Defensive Coordinator Hot Board

With the announcement that Oregon State's defensive coordinator has been named head coach at BYU, the attention now turns to who will replace him at OSU. Coach Andersen has vast connections and the search has no doubt already begun. BeaverBlitz.com has compiled a list of possible candidates to keep an eye on in the days/weeks ahead.

Aranda went to Wisconsin with Coach Andersen after spending a year as the defensive coordinator at Utah State. Here is his bio from Wisconsin:

Dave Aranda returned for his third season as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach in 2015.

Under Aranda's watch, Wisconsin's defense has allowed an average of 299.4 yards per game, ranking third among FBS programs over the last two seasons and trailing only Louisville (280.5) and Michigan State (282.9).

The Badgers have allowed an average of 18.6 points per game over the last two seasons, the sixth-best mark in the FBS during that span. Wisconsin also ranks No. 5 nationally in passing defense over the past two seasons at 184.6 yards allowed per game and No. 7 in rushing defense at 114.7 yards allowed per contest.

The Badgers have allowed just 27 rushing touchdowns in the 27 games Aranda has coached.

The Badgers finished the 2014 season ranked 17th nationally in scoring defense at 20.8 points per game and 4th in total defense at 294.1 yards per game. UW stacked up No. 4 nationally in passing defense (168.0 yards per game) and 23rd in rushing defense (126.1 ypg).In an impressive debut season, Aranda installed his 3-4 defense and guided the Badgers to a top-20 ranked defense in all four major defensive statistical categories: scoring defense (6th), total defense (7th), rushing defense (5th) and passing defense (17th).

The Badgers held 5 of 13 opponents without a touchdown and seven teams to 10 points or fewer. On average, Wisconsin kept its opponents 12.1 points below their season scoring average.UW's defense didn't surrender much in the way of yardage, either, holding 6 of 13 opponents to fewer than 250 yards of total offense. In addition to the outstanding overall numbers in 2013, Aranda's defense was at its best in pressure situations.

Wisconsin ranked fourth nationally in opponent third-down conversion percentage (30.7 percent) and second in forcing three-and-outs (44.2 percent of opponents' drives). The Badgers were also ranked sixth in opponent red zone attempts (33) and allowed touchdowns on just 42.2 percent of those opponents' red-zone trips, ranking No. 3 nationally.The Badgers were especially stifling against opponents' rushing attacks, with UW holding each of its 13 opponents below their rushing average for the season.

Aranda spent the 2012 season at Utah State. As the defensive coordinator at USU, he oversaw an Aggies defense that ranked eighth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 15.4 points per game.

In addition to scoring defense, Utah State also ranked among the top 15 nationally in sacks (eighth), pass efficiency defense (10th), rush defense (12th) and total defense (15th). In the red zone, the Aggies were particularly effective, allowing opponents to score on just 63.6 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line, a mark that tied them for third in the country in red zone defense.

Kevin Clune, who has 23 years of coaching experience, including seven as a coordinator, is in his first year as Utah State’s defensive coordinator and sixth year overall with the program.

Clune spent the 2014 season as the defensive coordinator at Hawai’i as the Rainbow Warriors defense gave up 26.8 points and 418.2 yards per game, an improvement from the 2013 season, when Hawai’i allowed 38.8 points and 494.7 yards a game.

Clune previously spent five years at Utah State (2009-13) as its linebackers coach, helping the Aggies to three-straight bowl games and a 2012 Western Athletic Conference championship.

As Utah State’s linebackers coach, Clune mentored all-conference linebackers Bobby Wagner, Jake Doughty, Kyler Fackrell and Zach Vigil. Wagner was a three-time first-team all-WAC selection and concluded his career with 446 tackles, ranking first all-time in league and school history.

Ilaisa Tuiaki joined the Oregon State staff in January of 2015 as the Beavers’ linebackers coach. He returned to head coach Gary Andersen’s staff after spending the 2009-11 seasons at Utah State as the team’s running backs coach.

Tuiaki came to OSU from Utah where he spent the 2012-14 seasons as the defensive line coach. His linemen earned four Pac-12 postseason honors over the last two years, including Pac-12 first team honorees Trevor Reilly in 2013 and Nate Orchard in 2014. Orchard was also named the Morris Trophy recipient as the Pac-12’s top lineman, the nation’s top defensive end by winning the Ted Hendricks Award and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the NFL Draft. Meanwhile, tackle Lowell Lotulelei earned Freshman All-America honors.

Utah led the nation for overall sacks with 55 in ’14 and was sixth for average tackles for loss per game at 7.9. In 2013, the Utes ranked second for sacks.

Tuiaki was the only non-coordinator to be nominated for the Broyles Award (top assistant coach) in 2013. In 2014 The FootballScoop pegged him one of its five finalists for its defensive line coach of the year award.

Clancy Pendergast is in his first season coaching with the 49ers as the team’s linebackers coach. A former defensive coordinator at both the professional and collegiate levels, he has 23 years of coaching experience, including 16 seasons in the NFL.

Pendergast most recently served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at the University of Southern California, in 2013. The Trojans pass defense ranked second in the Pac-12 that season, allowing 214.6 passing yards per game.

Prior to joining USC, Pendergast spent three years (2010-12) as the defensive coordinator at the University of California. The Golden Bears led the conference in total defense, pass defense and fewest first downs allowed in each of his first two seasons. Pendergast also helped produce nine NFL players, including first-round selection DE Cameron Jordan, and three first-team all-conference honorees, including LB Mychal Kendricks, the 2011 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Wilcox is currently out of a job and has ties to Oregon, growing up in Junction City, Oregon. Here is his most recent bio from USC:

Wilcox, who has been a defensive coordinator at 4 schools, is in his second year (2014-15) at USC as the defensive coordinator. He joined the USC staff in December of 2013.

In 2014, USC’s defense was in the nation’s Top 20 in turnover margin, red zone defense and third down conversion defense. USC played in the 2014 Holiday Bowl.

He served as Washington's defensive coordinator the previous 2 seasons (2012-13). In 2012, the Huskies were in the national Top 40 in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense after finishing the previous year ranked lower than 105th in each category. UW's scoring defense was in the national Top 35 in 2013, while its pass efficiency defense improved 60 spots to 27th nationally in 2012 and then was 11th in 2013 (first in the Pac-12). Its 41 pass sacks in 2013 are second most nationally. The Huskies played in the 2012 Las Vegas Bowl and 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl.

Before that, Wilcox was Tennessee's defensive coordinator for 2 years (2010-11). The Volunteers were 28th nationally in total defense (340.5) in 2011. In 2010, his defense limited foes to 14 or fewer points in 4 November games. Tennessee played in the 2010 Music City Bowl.

Former Oregon State defensive backs coach Nigel Burton, has defensive coordinator and head coaching experience. He's currently a commentator for the Pac-12 Network.

At Portland State, Burton had a 21-36 record with the Vikings. A former PSU assistant coach (2001-02), he also had stops at Oregon State (2003-07, defensive backs coach) and Nevada (2008-09, defensive coordinator).

Salave'a is a dynamic recruiter with a strong grasp of the PAC 12 conference. Here is his bio from Washington State:

Nine-year National Football League veteran Joe Salave’a begins his fourth year on Mike Leach’s Washington State coaching staff, the first three as the defensive line coach and adding the title of Assistant Head Coach for the 2015 season.

Since arriving at WSU Salave’a has energized the Cougar defensive line, posting two of the top three season sack totals in the past nine years. In 2014 WSU registered 29 sacks and 77 tackles-for-loss, both improvements over 2013 totals.

Salave'a was drafted in the fourth round by Tennessee in 1998 and spent five seasons with the Titans, one split year with the Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers (2003) and his final three years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins from 2004-06.

He recorded 157 career tackles at Arizona, all as an interior lineman, with 43.5 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks. He led the team in sacks and tackles for loss in both 1996 and 1997, and in fumbles caused in 1994 and 1996.

A native of Leone, American Samoa, Salave'a has been one of the territory's foremost football ambassadors promoting the game among Samoan youth, including founding a foundation to help introduce the game and strengthen its appeal.