Ole Miss set to hire former UCLA, UConn DC Lou Spanos as analyst

Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin are set to bring on an experienced defensive mind as an analyst.

According to Matt Zenitz of On3, the Rebels are hiring former UCLA Bruins and Connecticut Huskies defensive coordinator Lou Spanos as an analyst. Spanos, who was also the Huskies’ interim head coach in 2021, also has experience in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, and as an assistant with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

“Ole Miss is set to hire former UCLA and UConn defensive coordinator Lou Spanos as an analyst, sources tell @On3sports,” tweeted Zenitz. “Spanos has also worked for teams like the Tennessee Titans and Alabama. He was UConn’s interim head coach in 2021.”

While Spanos has head coaching experience as the interim with the Huskies, it didn’t go particularly well, as Connecticut amassed a 1-9 record with him at the helm. However, he’s become known as a fantastic defensive mind, and he’ll presumably help out the Rebels on that side of the football.

It’s another fascinating hire for Kiffin’s coaching staff, as the offseason has been full of them. The Rebels haven’t been afraid to shake things up, as they continue to look to improve upon the rise Kiffin has them on at the moment.

Earlier in March, Ole Miss hired Arkansas State’s Jake Schoonover as special teams coordinator.

Under his direction in 2022, Arkansas State ranked second in the Sun Belt in kick return defense and third in kick return average. Before Arkansas State, Schoonover was special teams coordinator at Kansas and helped the Jayhawks rank in the top-11 nationally in kick return defense and punt returns in 2021.

Schoonover, who was also a defensive assistant at Arkansas State, will be the replacement for Marty Biagi, who is leaving Ole Miss to take over as the special teams coordinator at Notre Dame.

Prior to Arkansas State and Kansas, Schoonover worked at Bowling Green and Illinois State. He joined the Bowling Green staff in 2018 as a linebackers coach, then served as the team’s special teams coordinator in 2019 and ’20. In 2020, the Falcons ranked second in the MAC in kickoff returns and fourth in punt returns.

As you can see, Lane Kiffin has been busy this offseason, as he also brought in former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding to be his man on that side of the football. It’s going to be another exciting season in Oxford, and Kiffin is gearing up to take his team to new heights in 2023.