Newsstand: Former Notre Dame DC Bob Diaco to reunite with Brian Kelly at LSU
The man behind the defense that helped Notre Dame go 12-0 in the 2012 regular season is reuniting with his old boss. They’re now together in Baton Rouge, La.
Former Irish defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is joining Brian Kelly’s LSU staff as an analyst, according to a report from On3’s Matt Zenitz. Diaco’s last coaching job was in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals in the spring of 2022. He last worked in college in 2020 as Purdue’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Diaco was Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator under Kelly from 2010-13. His best work was that 2012 season, when the Irish were second in the FBS in scoring defense (12.8 points per game) and tied for No. 17 in yards per play allowed (4.78). He left the team in 2013 to become UConn’s head coach and went 11-26 in three seasons with the Huskies, reaching one bowl game.
Since UConn, the 50-year-old Diaco has never stayed in a job longer than one year. He spent 2017 as Nebraska’s defensive coordinator, 2018 as Oklahoma’s outside linebackers coach and 2019 as Louisiana Tech’s defensive coordinator. His lone season at Purdue was 2020, and he did not coach in 2021.
With Diaco on board, Kelly has four ex-Notre Dame assistants on his LSU staff: offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock (worked for the Irish from 2010-16), safeties coach Kerry Cooks (2010-14, 2020-21), general manager and former special teams coach Brian Polian (2017-21) and Diaco.
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