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He has given blood for both schools.

After playing at UK, and moving up the coaching ladder at his alma mater, and surviving two coaching staffs, with both Fran Curci and Jerry Claiborne, for some reason that no one seemed to understand, Bill Curry didn't want Nord on his staff.

The nomadic life of a coach began for Nord and his family after being forced to leave Lexington. There were stops at East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Illinois. Nord had joined Illinois last winter as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator after spending the previous 15 seasons at U of L.

Nord was at Louisville from 1995-2009. He was the assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator, tight ends coach and running backs coach.

Nord knows every inch of Papa Johns Stadium.

"I think I've tried to keep the same routine as much as possible," says UK's special teams and tight ends coach.

"I'm sure there are going to be some emotions. I mean anyone who has spent the time that I had there is going to have some. If I'd say different, most anybody could call me a liar."

"I have a lot of close friends and they were good to me while I was there. But they are on the other sideline and we are going to be firing all of our bullets at them."

If you are looking for calm and cool, that's the best way to describe Joker so far this week with the media leading up to UK-Louisville. Nord, who used to have Joker tag a long during his early days at UK on recruiting trips, has fun picking on his boss and friend.

"Well there is none of us like that. We are all faking it."

Then it gets serious. This is one of the best answers you are going to get about what coaches really do.

"Anybody who has played this game, there is a certain amount of calmness as coaches that we have to bring to it to make sure the guys get to the game in play in control yet on the edge of out of control. That's the fine line we all have to skirt. There are times where we as coaches have to bring that emotion and intensity and there are times we have to be the calming effect. That's part of the art of being a good coach I believe."

Do you believe you have a degree in psychology where you got it nor not?

"Well I don't know my psychology teacher might still be on campus and they may argue with that."