Louisiana will fill out its offensive line staff by hiring Sam Houston State run game coordinator/offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton, sources told FootballScoop on Sunday.
Stapleton had recently agreed to become the tight ends coach at Western Michigan sources tell FootballScoop, but will now head to Lafayette instead.
As assistant offensive line coach, Stapleton will work alongside Jeff Norrid, who was hired away from Florida Atlantic last week to replace Rob Sale, now with the New York Giants.
Stapleton played center under Greg Schiano and Kyle Flood at Rutgers and was recognized as a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's top center. He then embarked on a 4-year professional career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he won a Super Bowl.
Stapleton's coaching career began in women's professional football before he moved into the New Jersey high school ranks. His first college job came at Pace University, and he has since worked at Bucknell, Rutgers and Sam Houston State. This was to be his third season at SHSU; the Bearkats begin their spring campaign against Incarnate Word on Saturday.
Stapleton replaces the late DJ Looney. Looney and his counterpart Rob Sale were honored by their peers as the FootballScoop Offensive Line Coaches of the Year in 2020, announced last week.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.