Ted Roof to Boost Georgia Tech’s Defense

Ted Roof’s homecoming to Georgia Tech has the Yellow Jacket faithful all abuzz. Roof promises to revamp and revitalize Tech’s defense, a good thing since the team gave up 40 or more points six times last football season. According to a report from SI, he plans on transitioning the team from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3.

Roof has bounced around the college football landscape these past few years, but he has produced results at wherever he’s landed. During his first year as defensive coordinator at Duke in 2002 the team led the ACC in rushing defense, an accomplishment completely foreign to the normally inept Blue Devils. In 2008 he helped the woeful Minnesota Golden Gophers improved from 1-11 to 7-6. He also helped the Auburn Tigers win the 2010 BCS Championship; the Tigers held their opponent, the Oregon Ducks, to only 19 points in the BCS title game, a full four-touchdowns below the Ducks’ season average. His biggest accomplishment, though, may be having helped guide the Penn State Nittany Lions through their tumultuous 2012 season. Amidst all the distractions surrounding the program, Roof’s squad led the conference in both sacks and red-zone defense.

Though the Tech defense has been nothing to brag about as of late, Roof is clearly excited and optimistic:

"There are a lot of reasons why I came back here. I believe in Georgia Tech. It’s also about family; all my family is here. And I’m proud of Georgia Tech. I want my boys to know the guys I played with and the guys I went to school with. It was just the right decision at the right time."

Roof played for the Yellow Jackets from 1982-1985, where he was fist-team all conference during his senior season.