N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren said recruiting would be a top priority, and his first hire on Friday was his recruiting coordinator.

Ryan Nielsen joined Doeren’s staff at N.C. State as the recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach.

Nielsen held the same jobs on Doeren’s staff at Northern Illinois and was also the Huskies’ co-defensive coordinator.

Doeren said he would tap his connections at NIU for his staff at N.C. State. The Huskies promoted offensive coordinator Rod Carey to replace Doeren, who was 23-4 in two seasons.

Doeren said he wanted to hire his coordinators at N.C. State first, and Nielsen is his first hire.

“Ryan is one of the best technicians on the defensive line that I’ve ever been around,” Doeren said in a statement released by the school. “He played the game at a very high level and learned to coach from a number of great defensive minds. He has great energy and passion for his players and is a tireless and energetic recruiter.”

Nielsen was an All-Pac 10 defensive tackle at Southern California in 1999 and played for the Trojans when Doeren was a graduate assistant there.

Nielsen was also an assistant at Mississippi, Central Connecticut State and Tennessee Martin before joining Doeren’s NIU staff in 2011.

– Joe Giglio