Ted Roof will leave his job as Penn State’s defensive coordinator to return to his alma mater, Georgia Tech, where he will take the same position.
Ted Roof leaves Penn State for Georgia Tech
Defensive coordinator Ted Roof has left Penn State after just one season, returning to his alma mater, Georgia Tech, to take the same job.
Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE
There was much speculation Bill O'Brien would leave Penn State after a surprise 8-4 season for the Nittany Lions, but instead Roof is the one who took a job elsewhere. The Nittany Lions' strength was its defense, living up to its reputation as Linebacker U behind seniors Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges, as well as lineman Jordan Hill. Penn Stated allowed 19.1 points per game, the 16th best figure in the nation, and led the Big Ten in sacks with 34.
Defense was the Yellow Jackets’ weakness this year, allowing over 40 points in five of their seven losses.
Roof has always had connections to Georgia Tech, but has really bounced around in the last few years: the Yellow Jackets were the first team to give Roof a job as defensive coordinator, promoting him from linebackers coach in 1999 before he went to Duke, where he served as head coach for five sub-par seasons, winning only six games. He’s really bounced around recently, coaching at five schools in the last six years: after being fired by Duke in 2007, he spent a year at Minnesota, followed by three years at Auburn, including the school’s national title year in 2010 -- although their defense was far from their strength that year. He left for a job at UCF under George O’Leary, then left after one year to take the Penn State job. He’s leaving there after one year as well.
The Nittany Lions have promoted secondary coach John Butler to be defensive coordinator.
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