BREAKING: LSU hires Texas DL coach Bo Davis
LSU has hired Texas defensive line coach and LSU alum Bo Davis to the same position, the school announced on Wednesday.
Davis is a massive land for head coach Brian Kelly, who is hiring an entirely new defensive staff for the 2024 season.
“As a defensive line coach Bo brings a wealth of proven success at both the professional and collegiate level throughout his distinguished career,” Kelly said. “Additionally, coach Davis is an outstanding recruiter and developer of the players in his charge. I am excited to welcome back to LSU coach Bo Davis.”
Davis helped the Longhorns reach the College Football Playoff and was named the 2023 FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year.
Davis’ work with defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat helped him win the Outland Trophy, which recognizes the top interior lineman — offense or defense. He was a unanimous All-American for his play in 2023 while earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors with 42 tackles, eights tackles for loss and two sacks. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy also starred for the Longhorns, earning Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
In the 2024 recruiting cycle, Davis was a key figure in recruiting LSU five-star defensive tackle commit Dominick McKinley. McKinley flipped from Texas A&M to LSU, but the Longhorns were in the mix throughout his recruitment with Davis being the key in those efforts.
In 2022, the Texas defensive line featured a pair of All-Big 12 Conference performers in second-teamers Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo. The Longhorn defense allowed 125.7 rushing yards per game, the second-fewest in the Big 12 Conference, and tallied 6.7 tackles for loss per game to rank 29th in the nation.
In Davis’ first year back on the Forty Acres in 2021, Ovie Oghoufo, who played his final season for LSU this year, earned honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors after tallying 42 tackles (21 solo) and 5.5 tackles for loss, while Murphy netted honorable mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, and Coburn and Ojomo garnered honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
Davis was a Second Team All-SEC nose guard at LSU in 1992, graduating in 1993. He started as a graduate assistant with LSU’s strength program in 1995. He spent years working for Nick Saban at LSU, Miami and Alabama. He worked at Texas from 2011-13 as defensive tackles coach. He also coached for UTSA, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions.
He lettered for the Tigers from 1990-92 and finished his college career with 90 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery. Davis replaces Jimmy Lindsey, who was let go by Kelly after the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin as the Tigers cleaned house on the defensive side of the ball.
