Let's take a look at the defensive coaching staff for 2020.
Here are some numbers where Tech has stood nationally in points per game allowed since Skip Holtz has been the HC:
2013: 26.2 PPG (61st nationally) -- DC Kim Dameron
2014: 24.7 PPG (39th nationally) -- DC Manny Diaz
2015: 26.8 PPG (62nd nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2016: 33.6 PPG (97th nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2017: 25.4 PPG (54th nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2018: 23 PPG (39th nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2019: 21.8 PPG (30th nationally) -- DC Bob Diaco
Here is the 2020 Defensive Coaching Staff:
DC David Blackwell -- (1st season)
-- Blackwell was at ODU in 2019 where he took over a defense that was last or second to last in virtually every defensive category. In 2019, ODU was 4th in total yards, 4th in turnovers, 5th in TFL, 6th in pass yards allowed, 7th in rush yards allowed in the league. That was an ODU team that won 1 game
-- In 2018 at ECU, Blackwell coached Nate Harvey who was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year
-- ECU was 3rd in the nation in TFL in 2018
-- From 2014-2017, Blackwell was the DC at Jacksonville State where they were first nationally in completion % allowed, 2nd nationally in passing efficiency and rush yards allowed per carry, 3rd nationally in total defense and yards per pass attempt, 6th nationally in rush defense, 8th nationally in scoring defense, and 9th nationally in sacks over 51 games
-- Blackwell was a finalist for FCS DC of the Year in 2015 and 2016
-- Blackwell also spent time as the DC at South Florida and was an assistant at Clemson for 6 years
DB Coach Jeff Burris -- (3rd season)
-- Burris helped develop Amik Robertson and L'Jarius Sneed into NFL Draft picks
-- Burris spent one season at Notre Dame in 2016 and one season at Northern Iowa in 2017 prior to coming to Louisiana Tech. Burris was with the Miami Dolphins from 2013-2015
-- Burris was a first round draft pick in the 1994 NFL Draft and played 10 seasons in the NFL
ILB Coach Brian Gamble -- (3rd season)
-- Gamble coached Collin Scott and Connor Taylor to C-USA All-Conference Honorable Mention honors during his first two seasons in Ruston
-- Prior to coming to Louisiana Tech, Gamble was an assistant at Incarnate Word for 10 seasons. He was the DC for 6 seasons
-- When he was the DC at Incarnate Word, he installed a 3-4 defense, so he has a tremendous amount of experience in that personnel
-- Gamble was a 4-year letter winner at Texas A&M from 1999-2002 where he made 47 career starts
ST/OLB Coach Dennis Smith -- (2nd season)
-- Smith will oversee the special teams and OLBs in 2020
-- Under Smith, Bailey Hale and Reeves Blankenship were named 2nd Team All-CUSA in 2019
-- Smith is fairly new to the defensive side of coaching, having spent a majority of his career on the offensive side
-- Dynamic recruiter
DL Coach Anthony Camp -- (1st season)
-- Camp spent the previous two season as ULM where he coached All-Sun Belt selection Donald Louis
-- In 2 years at ULM, the Warhawks DL had 54 sacks
-- Prior to ULM, Camp was the DL Coach at Nicholls State for 3 seasons, in 2017 the Colonels made the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2005
-- During that 2017 season, Camp had 3 defensive lineman finish in the top 10 in the Southland in sacks
-- Camp played his college football at McNeese State
What is your confidence level in the defensive coaching staff entering 2020? 1-10?
Here are some numbers where Tech has stood nationally in points per game allowed since Skip Holtz has been the HC:
2013: 26.2 PPG (61st nationally) -- DC Kim Dameron
2014: 24.7 PPG (39th nationally) -- DC Manny Diaz
2015: 26.8 PPG (62nd nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2016: 33.6 PPG (97th nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2017: 25.4 PPG (54th nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2018: 23 PPG (39th nationally) -- DC Blake Baker
2019: 21.8 PPG (30th nationally) -- DC Bob Diaco
Here is the 2020 Defensive Coaching Staff:
DC David Blackwell -- (1st season)
-- Blackwell was at ODU in 2019 where he took over a defense that was last or second to last in virtually every defensive category. In 2019, ODU was 4th in total yards, 4th in turnovers, 5th in TFL, 6th in pass yards allowed, 7th in rush yards allowed in the league. That was an ODU team that won 1 game
-- In 2018 at ECU, Blackwell coached Nate Harvey who was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year
-- ECU was 3rd in the nation in TFL in 2018
-- From 2014-2017, Blackwell was the DC at Jacksonville State where they were first nationally in completion % allowed, 2nd nationally in passing efficiency and rush yards allowed per carry, 3rd nationally in total defense and yards per pass attempt, 6th nationally in rush defense, 8th nationally in scoring defense, and 9th nationally in sacks over 51 games
-- Blackwell was a finalist for FCS DC of the Year in 2015 and 2016
-- Blackwell also spent time as the DC at South Florida and was an assistant at Clemson for 6 years
DB Coach Jeff Burris -- (3rd season)
-- Burris helped develop Amik Robertson and L'Jarius Sneed into NFL Draft picks
-- Burris spent one season at Notre Dame in 2016 and one season at Northern Iowa in 2017 prior to coming to Louisiana Tech. Burris was with the Miami Dolphins from 2013-2015
-- Burris was a first round draft pick in the 1994 NFL Draft and played 10 seasons in the NFL
ILB Coach Brian Gamble -- (3rd season)
-- Gamble coached Collin Scott and Connor Taylor to C-USA All-Conference Honorable Mention honors during his first two seasons in Ruston
-- Prior to coming to Louisiana Tech, Gamble was an assistant at Incarnate Word for 10 seasons. He was the DC for 6 seasons
-- When he was the DC at Incarnate Word, he installed a 3-4 defense, so he has a tremendous amount of experience in that personnel
-- Gamble was a 4-year letter winner at Texas A&M from 1999-2002 where he made 47 career starts
ST/OLB Coach Dennis Smith -- (2nd season)
-- Smith will oversee the special teams and OLBs in 2020
-- Under Smith, Bailey Hale and Reeves Blankenship were named 2nd Team All-CUSA in 2019
-- Smith is fairly new to the defensive side of coaching, having spent a majority of his career on the offensive side
-- Dynamic recruiter
DL Coach Anthony Camp -- (1st season)
-- Camp spent the previous two season as ULM where he coached All-Sun Belt selection Donald Louis
-- In 2 years at ULM, the Warhawks DL had 54 sacks
-- Prior to ULM, Camp was the DL Coach at Nicholls State for 3 seasons, in 2017 the Colonels made the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2005
-- During that 2017 season, Camp had 3 defensive lineman finish in the top 10 in the Southland in sacks
-- Camp played his college football at McNeese State
What is your confidence level in the defensive coaching staff entering 2020? 1-10?
