Today, we shift over to the defensive side of the ball in our look at the best coordinators in college football. These may not get the publicity as the offensive coordinators, though this list actually has more guys with FBS head coaching experience than the offensive one. As with the OC list, to be included you must be a coordinator only, so the defensive minded head coaches (namely Saban and Smart) miss out.
Phil Parker, Iowa
The 2022 Iowa Hawkeyes had statistically the second worst FBS offense and finished with an overall record of 8-5. That should tell you how nasty Parker’s D was last year. All the media was on how inept the offense was, which overshadowed the historic and top ranked defense they had. The last 5 years his defenses have finished top 15 in yards per play in FBS. In 2020, 2021, and 2022 he has been a Broyles Award finalist. There isn’t anyone doing it better on the defensive side of the ball.
https://twitter.com/BenScottStevens/status/1649438791696883714
Glenn Schumann, Georgia
This coming November, I will write a list of assistant coaches who’ll be in the mix for head coaching vacancies, and Schumann will almost certainly be near the top of that list. He took over seamlessly for Dan Lanning and helped lead the Bulldogs to a second consecutive national title. With five NFL draft picks from the defense, Schumann certainly has work to do but with the talent on that roster we’d be foolish to think he can’t do it. Having coached under Saban and Smart, he is groomed to reach the highest levels of the game and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t.
https://twitter.com/_supcaroline/status/1651793672323710976
Jim Knowles, Ohio State
2022 was Knowles first year on the Horseshoe after coming from Oklahoma State. A 2021 Broyles Award finalist with the Cowboys, he brought the Buckeyes from 56th in EPA (expected points added) per play to 7th. With the talent at his disposal in Columbus and a full year to learn the system, I expect even more progress from the D.
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Manny Diaz, Penn State
The former Miami head coach holds an impressive resume that includes DC stints at Middle Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, and Miami. Diaz has sent waves of players to the NFL and had the Nittany Lions among the best in the country in his first season in Happy Valley. Losing Joey Porter Jr. and Ji’Ayir Brown to the NFL will hurt the defensive backfield but I’d bet on Diaz to replace them in a hurry.
Jesse Minter, Michigan
Minter came to Ann Arbor from Vanderbilt and before that a stretch as an assistant with the Baltimore Ravens. A 2022 finalist for the Broyles Award where the Wolverines had the 4th lowest rate of scoring per drive and trailed only the above mentioned Hawkeyes and Parker in overall defensive grade, and that’s after replacing Hutchinson, Ojabo, and Hill to the NFL.
Joe Rossi, Minnesota
The Gophers are doing three things great under Rossi: they aren’t allowing many points, the number of drives that result in a TD is very low, and the yards per play they allow has been low. This means that teams are not sustaining drives against them and when they do, they frequently settle for FG’s. That’s a recipe to win tight games. The Gophers have, under the radar, become one of the most consistent and “high floor” teams in America under P.J. Fleck, Joe Rossi is a big reason why.
https://twitter.com/TwinCitiesNIL/status/1564681954531885059
Kevin Steele, Alabama
I don’t know if anyone, ever, has had this many impressive stops on his coaching journey. Tennessee and Alabama (both 3 times), New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Carolina Panthers, Baylor (as head coach), Florida State, Clemson, LSU, Auburn (also interim head coach), and Miami. That’s some serious heavyweights over the last 40 years. You don’t do that unless everyone knows you’re elite. Steele recently went back to Tuscaloosa to be the DC for the Tide and revamp a unit that has been lacking, by their elite standards, the past 2 seasons.
Doug Belk, Houston
Belk followed Holgo from West Virginia to Houston and took a defense ranked outside the top 110 to top 20 in 3 seasons, not a minor feat. The young and energetic Belk is another name who’ll be on head coaching shortlists in upcoming seasons. Prior to WVU he was an assistant at Alabama, and we all know what that does to one’s resume. The Cougars success in making the jump to P5 football this year in the Big XII will be heavily reliant on two things; replacing Clayton Tune and Belk’s defense slowing down opposing offenses.
Kurt Mattix, San Diego State
Since Mattix became the Aztecs defensive coordinator in 2020, they have yet to finish outside the top 16 in scoring defense. Mattix’s defenses have become extremely stingy at stopping the run and at getting off the field on 3rd down. The last two seasons he has coached 8 first team All-MWC players on D. A 2020 Broyles finalist, Mattix could be in line for a huge P5 payday soon if he opts to leave sunny San Diego.
DJ Durkin, Texas A&M
Much like Parker on this list, Durkin led a defense last year that was quite salty but got overshadowed by an anemic offense and a coaching sideshow. If you didn’t actually know, you do now, the Aggies have played really good D lately under Elko and Durkin. I don’t profess to defend what happened during his time as Maryland HC but as a DC he is elite. In stints at Florida, Michigan, and Ole Miss he has been outstanding. The pure talent on the roster at A&M should put them in the top rungs of P5 defenses yet again. They were a laughing stock as a team last year, they shouldn’t have been on defense and won’t be in 2023.
