lane Bowl Champions
2023 • New Mexico State • Conference USA Championship Game
2023 • New Mexico State • New Mexico Bowl
2024 • Vanderbilt • Birmingham Bowl Champions