Top 10 Defensive Coordinators in College Football
Offenses might continue to steal the show in college football with the rise of uptempo spread attacks, but elite defenses are still a valuable commodity in today's game.
Several powerhouse schools decided to hire elite defensive coordinators this offseason in order to combat the increasing spread of high-scoring offenses across the country. Elsewhere, top defensive assistants received new contracts and head-coaching buzz for their success at shutting down opponents in 2014.
The following list of top 10 defensive coordinators was determined by a defensive coordinator's overall success and years of experience with highly ranked defenses, with a little more weight given to results in recent seasons.
Standard defensive metrics such as total yards allowed and scoring played huge roles in these rankings in addition to Football Outsiders' S&P+ defensive ratings, which measure efficiency with regards to opponent strength.
Sound off on this top 10 list in the comments below, and create your own rankings for the best defensive coordinators in college football.
Honorable Mention
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Geoff Collins (Florida)
The Minister of Mayhem had the nation's best red-zone defense last season at Mississippi State, which had one of its best seasons in school history. Collins made a surprising jump this offseason to a Florida team that has fielded outstanding defenses these last few years.
D.J. Durkin (Michigan)
Durkin served as Will Muschamp's defensive coordinator for the last two seasons at Florida and did well in the new role. He'll now look to continue his growing success as a top assistant as Jim Harbaugh's coordinator at Michigan.
Mike Stoops (Oklahoma)
Stoops had an incredible run during his first tenure as Oklahoma's defensive coordinator. While the Sooners haven't had an elite defense since his return to Norman, his overall success merits special mention in any list of top defensive coordinators.
Justin Wilcox (USC)
Wilcox was in charge of several fantastic defenses at BCS-busting Boise State and had a few solid seasons of efficiency at Tennessee and Washington. Now heading into his second season at USC, Wilcox is poised to take the next step with the amount of talent the Trojans have in Los Angeles.
Dave Wommack (Ole Miss)
The leader of the feared "Landsharks" defense, the veteran Wommack has enjoyed a career renaissance at Ole Miss. The Rebels had the nation's best scoring defense and the No. 7 overall unit last season, according to S&P+ ratings.
10. Todd Grantham (Louisville)
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Georgia fans might scoff at Todd Grantham's place on this list—2013 was a rough year for the former Bulldogs' coordinator—but his bounce-back campaign at Louisville last season earns him a spot.
After three years under Nick Saban at Michigan State and an up-and-down pro coaching career, Grantham became Georgia's defensive coordinator in 2010, and his 3-4 system made an immediate impact in the sacks and turnovers department. In 2011, Georgia had the nation's fifth-best total defense and finished just behind Alabama in every major SEC defensive category.
The Bulldogs' defensive stats slipped in 2012 and 2013, and Grantham moved on to become Bobby Petrino's defensive coordinator at Louisville. Last year, the Cardinals had the nation's sixth-best defense in yards allowed per game and tied TCU and Louisiana Tech for most interceptions at 26.
"I know that people in Georgia criticized him a little bit," Saban told the Louisville Courier-Journal's Gentry Estes. "Georgia always has good players, but I just think Todd is a really, really good coach. I thought he did a great job at Louisville here last year with the team that they had and had a lot of success."
9. Bob Shoop (Penn State)
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As James Franklin's defensive coordinator for the past four seasons, Bob Shoop continues to impress as a rising name in the coaching ranks.
Before moving to Penn State with Franklin, Shoop did what many thought was the unthinkable at Vanderbilt: establish excellent defense. Even though they were the underdogs in the SEC, the Commodores finished inside the top 25 in total defense in three straight seasons under Shoop. The year before he arrived in Nashville, Vanderbilt was dead last in the SEC with more than 400 yards allowed per game.
Shoop's first season at Penn State was an even greater success as the Nittany Lions had the nation's No. 2 total defense and the No. 7 scoring defense. His success at Penn State garnered attention for the LSU coordinator job this offseason, but he stayed put and earned a new contract.
"With Penn State now recruiting at a high level on both sides of the ball and Shoop’s ability to maximize talent, one can only expect for the Nittany Lions to have one of the top defensive units in the B1G moving forward—a good thing considering they play in one of the toughest divisions in football," 247Sports' JC Shurburtt wrote in January when Shoop was named 247's Defensive Coordinator of the Year.
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8. Vance Bedford (Texas)
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Vance Bedford has been Charlie Strong's right-hand man since their days as highly touted assistants at Florida. Now at Texas, Bedford continues to orchestrate great defenses alongside Strong.
When Strong became Louisville's head coach in 2010, Bedford joined him as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator. After three seasons of finishing in the top 25 in total defense, Louisville led the nation in that category in 2013 with the likes of star safety Calvin Pryor, defensive end Marcus Smith and linebacker Preston Brown.
He moved with Strong again for the 2014 season, this time to Austin. The Longhorns jumped from No. 69 in total defense in 2013 to No. 26 under the watch of Bedford and Strong. Texas also moved up 24 spots in the S&P+ defensive ratings.
Texas should continue to make strides defensively in 2015 under the guidance of Bedford, who was rumored to be a head coach candidate at Colorado State this offseason. When he's partnered with Strong on a coaching staff, excellent defense is just around the corner.
7. Dave Aranda (Wisconsin)
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In his two seasons as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda has led a consistent unit that has been one of the best in the Big Ten and the entire country.
Aranda, who arrived in Madison with former head coach Gary Andersen for the 2013 season, had a defense that finished 14th in yards allowed and 16th in S&P+ ratings at Utah State. In his first season at Wisconsin, the Badgers' defense—which was running a new 3-4 system—ranked in the top 10 in both categories. Wisconsin also ranked in the top five nationally that season on third downs, in the red zone and in forcing three-and-outs.
In 2014, Wisconsin ranked fourth in both total and pass defense, even with an embarrassing blowout loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. The Badgers also finished No. 15 in S&P+ in Aranda's second year.
Even though Andersen left Wisconsin for Oregon State this offseason, Aranda stayed in Madison and will be a part of new head coach Paul Chryst's staff. The Badgers return most of their defensive starters this season, and Aranda should continue to rise in the coaching world with another great year.
6. Jeremy Pruitt (Georgia)
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While this offseason has featured a pair of big-name defensive coordinator moves in the SEC, Jeremy Pruitt stole the headlines in the conference last year when he was hired at Georgia.
One of the fastest-rising assistants in college football, Pruitt went from coaching at Alabama high school powerhouse Hoover to winning the national championship at Florida State in less than a decade. After several title-winning years on Alabama's staff, Pruitt had the nation's No. 1 scoring defense and No. 3 total defense in his one season as the Seminoles' coordinator.
Pruitt then moved to Georgia, where he took the Bulldogs' defense from 45th to 17th in yards allowed per game and from 59th to fifth in pass defense—even with several depth concerns in the secondary. Georgia's scoring defense also improved by more than nine points in Pruitt's first season in Athens.
Under Pruitt, Georgia should continue to recruit and develop some of the best defensive players in the SEC and the entire country. While he only has two years under his belt as a defensive coordinator, Pruitt has already proven to be a superstar in the role.
5. Brent Venables (Clemson)
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With over a decade of experience as a coordinator, Brent Venables has built several outstanding defenses in both the Big 12 and the ACC.
Before Mike Stoops returned to Oklahoma as the defensive coordinator for the 2012 season, Venables led the Sooners to be the nation's eighth-best total defense in 2009. While Venables' last two seasons in Norman saw the Sooners drop outside the top 50 in yards allowed per game, the S&P+ ratings from those two seasons show Oklahoma had two top-10 defenses in terms of efficiency.
Venables landed at Clemson and quickly went to work in building a great defense for the Tigers. After two seasons of improvement in 2012 and 2013, Clemson had the nation's No. 1 defense in total yards per game and per play in 2014. Four players from that unit were drafted into the NFL earlier this year, including first-round selections Vic Beasley and Stephone Anthony.
Clemson has to replace a lot of talent from that unit this season, but Venables has helped the Tigers recruit elite prospects to play in Death Valley the last few years. Venables should continue to rise as a defensive coordinator with his recent run of efficient defenses at both Oklahoma and Clemson.
4. Will Muschamp (Auburn)
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Will Muschamp's tenure as Florida's head coach had plenty of issues, but the one area that was consistently great was defense—an area Muschamp has excelled at coaching for more than 15 years.
Since 2008—his second season as Texas' defensive coordinator—teams with Muschamp on their staff have ranked inside the top 15 in total defense. His 15th-ranked total defense at Florida last season was his worst in that span, as the previous five between the Longhorns and the Gators finished No. 8 or better nationally.
Muschamp's passion and defensive prowess made him a prized defensive coordinator candidate after his dismissal from Florida this offseason. He'll now be tasked with resurrecting an Auburn defense that looks nothing like the elite units he led during his first run as the Tigers' defensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007.
Although he hasn't solely focused on defense since 2010, Muschamp—the nation's highest-paid assistant—has a track record as a coordinator that is one of the best in all of college football.
3. John Chavis (Texas A&M)
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Veteran SEC coordinator John "The Chief" Chavis made one of the most high-profile coaching moves of the offseason by jumping from LSU to division rival Texas A&M. The Aggies have struggled defensively the last few seasons, but Chavis' history should give A&M fans a ton of hope for the future.
Chavis has been a defensive coordinator in the SEC since 1995, when he took the job at his alma mater Tennessee. During his time in Knoxville, the Volunteers had eight seasons with double-digit wins, including a national championship in 1998. He personally coached four first-team All-American linebackers at Tennessee, including first-round NFL draft pick and five-time Pro Bowler Al Wilson.
He moved on to LSU in 2009, and his defenses ranked in the top 15 in total yards allowed per game in every season but his first in Baton Rouge. In his 20 seasons as a coordinator in the SEC, his defenses have finished in the top four of the conference 15 times.
Last season, LSU ranked No. 1 in the SEC in total defense—and No. 9 nationally—ending Alabama's reign atop the conference's defensive charts. Chavis now has his sights on leading Texas A&M's star-studded recruiting hauls into a new Wrecking Crew era. History suggests this veteran coordinator will get it done.
2. Kirby Smart (Alabama)
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Kirby Smart remains somewhat undervalued in the eyes of the college football world, even after a long streak of dominant Crimson Tide defenses.
Yes, head coach Nick Saban plays a huge role in shaping Alabama's defenses—all of which have finished inside the top seven in S&P+ ratings. But since Saban's first season with the Crimson Tide, Smart has been the one calling the shots on the sidelines.
"Obviously the play-calling comes to me, and I call all the defenses," Smart said in 2013, according to AL.com. "I have ever since I've been the coordinator, and that's just the way it is in our system."
Smart is definitely an elite defensive coordinator in Alabama's eyes, as a recent raise to $1.5 million per year puts him in a tie as the second-highest paid assistant coach in the country. He has had plenty of chances to leave Alabama and become a head coach, but he continues to build his resume in Tuscaloosa by helping develop some of the nation's best defenses.
1. Bud Foster (Virginia Tech)
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No one else in college football has been the architect of more elite defenses than Bud Foster.
Since 1999, his first season as Virginia Tech's defensive coordinator, the Hokies' defense has ranked outside the top 25 in total defense and scoring defense only four times. Eight of those units finished in the top 10 in both categories—and the 2013 team finished No. 4 in yards and No. 11 in scoring.
Although Foster's recent defenses aren't as dominant as they were during the mid-2000s, the last two have finished third and 11th, respectively, in the S&P+ ratings. The Hokies held eventual national champion Ohio State to its lowest scoring output of 2014 as they upset the Buckeyes in Columbus.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Foster's 16 seasons of great defense in Blacksburg is that, unlike Smart, Muschamp and Chavis, he's done it with recruiting classes that usually rank outside the top 20 nationally. Under Foster, these prospects have turned into NFL draft picks and the foundation of some of the game's most feared defenses.
Stats courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.
Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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