Pete Nochta hired as Louisville football's new Director of On-Campus Recruiting

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University of Louisville football head coach Bobby Petrino announced on Wednesday the hiring of Pete Nochta, a former tight end and graduate assistant for the Cardinals, as the program's director of on-campus recruiting.

Nochta served as a graduate assistant in 2014 and played for the Cardinals from 2006-10, where he was a member of the 2007 Orange Bowl squad. Nochta played in 41 games, making over 20 starts, recording 11 career receptions for 146 yards and a pair of scores.

"We are glad to have Pete back on our staff in this role," Petrino said. "He was the first person I thought of when this position opened. He has battled through a tough fight with cancer and beat it. He has been with me on two different occasions and is someone that means a great deal to me. As a graduate assistant for us, he was an outstanding recruiter for our program. He is very organized and has excellent people skills, which makes him a great fit for this role."

As director of on-campus recruiting, Nochta will be responsible for the organization of all recruiting efforts and maintain relationships with coaches throughout the state of Kentucky. Nochta also will lead the walk-on program and play a vital role in the organization of summer camps.

Nochta overcame a well-publicized bout with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is currently in remission.

The Lexington, Ky., native, Nochta returns to the football program after working as a technical recruiter for TEKsystems, the world's leading technology staffing and services company.

Prior to that experience in the corporate world, Nochta served as a graduate assistant on Petrino's staff. He coached the fullbacks and tight ends, including Gerald Christian, a seventh-round selection of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFL Draft.

In addition to his time at Louisville, Nochta had two other stops as a graduate assistant, coaching the tight ends - at Purdue in 2012 and joining Petrino's staff at Western Kentucky in 2013. He also served as the offensive quality control coach at Purdue, where he broke down the upcoming opponent and worked on the offensive game plan.

"I really appreciate the opportunity to return to my alma mater and work with Coach Petrino again," Nochta said. "Coach has supported me through a lot of difficult times and I'm humbled that he would give me the opportunity to work for him again. The University of Louisville is a special place for me and I'm excited to be working at my alma mater."

Nochta, who was a four-time All-BIG EAST Academic honoree and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, earned his undergraduate degree in business administration. He currently is working toward a master's degree in justice administration.