DL Coach Hawt Board v2.0

[HCFord1]

Maybe Okam is a great coach, but forgive me for being nervous about bringing in another assistant position coach from the NFL.

 

[king_kong_]

Just let the DC make the hire

 

[NVHusker27]

Maybe Okam is a great coach, but forgive me for being nervous about bringing in another assistant position coach from the NFL.

Okam does have experience coaching in college (Toledo, Baylor and Rice) and had success at each location. The question with him is whether he wants to uproot his family from Texas.

 

[Lionsfan93]

I don't want anything to do with NFL guys we bring into college. It's such a different game with rosters, motivation, and even schematically.

Maybe Okam is a great coach, but forgive me for being nervous about bringing in another assistant position coach from the NFL.

Most of us were pretty pleased with Knighton...and he was an NFL guy. Just because our last hire sucked doesn't mean that all coaches of this mold suck.

 

[Kinish]

Barnes left PSU

yeah crazy. i looked yesterday and penn state people were thinking he was staying

 

[ShortSideOption]

Most of us were pretty pleased with Knighton...and he was an NFL guy. Just because our last hire sucked doesn't mean that all coaches of this mold suck.

Rhule bringing Knighton with him from the Panthers that was there for 2 years prior to being in college football is different altogether than a Bradden or Butler hire straight from the NFL while Rhule is already here. Kind of apples and oranges comparison there.

But I'll rephrase my point... I don't want to hire a guy that has been in the NFL since 2013 (Butler) and 2017 (Bradden) to come coach a position in 2026 college football. Whole different world.

 

[Steveweiser316]

Brohm staying at Louisville?

 

[Milo-of-Croton]

Wondering if Lose wasn’t offered because Robinson was available? Maybe waiting until after the bowl to offer or formally accept? I don’t know anything for certain about that. I did read or hear somehow that he was a very good DL coach, not sure about the recruiting.

 

[BIGSTICK67]

Brohm staying at Louisville?

Says who? X

 

[pavelkasuncle]

List of names I'd be watching
Frank Okam - AST DL @ Texans (Rhule connection via Baylor)
Bo Davis - DL @ Saints (Past time at LSU, Texas, Bama, was at UTSA when Rhule was at Baylor)
Lou Esposito - DL @ Michigan (UM is a mess. Has never truly left Great Lakes area though)
Deion Barnes - DL @ Penn St (Campbell hasn't retained him yet)
David Lose - Been with Aurich at two stops so has to be considered. Probably a little underwhelming hire & telling that he wasn't an instant hire like Roy Manning (EDGE)

Guys you should probably call & get a no from
Eric Henderson - DL/Co-DC @ USC
Kenny Baker - DL @ Texas
Chidera Uzo-Diribe - OLB @ Georgia (would need to come with a Co-DC tag likely)
Al Washington - DL @ Notre Dame (contingent on Freeman leaving to NFL only)

Off-the-radar names
Harland Barnes - DL @ Duke
Jim Panagos - DL @ Kansas

Profiles of guys we know interviewed
Elijah Robinson - Elite Recruiter/DL Coach
Vontrell King Williams - Elite Recruiter/Young & Only 2 years experience leading a room

With Whittingham's hire at Michigan, Lou Esposito becomes an interesting name depending on Michigan's defensive staff retention. They've also got an assistant DL Coach named David Denham who would be an under the radar guy potentially. Here's Denham's BIO from Western Michigan (Michigan doesn't have one for him) where he was DL Coach & Recruiting Coordinator previously. Has bounced around DII/DIII for awhile but has consistently recruited well & had DL that produced at the level he was at.

David Denham (X Account - He's got a connection with Roy Manning & Dylan Berrymon ('26 DL Recruit high on the Huskers) on there FWIW)

 

[Flabio]

With Whittingham's hire at Michigan, Lou Esposito becomes an interesting name depending on Michigan's defensive staff retention. They've also got an assistant DL Coach named David Denham who would be an under the radar guy potentially. Here's Denham's BIO from Western Michigan (Michigan doesn't have one for him) where he was DL Coach & Recruiting Coordinator previously. Has bounced around DII/DIII for awhile but has consistently recruited well & had DL that produced at the level he was at.

David Denham
View attachment 64505

How well can Lou cruit? Was some talk of him having a limited area of connections which may or may not be true.

 

[pavelkasuncle]

How well can Lou cruit? Was some talk of him having a limited area of connections which may or may not be true.

He's viewed as a really good recruiter in the industry from everything I know. He's got a pretty decent list of guys on his 247 Profile

 

[Huskerscoop]

He's viewed as a really good recruiter in the industry from everything I know. He's got a pretty decent list of guys on his 247 Profile

If you go by 24/7, they have a recruiter rankings. He was 24th in the 25 class and 6th in the 26. These are overall rankings and not just B10. The dude can recruit.

 

[Flabio]

He's viewed as a really good recruiter in the industry from everything I know. He's got a pretty decent list of guys on his 247 Profile

If you go by 24/7, they have a recruiter rankings. He was 24th in the 25 class and 6th in the 26. These are overall rankings and not just B10. The dude can recruit.

Gimmie

 

[NCsker]

Gimmie

FWIW, the MI board is pretty indifferent on Esposito. I’d say about 25% of them want him to stay there, and even those wanting him to stay are kinda “meh, hope he stays but if he goes, oh well”.

 

[Krup21]

FWIW, the MI board is pretty indifferent on Esposito. I’d say about 25% of them want him to stay there, and even those wanting him to stay are kinda “meh, hope he stays but if he goes, oh well”.

Reading the X tea leaves it sounds like hes staying with Wittingham.