Though college football’s head coaching carousel is likely stopped for the season, there still are plenty of coordinator and assistant coaching vacancies to be filled with signing day approaching. And, of course, after signing day there’ll be a whole new round of departures and hires, too.
Word came of two new hires Monday morning, with Penn State bringing in ex-Illinois defensive coordinator Tim Banks as its co-DC/safeties coach and Arizona hiring Boise State defensive coordinator Marcel Yates to the same position, per Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman.
Banks left Illinois in December to “pursue other interests,” with coach Bill Cubit speculating he wanted sole possession of a defensive coordinator role (he was also a co-DC for the Illini). Whatever those interests were, nothing must’ve materialized, as he’s joining Nittany Lions’ linebackers coach Brent Pry in coordinating James Franklin’s defense.
Yates followed fellow Boise State graduate and former coordinator Mike Sanford, who accepted Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator position a year ago, out the door to a Power-Five program. In his two years as Boise State’s defensive coordinator, the Broncos allowed 4.86 yards per play (2015, 20th) and 5.24 yards per play (2014, 39th), while S&P+ rated Yates’ two defenses 32nd (2015) and 38th (2014).
