Todd Grantham spurns Raiders, will remain Louisville defensive coordinator

Update: Grantham will remain with Louisville despite being offered the Oakland job, according to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy.

Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is reportedly the favorite for the defensive coordinator opening with the Oakland Raiders, according to NBC’s Dianna Russini. Grantham is expected to meet with the Raiders and could leave Louisville only one year after joining the staff following his time with Georgia.

Grantham has spent the past five seasons working as a defensive coordinator at Louisville and Georgia, but he spent the previous decade coaching in the NFL, including a three-year stint as the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns from 2005-2007. After four years at Georgia, he joined Bobby Petrino’s staff at Louisville, where he was the sixth-highest paid assistant coach in the country, making $975,000 a year.

The Cardinals’ defense was one of the better units in the country in 2014, ranking sixth in total defense at just over 308 yards allowed per game, and 24th in scoring defense, surrendering only 21.8 points per game. At Georgia, his scoring defenses ranked 36th in 2010, 23rd in 2011, 18th in 2012, and then dipped to 79th in 2013, allowing 29 points per game in his final season.

There were rumors over the weekend that the Raiders would be interviewing a college coach for the defensive coordinator position on new coach Jack Del Rio’s staff, and it appears that Grantham is that college coach. They have already hired Florida State’s Sal Sunseri to be their linebackers coach.