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ESPN ranks 3 SEC coordinator hires among the top 10 so far this offseason
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The SEC plucked two stellar defensive minds from the Big Ten, and each could have an immediate impact.
ESPN’s Travis Haney thinks so highly of them that he couldn’t decide which was better, but Haney ranks LSU’s hire of defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and Tennessee’s hire of defensive coordinator Bob Shoop as the top two coordinator hires so far this offseason.
Aranda and Shoop replace Kevin Steele and John Jancek at Baton Rouge and Knoxville, respectively, despite the fact that fans weren’t exactly calling for the heads of those predecessors before they were let go.
However, Aranda and Shoop are widely considered huge upgrades, which is a testament to the consistency the two have shown.
And both led impressive defenses last season. Aranda guided a Wisconsin defense that ranked 4th in the FBS in yards per play (4.4). Meanwhile, Shoop’s Penn State unit ranked 14th in the same category (4.8).
Haney also had Alabama’s hire of defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt ranked as the 6th-best. Pruitt seems to be a great fit as a former player and coach at Alabama, and he’s also a respected recruiter.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
