Dyrell Roberts, a native of Smithfield, Va., is in his second year on the NSU football staff. He serves as wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator.
In his first year on staff, Roberts helped mentor Marcus Taylor, who made the All-MEAC team as a kick returner (second team) and receiver (third team) in 2017. Taylor tied for first in the MEAC in receptions, led the conference in kick return average and all-purpose yards and was sixth in receiving yards. Taylor became the first Spartan in the school’s Division I era (since 1997) to make the all-conference team at more than one position in the same year.
Roberts came to NSU after serving as receivers coach at Division II Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., in 2016. During his stint with the Pumas, Roberts helped sophomore Tremel Glasper earn all-conference honors after Glasper caught 64 passes for 936 yards and six touchdowns. That included separate games of 17 receptions (a SJC record) and 218 receiving yards during the 2016 season.
Roberts joined the SJC coaching staff after spending the 2015 season at Division III Earlham College in Richmond, Ind. There, Roberts coordinated the team’s passing game, special teams units and strength and conditioning program in addition to serving as quarterbacks coach. As special teams coordinator, one of Roberts’ pupils, Lajay Kelly, led all of Division III with seven blocked kicks. In addition, quarterback Westley Hundley earned honorable mention All-Heartland Athletic Conference (HCAC) honors while leading the Quakers in both passing and rushing yards under Roberts’ tutelage.
Prior to his stint at Earlham College, Roberts spent five months as assistant football coach at ASA College, a junior college located in Brooklyn, N.Y. While at ASA, Roberts coached both the varsity and junior varsity wide receivers while also acting as the co-special teams coordinator and assisting with the team’s strength and conditioning program.
Roberts got his start in coaching at his high school alma mater, Smithfield High School, where he served as the assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator for the varsity football team.
Roberts earned his bachelor’s degree in human development from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in 2012. Roberts spent five years as a member of the Hokies’ football program under legendary head coach Frank Beamer. As a Hokie, Roberts was a member of three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship teams (2008, ’10, ’11). The Hokies went to bowls all five of Roberts’ years in Blacksburg, winning the 2008 Orange Bowl, 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl and 2012 Russell Athletic Bowl.
In 2010, Roberts ranked fourth nationally in kick return average at 31.9 yards per return. That included a 98-yard touchdown return against Alabama. He graduated as Virginia Tech’s all-time leader in both career kick return yardage (1,577) and kick return average (25.9). Roberts also caught 96 passes for 1,363 yards and six touchdowns as a Hokie.
