NDSU lost its defensive coordinator to USC, but Bison head coach Craig Bohl didn’t waste any time in naming a successor.
Defensive backs coach Chris Klieman will take over for Scottie Hazelton, who will be the linebackers coach at USC, Bohl said. Bohl immediately promoted Klieman, who came to NDSU prior to this season from Northern Iowa, where he was a defensive coordinator.
There are connections that link NDSU coaches to USC head coach Lane Kiffin, most notably former Bison defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who worked with Monte Kiffin, Lane Kiffin’s father, when both were at Tampa Bay. Bradley is now with the Seattle Seahawks working under former USC head coach Pete Carroll. Also in Seattle is former NDSU defensive line coach Todd Wash, who also spent time at Tampa Bay.
The USC linebackers job came open when Joe Barry accepted the same position with the San Diego Chargers. Barry, like Bradley and Wash, also coached at Tampa with Monte Kiffin.
Moreover, former NDSU defensive coordinator Willie Mack Garza resigned last season as the defensive backs coach at USC.
This would be a tough loss since Scottie Hazelton really had the defense humming this season, especially in the playoffs and national championship game. That being said the Bison had a very good defensive staff and Coach Bohl is a defensive minded coach. The only real hiccup at defensive coordinator was Mike Breske after he was fired at Wyoming (he was a 3-4 guy and definitely wasn’t a good fit). As stated above Crhis Klieman would be an obvious choice to replace Hazelton. I guess we could hire UNI’s defensive coordinator from this past season to be our defensive backs or linebackers coach should Klieman be promoted.
I still think the Bison have enough returning talent to repeat as national champions. Coach Bohl just needs to make sure the Bison play defense like they did under Gus Bradley and Scottie Hazelton, aggressive and attacking.
If Scottie Hazelton is indeed leaving for USC, I wish him well and thank him for all his hard work and contributions to the Bison program these past 2 years. Once a Bison, Always A Bison!
Thanks for the jynx article this morning Kolpack!! Ha, just kidding.
http://www.conquestchronicles.com/2011/9/27/2453500/the-willie-lyles-willie-mack-garza-connection
I seriously doubt that Garza first knew Lyles at Tennessee. Did any red flags go up after this relationship was revealed last fall? Did pro-NDSU reporters even look into this? Cheaters don’t just cheat once. And they sure don’t get caught the first time.
Just what the hell are you suggesting? a “grassy knoll” involving Willie Mack? Lord, help us ! And what’s with the “pro-NDSU reporters” dig? Find another blog to rag on……..how about “sayanything.com”
Not a dig, really. Just hadn’t heard about WMG’s sudden resignation until Kolpack mentioned it at the bottom of the article and hope that there’s not anything that could haunt NDSU because of it.
They’re obviously pro-NDSU reporters as covering NDSU is their “beat” and keeping things on the positive vibe keeps the relationships open. Nothing at all wrong with that. You sure as heck aren’t going to see reporters that are the local beat writers for a team write articles that rip on the team. Wouldn’t be very productive, now would it. I didn’t mean anything negative at all.
This should be as seemless of a transition as we’ve seen in coaching changes, with Klieman being more than qualified. What a great get he was for Coach Bohl.
As Bison Fan mentions below regarding recruiting, that’s the only place where there might be a hiccup. Are there any recent grads that might be looking at going back to school and becoming a GA? Walker, perhaps? I was always surprised he isn’t coaching at all.
Jeff Kolpack and Dom Izzo are not pro-NDSU writers. They are assigned to cover the team and therefore that is what they do. They write critical stories when they have to. The Go Bison.com website is where the pro-Bison writing is.
Casting dispersions and coy? fail.
Wow thats quite the reach from a Sioux Fan. Funny considering the only impact players we got out of Texas didn’t have many other offers.
Besides, its the NCAAs job to police this.
Where does Scottie Hazelton do most of his recruiting? Anybody up for the defensive backs and linebackers position?
Any other coaching staff movement? Is Burns staying on as wide receivers coach?
Are any of the graduate assistants ready to move into full time positions?
Wow, best of luck Scottie. Lane Kiffin would throw his own grandmother under the bus if it would benefit him. I thank Scottie for the work he has done here, and wish him well.
Dang it. Hopefully this will not have an effect. Success always brings this on. NDSU is a program, and hopefully Scottie is just a small piece. Good luck Scottie and good luck Chris. I felt pretty good after the article on line today, but now have a bit of a stomach ache. Just like anything, it could have been something I ate.
Go Herd
Ill lose my defensive coordinator every year following a National Championship. Hazleton was amazing but in true Bison traditional we just reliad. Burrows, Bradley, and Garza were all great. Klieman was obviously over qualified and played a big role in the game planning . Having 2 guys is better than 1 but we will be fine.
Congratulations to Scottie Hazelton. Hard work pays off.
I don’t think this is the last of the coaching departures either.
I’m hoping Fuchs stays and doesn’t get raided by someone.
I rolled on the floor laughing at the pro-NDSU reporters reference.
Dom and Jeff DO write pro-NDSU reports, when those reports are deserved and earned. Unlike the UND newspaper hookers and prostitutes who “work” for the Grand Forks Herald sports department, Dom and Jeff have class, integrity, and professionalism. What a breath of fresh air they’d be down in Grand Forks. But please Dom and Jeff, stay here.
Thanks Scott, that was the ultimate compliment. You should have seen our emails during the 3-8 in ’09. Anyway, in response to the Garza-and-NDSU recruiting, we looked into it; highly doubtful the type of recruits Lyles dealt with ended up at NDSU. Lyles was reported to be associated with more of the Oregons of the world. Moreover, I don’t think NDSU is/was in position to pay $25,000 for “access” to a player.
I don’t hand out compliments easily.
May I please be so bold as to ask you a couple followups?
Will Klieman double as secondary coach?
I’d be happy if WMG returned although that’s probably not going to happen. He was a fabulous coach here for a significant amount of time. WMG as a definite contributor to NDSU football. And there was NEVER any hint of impropriety associated to WMG while he was here.
One more thing, Dom and Jeff, when you first caught wind of Hazelton leaving for USC, couldn’t you have slipped him an email or text BEFORE HE VERBALLED, telling him that he will be spending all his days at USC wearing T-shirts, polos, and sweatshirts with the word “Trojans” emblazoned on the front. That’s embarassing. In California, the word “Trojans” doesn’t bring USC football to mind first.
California…..where the rubber meets the road?