With Tony Gibson taking on the head coaching role at Marshall, it’s time to find his replacement
For better or worse, the POAPS machine around these parts has been pretty quiet. So much so that the last two instances have been for coordinator hires on the football front. That speaks to the overall stability of the athletics department.
Tony Gibson was brought to NC State ahead of the 2019 season, serving as co-DC with incumbent DC Dave Huxtable, but it was Huxtable who called the plays. That awful 2019 season led to Huxtable’s exit from the program and Gibson’s promotion to the full DC role. With Gibson now off to Marshall for his first head coaching opportunity, it’s time to fire up this ol’ thang again and see if we can figure out who the next NC State DC should be.
Not to pat myself on the back too much here, but the POAPS DC look ahead of Gibson getting the job featured two names that we’ll look at again here. Sometimes, man…
Anyways, let’s get to it.
For reference as you peruse below:
Tony Gibson NC State defenses (SP+ Defense Ranking): 2024 (66), 2023 (26), 2022 (13), 2021 (14), 2020 (51)
Ryan Walters
Current Gig: Unemployed (Purdue HC 2023-2024)
Stats as a FBS DC (SP+ Defense Ranking): 2021 (32), 2020 (50), 2019 (18), 2018 (25), 2017 (61*), 2016 (85*)
For a full profile on Walters, go back and look at the previous POAPS article. There’s a lot of words in there, and it’s good.
The pertinent necessary additions to that previous profile are that Walters was a holdover for Eli Drinkwitz’s first Missouri staff in 2020, then took over as Illinois’ DC in 2021 under Bret Bielema, a close friend of Dave Doeren’s.
Walters, just 38 years old, used his excellent work as a DC at Missouri and Illinois ( into the Purdue head coaching job, which is what he’s spent the last two years doing. Unfortunately for him, that went horrendously, posting a 5-19 overall record with a 3-15 Big Ten mark. Things bottomed out this year with a 1-11 (0-9) record, leading to his firing.
[Side note: Purdue is about to hire UNLV head coach Barry Odom to replace Walters there. Walters was Odom’s DC at Missouri. That’s kinda funny.]
Walters would be an amazing hire, and should he aspire to get back to another head coaching opportunity, Doeren can sell his ability to get coordinators into head coaching roles (Gibson, Drinkwitz, and Tim Beck).
Clayton White
Current Gig: South Carolina DC (2021-present)
Stats as a FBS DC (SP+ Defense Ranking): 2024 (12), 2023 (55), 2022 (56), 2021 (49), 2020 (37), 2019 (39), 2018 (93), 2017 (83)
Like Walters, White was included in our last DC POAPS, although he was considered much more an up-and-comer then. Not so much now. The concern around the former Wolfpacker the last time we did this was only three years experience, and with just one of those seasons putting together a high quality unit. The fear was whether 2019 at Western Kentucky was a flash in the pan.
Well, the 47-year-old White followed that up with an equally good 2020 season at WKU and then was hired by Shane Beamer as South Carolina’s DC when Beamer first took the job in Columbia. He put together three good-not-great units over his first three years coordinating in the SEC, before putting together one of the country’s best defenses this year.
The Gamecocks defense ranked 12th nationally in PPA this year, 16th in Explosiveness, and 11th in Havoc rate. Like Gibson, White is aggressive in blitz packages and likes to use man coverage from a 5-man defensive back package. The difference is that White’s defenses mix fronts more, utilizing 2-, 3-, and 4-man fronts whereas Gibson almost exclusively operated from a 3-man front in his base 3-3-5 defense.
South Carolina’s likely not going to want to lose White and will be willing to pony up the cash to match – or top – whatever NC State can offer. The question is whether or not the desire to lead the defense of his alma mater (and work along side former teammate Dantonio Burnette and former Pack alum Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay) is enough of a pull to get White to Raleigh.
Adam Fuller
Current Gig: Unemployed (Florida State DC 2020-2024)
Stats as a FBS DC (SP+ Defense Ranking): 2024 (60), 2023 (9), 2022 (35), 2021 (37), 2020 (85), 2019 (40), 2018 (22)
Fuller, 49, is a 1998 graduate of Sacred Heart where he played linebacker. He immediately started his college coaching career after graduation, getting his first shot as a defensive coordinator during a co-DC role at Wagner (FCS) in 2004. After a one-year stint as the head coach at DII Assumption University, Fuller served as the DC at Chattanooga (FCS) from 2009-2012. He went from there to an assistant head coaching gig at Marshall, moving to the Thundering Herd’s DC in 2018.
It was from there that his career took off. He took the DC job in 2019 under Mike Norvell at Memphis, then followed Norvell to Florida State in 2020 and served as the DC for the Seminoles until being fired towards the end of this season.
For all of FSU’s faults this year – and there plenty – the defense really wasn’t the main culprit. Fuller got caught up in Norvell’s cleaning house effort to save his own skin, but given how things have continued to go south in Tallahassee since the firing of Fuller (as well as OC Alex Atkins and WR coach Ron Dugans), Norvell is just playing out an extra year before getting fired himself.
Fuller prefers to run a base 4-2-5 defense, which would be a slight change from what NC State has run under Gibson and likely require State to target some extra D-lineman in the transfer portal. He might not be as aggressive as Gibson was with the blitz packages, but he’s not a sit-back-and-wait coordinator either.
If you want to get excited about Fuller, just go back and watch FSU’s 2023 defense.
Nick Benedetto
Current Gig: Northern Illinois DC (2022-present)
Stats as a FBS DC (SP+ Defense Ranking): 2024 (35), 2023 (46), 2022 (128)
Benedetto, 38, is an Illinois native who played at DII Sioux Falls and was a captain on the Cougars 2008 National Championship team. Despite being relatively early in his coaching career, he’s coached across almost all levels: NAIA, DII, FCS, and FBS.
It was at DII school West Virginia State where Benedetto got his first opportunity as a DC, serving in that role for the Yellow Jackets from 2012-2016. He then returned to his alma mater to serve as their DC from 2017-2019 before making the jump to the FCS level as Samford’s DC from 2020-2021.
Thomas Hammock tabbed Benedetto as his DC at Northern Illinois in 2022, and after a one year reset period, it has paid off tremendously. The Huskies beat Boston College on the road in 2023, holding the Eagles to 24 points in the effort, and famously won at Notre Dame this year, holding the CFP-bound Fighting Irish to just 14 points and 286 yards of offense in the biggest upset in NIU program history. Two weeks after that win over Notre Dame, NC State fans saw up close and personal how good Benedetto’s defense can be as the Huskies almost pulled the upset over the Wolfpack, falling 24-17 despite holding State to just 171 yards of offense. It was the four turnovers from the Huskies offense that prevented another huge win.
Like Fuller, Benedetto likes to run his defense out of a base 4-2-5 package. His defenses don’t rely on a single trait to build success, but are rather simply solid across the board at executing their assignments and playing fundamental football.
Greg Gasparato
Current Gig: Tulane DC (2024-present)
Stats as a FBS DC (SP+ Defense Ranking): 2024 (58), 2023 (28), 2020 (43)
Gasparato, 38, graduated from Wofford after playing as a safety for the Terriers. He has eight years of college coaching experience in the Carolinas, including two years (2018-2019) coaching safeties at Appalachian State where he was named the Football Scoop Defensive Backs Coach-of-the-Year in 2018.
As a DC, he’s relatively new to the role, having served as Army’s co-DC in 2020 in addition to Troy’s DC in 2023 and his current posting at Tulane. He also serve as Troy’s interim head coach for the Trojans’ bowl game in 2023 (lost to Duke in the Birmingham Bowl) after head coach Jon Sumrall left Troy for the Greenn Wave job. He (obviously) followed Sumrall to Tulane.
Gasparato’s 2023 Troy defense ranked Top 30 nationally in PPA, Explosiveness, Stuff Rate, an Havoc Rate. His 2024 Tulane squad ranks 10th in the country in PPA.
Given this was Gasparato’s first year with Tulane, it’s hard to provide definitive read on what the Green Wave can be under his guidance, but it was a good group. They struggled against ranked opponents (Kansas State, Oklahoma, Army), giving up between 34 and 35 points to each of those teams. They also had six games this year giving up 10 or fewer points. After a Week 2 loss at 15th ranked Kansas State, Gasparato’s 2023 Troy squad didn’t allow a team to top 24 points against them.
In terms of defensive philosophy, Gasparato runs his defenses out of a base 3-3-5 scheme, making for a smooth transition from Gibson’s current 3-3-5 setup.
Jeremiah Johnson
Current Gig: Louisiana Tech DC (2024-present)
Stats as a FBS DC (SP+ Defense Ranking): 2024 (65), 2022 (111)
Johnson, 47, has a wealth of experience as a defensive coordinator, but it has all come at the FCS level aside from this year at Louisiana Tech. A graduate of Kansas (his time there and Doeren’s time missed by two years), his on-field coaching experience started at D-III Loras College under current Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman before moving to off-field roles for five years at FCS Northern Iowa.
It was at Northern Iowa where Johnson has spent most of his career. He served as DBs coach in 2012 before being promoted to DC, a role her served in from 2013-2021. He moved to Kent State to serve as the Golden Flashes DC in 2022 before returning to Northern Iowa in 2023.
Johnson runs a defense that is built on stopping the run and playing an aggressive turnover-focused defense. The 2024 Louisiana Tech defense ranked 14th nationally in PPA, 26th in Success Rate, 6th in Power Success Rate, and 19th in Stuff Rate.
The Bulldogs finished 5-7 on the year, with two of those losses coming to P4 teams in NC State and Arkansas. In the loss to the Wolfpack in Raleigh, Louisiana Tech led 17-6 at the half before a pick-6 by State to open the 3rd quarter provided the momentum needed for the Pack to mount the comeback.
From a defensive scheme standpoint, Johnson is the most different from what NC State has run under Gibson as Johnson’s defenses work out of a base 4-3 scheme. Since
Philosophically,
Someone on the current staff
Current Gig: NC State defensive coach (obviously)
This list consists of Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay (Nickels), Joe DeForest (Safeties), Brian Mitchell (Cornerbacks), Charley Wiles (Defensive Line), and Ruffin McNeill (Special Assistant to the Head Coach). All five of these coaches have been with the Wolfpack since the start of the 2020 season.
Aughtry-Lindsay, 42, does have prior experience as a defensive coordinator, but that was at St. Augustine’s (2014) and NC Central (2019). That doesn’t scream out that he’s ready for the big bump up to calling a defense at the ACC level, but he has been learning under Gibson for the last four seasons, so he could be ready. Aughtry-Lindsay will be calling the defense for NC State in the Military Bowl against ECU, so that would lead you to believe he’s the lead on-staff option to replace Gibson as DC. Promoting Aughtry-Lindsay (or any of the other on-staff options, for that matter) to the DC would require the hiring of a separate linebackers coach; however Aughtry-Lindsay played linebacker for the Pack and has seven years of experience as a linebackers coach prior to joining State’s coaching staff.
DeForest’s, 59, prior defensive coordinator experience is a lone season at West Virginia back in 2012, although he was moved to Special Teams Coordinator (a role he has held for the majority of his career) the following season. That 2012 West Virginia squad ranked 73rd in Defensive SP+.
Mitchell, 56 next week, has – get this – been with the Wolfpack since the start of the 2020 season. He was previously the defensive coordinator at East Carolina under Ruffin McNeill from 2010-2012. Mitchell’s work with the State corners has been incredible, but his Pirates defenses were so atrociously bad (ranked 115th, 73rd, and 84th year-over-year in Defensive SP+) that he was fired there.
Wiles, 60, has a lone season of experience in the role, as co-DC at Murray State in 1995. Granted, that season the Racers did go 11-0 to make the FCS (then called I-AA) playoffs. I doubt Wiles would be the one out of this current staff to get the gig.
McNeill, 66, is the former head coach at East Carolina and is a close personal friend of Dave Doeren. While he seems completely content in his current off-the-field advisory role, he does have the most experience as a DC of anyone on the coaching staff. McNeill has been the DC at Appalachian State (1993-1996), UNLV (1997-1998), Fresno State (1999), Texas Tech (2008-2009), and Oklahoma (2018). The issue has been that his defenses have rarely been particularly good, putting up Defensive SP+ rankings of 95th, 93rd, 64th, 66th, 14th, and 84th. Obviously, that 14th ranking from his 2009 Texas Tech run is the outlier, which in part led to his getting the interim HC role for TTU’s bowl game that year, and ultimately helped lead to him getting the ECU head job after that season.