JMU Reportedly Set to Hire New Defensive Coaches

Hear JMU is hiring defensive staff from Ohio State, Gardner-Webb and Wake Forest… https://t.co/sNnVtyuq1F

— FootballScoop Staff (@FootballScoop) December 29, 2015

The 2015 JMU football defense underperformed. Drastically. As a result, there were firings and a reshuffling of the defensive coaching staff. Steve Sisa was demoted from his position as Defensive Coordinator and the defensive line and outside linebacker coaches were let go. According to FootballScoop, JMU already has the replacements picked out and lined up to join the coaching staff.

Randall McCray is set to become the new Defensive Coordinator and coach the safeties. He’ll be joined by Vince Oghobaase, who’ll coach the defensive line, and Tyler Santucci, who’ll coach the outside linebackers. All three appear to be outstanding hires.

McCray will be coming to JMU from Gardner-Webb, where he was the defensive coordinator for the past three seasons. His defenses were pretty good, and certainly more effective than JMU’s. The 2015 Gardner-Webb defense ranked 13th in Total Defense and gave up the 7th fewest passing yards in the country.

Oghobaase is joining JMU from Ohio State, where he was a graduate assistant working the defensive line the past two season. He was a four year letterman and team captain at Duke, where he finished with 14 sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss. Tyler Santucci was a graduate assistant coaching the rovers at Wake Forest the past two years. Prior to his time at Wake, he coached at Stony Brook, where he also starred as an All America and 2009 Big South Defensive Player of the Year.

McCray is a seasoned coach with a track record as a very effective Defensive Coordinator. He’ll bring some much needed experience to a young defensive coaching staff looking to help the Dukes’ defense turn things around. Santucci and Oghobaase more fit the mold of young guys with plenty of upside, like we’ve seen with some of Everett Withers previous assistants. All three guys have their work cut out for them, but seem up to the task.