Tuesday update>LSU has now officially announced this hire.
Original article:
Daronte Jones is expected to be LSU's next defensive coordinator Bruce Feldman shares this afternoon.
Jones, the Minnesota Vikings' defensive backs coach, continues Ed Orgeron's affinity with NFL assistants. The trend began with the hiring of then-unknown Saints offensive assistant Joe Brady, a move that worked fabulously for both sides.
Orgeron hired Scott Linehan to replace Brady and now, facing a re-boot on both sides of the ball, he has gone to the NFL each time. Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas, Brady's colleagues in Carolina, will be the new braintrust on offense and now Jones will helm the re-tooled defense.
Jones will be tasked with fixing a defense that bottomed-out under Bo Pelini in 2020. LSU finished 125th (of 127 teams) in yards per play, 115th in pass efficiency defense, and 97th in scoring, surrendering 34.9 points per game.
Prior to approaching Jones, Orgeron previously pursued his protege New Orleans Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen before the Saints moved to keep him.
The LSU defensive coordinator job has traditionally been among the highest-paid assistant jobs in all of college football. Dave Aranda signed a 4-year, $10 million contract before leaving for Baylor, and Pelini got a 3-year, near $7 million deal that ultimately lasted one year.
Jones spent the past five years with the Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings but has ties to Louisiana. He spent 2002 as Nicholls State's safeties coach, and 2003-04 as the defensive coordinator at Franklin and Jeanerette high schools. The Morgan State graduate also coached for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, Bowie State, Hawai'i, UCLA and Wisconsin.
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