In a twist on the normal plot, a Power Five team has lost an assistant coach to the FCS ranks.
Chattanooga announced Tuesday that it has hired Tom Kaufman as its new defensive coordinator. Kaufman was set to begin his second season as the linebackers coach at Syracuse.
Kaufman and UTC head coach Tom Arth were college teammates on the John Carroll University football team from 1999-2002.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tom and his wife Stephanie to the UTC family,” a statement from Arth began. “Tom is an exceptionally intelligent and talented football coach who brings great leadership, competitiveness and an intense motivation to recruit top-level student-athletes.
“As college teammates at John Carroll, Tom and I have been in the fight together and that gives me great confidence in knowing the type of person he is and the outstanding example he will set for our team at UTC.”
Kaufman was a part of Dino Babers’ staff for four seasons at Eastern Illinois (2012-13) and Bowling Green (2014-15) before they were hired at Syracuse in January of 2016. He’s also been a quality control coach/graduate assistant at Texas (2011), Kansas (2010) and Mississippi State (2009).
Prior to that, he was an assistant at the Div. III level for six years.
Kaufman is the second Orange assistant this month to leave Babers’ staff this month. Less than a week ago, Mike Hart left his post as running backs coach for the same job at Indiana.