Louisville has reportedly found its new defensive coordinator. According to a report from Football Scoop, Brian VanGorder will be hired as the next defensive coordinator at Louisville.
Brian VanGorder will be Louisville's defensive coordinator, sources tell @FootballScoop https://t.co/xiQPBYRZtt
— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) January 27, 2018
VanGorder spent the 2017 season as a defensive analyst for Oklahoma State, and it was suspected VanGorder would be promoted by Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy to a full-time position on the coaching staff. Prior to being an analyst for Oklahoma State last season, VanGorder spent the 2016 season in a similar position for Kirby Smart at Georgia after spending the two previous seasons as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.
With VanGorder as the defensive coordinator, Notre Dame ranked 45th and 42nd in the nation in total defense in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The Irish ranked 61st int he nation in scoring defense in 2016 after allowing 27.8 points per game.
VanGorder is a seasoned coach who has made many stops in college and the NFL over the years. In addition to his stops at Notre Dame, Georgia, and Oklahoma State, VanGorder has also made stops at UCF, Central Michigan, Western Illinois, and Auburn in college. In the NFL, VanGorder held assistant roles with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, but it is his time with the Atlanta Falcons that is of note here. VanGorder was Bobby Petrino‘s linebacker coach during the head coach’s abbreviated stop in the NFL between jobs at Louisville and Arkansas. VanGorder remained in Atlanta for four more seasons as a defensive coordinator and will now be reunited with Petrino.
VanGorder will replace Peter Sirmon, who stepped down as defensive coordinator earlier this month.