After High School, Nave attended junior college national power Walters State Community College where he pitched for two years and had a record of 10-3.  Nave earned his associates degree from Walters State and transferred to Radford University to pitch for the Highlanders.  He holds the single game strike out record of 12 at Radford.

Nave returned to Bristol in 1991 and returned to Virginia High School in 1994 as the pitching coach.  While at VHS, the Bearcats broke every pitching record in school history and had 65 players go on to play college baseball.  During his coaching career at VHS, spanning from 1994-2010, the Bearcats won over 300 games, captured 17 district titles, 12 regional titles, two state runner up finishes and one state championship.  Nave helped coach 15 District Player of the Year recipients, eight Regional Player of the Year recipients, 23 All-State players and five players that ended up drafted by teams in Major League Baseball.

Nave continues to instruct pitchers and hitters of all ages in his spare time.  He works with children as young as eight years old up to college and professional caliber players in the offseason.  He has spent time working with the National Recruiting Service at the Baseball Factory working in field operations where he scouts high school talent.

Nave, his wife Becky, and their three children (Brandon, Kelsey, and Baylee) reside in Bristol, Va.