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Ranking the top ten defensive coaches in college football

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Kirby Smart talks to linebacker Walker Jones (35) during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Kirby Smart talks to linebacker Walker Jones (35) during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 27, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /

There are just two head coaches on our list of the top ten defensive coaches in college football today, but it would be a major oversight to not include Texas head coach Charlie Strong, who has coached more than 30 years on the defensive side of the football in his career.

Strong began as a graduate assistant at Florida in 1983 (the first of four separate tenures on the Gators staff). After stints at Texas A&M, Southern Illinois (where he coached wide receivers), Florida again, Ole Miss, Floridaa third time, and Notre Dame, Strong was hired as the defensive coordinator at South Carolina in 1999 where he led the Gamecocks to top 20 finished twice, including the 2000 unit that ranked sixth national in scoring defense (15.8 points per game).

In 2003, Strong left for Gainesville once more, where he served as defensive coordinator until 2009. Under Strong’s direction, the Gators defense finished in the nation’s top ten included 13 All-Americans, seven first round NFL Draft picks and helped the school capture the both the 2006 and 2008 BCS National Championships.

Strong’s units were at their best when it mattered most. In the 2006 national title game, the Gators held Ohio State to a record low 82 total yards and in 2008 Florida held Oklahoma to 14 points, which was a full 40 points below their season average.

Finally in 2010, Strong became a head coach and immediately built Louisville into one of the nation’s top defensive programs. In his final season with the Cardinals, Louisville led the nation in nine statistical categories, including total defense (251.5 yards per game), rush defense (80.7 yards per game) and sacks (3.31 per game). The Cards were second in the nation in scoring defense (12.2 points per game) and were third in fewest yards allowed per play (4.2 yards per play).

Strong also has one of the nation’s premiere defensive coordinators on staff in Vance Bedford, who was the DC for Strong at Louisville from 2010-13 after serving as Strong’s defensive backs coach at Florida in 2008-09.

Strong’s first year in Austin was bumpy overall, but there were certainly bright spots on the defensive side of the football. One of the biggest areas of success for Strong’s first Longhorn defense was the unit’s pass rush. Texas recorded 40 sacks in 2014, which ranked 12th nationally and their 3.08 sacks per game was 11th best.

Next: 6. Gary Patterson

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