Try again: After failed attempt, LSU sets sights on new DC
Scooter Hobbs
There have been false alarms before.
But LSU apparently has found a defensive coordinator.
As he did in an ill-fated attempt last week, head coach Ed Orgeron has dipped into the NFL, this time going after Minnesota Vikings defensive back coach Daronte Jones.
The news, citing sources, was first reported by The Athletics’s Bruce Feldman, who has corroborated with Orgeron on two books.
The report said that Jones, who formerly worked under former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda while both were at Wisconsin, interviewed Monday for the position and is expected to take it.
The 41-year-old Maryland native, who played at Morgan State, has some Louisiana ties. Early in his career he spent a year in the state’s high school ranks, at both Franklin and Jeanerette, and another year at Nicholls State.
After stints at UCLA, Hawaii and the Canadian Football League, he joined Aranda on the Wisconsin staff for the 2015 season.
When Aranda left the next year to take the LSU defensive coordinator job, Jones went to the NFL, first with the Miami Dolphins for two years, then another two with the Cincinnati Bengals and this past season with the Vikings.
Orgeron was reportedly waiting to hire his coordinator before also replacing two other openings on the defensive staff.
Jones would be Orgeron’s third choice to replace the disastrous one-year tenure of since-fired Bo Pelini.
The LSU coach thought he had lined up one of the hottest assistant coaching names, but Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman chose to go to Notre Dame instead.
Then last week Orgeron thought he had locked down Saints’ defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen.
But Saints head coach Sean Payton would not let Nielsen out of his contract and gave him a raise and a promotion to assistant head coach.
Minnesota Vikings