FanPost

[Update x 3] UCLA Gets New DC: Redskins LB Coach Lou Spanos

-Bumped. BN Eds.

First post guys. Just saw this on LATimes.com. Our new DC is Lou Spanos from the Redskins.

Lou Spanos, linebacker coach for the Washington Redskins, is expected to be hired as UCLA's defensive coordinator, according to a person familiar with the situation who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Spanos has been with the Redskins since 2009. Before that, he was an assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1995-2009 and was part of three Super Bowl champion teams.

In 15 seasons in Pittsburgh, the Steelers were the NFL's No. 1 ranked defensive team four times and were among the top 10 times.

I don't know much about the guy except that he's the LB coach for the Redskins and was an Asst. with the Steelers for 15 years. I sure wouldn't mind having our own Steeler defense.

UPDATE (N): Here is Redskins' bio of Lou Spanos. He dials up interesting playcalls from the sidelines sometimes.

On a serious note though the Skins were pretty excited when they brought him on:

"Lou has been a vital part of a Steelers defense that has had an amazing run of success of the last 15 years, particularly from the linebacker position," Coach Mike Shanahan said in a statement released by the team. "He has familiarity working with Jim and he will be a tremendous asset to our staff."

The release notes that Spanos coached nine different linebackers who combined for 19 Pro Bowl appearances. As for Olivadotti, Orakpo is his first Pro Bowl player. Olivadotti also worked his way from quality control coach and is the longest-tenured member of the Redskins' coaching staff (he joined the team in 2000).

"K.O. has tremendous versatility and will be a tremendous help to our entire defensive staff, just as he has for the past 10 years here," Shanahan said. "He has made a quick impression on me and I am happy to be able to keep him with our team."

We will have to dig into the Redskins defense a bit. But for my cursory perspective here in DC, defense hasn't been the issue for Shanahan in DC. They have been fairly stout. The concern I have is the lack of a solid DL coach in our staff. I'd like to see someone with proven background in that area given the underachieving performance of our DL last season. GO BRUINS.

UPDATE II (N): The news is official per Jim Mora:

I'm pleased to welcome Lou Spanos to the coaching staff as Defensive Coordinator.

UPDATE III (P): Coach Mora's announcement of Coach Spanos's hire, via the official site.

"I am thrilled a coach with Lou's NFL background and defensive pedigree has agreed to join our staff. Now that our coaching staff is complete, I'd like to thank Dan Guerrero for his support as we sought to bring the finest coaches in football to UCLA," Mora said. "We have a collection of men that will not only be mentors to our student-athletes, but given their experience at the highest levels of football, will also be able to provide them a blueprint for competing and winning, and reaching their athletic potential."

Interesting note from the UCLA release looking at his early career. While he had a long tenure as a positional assistant in Pittsburgh before his move to coach the Redskins, the Steelers moved him along pretty quickly into a staff that typically does not have that much turnover. After finishing his playing career at Toledo, Spanos had just 1 year as a student assistant at his school, followed by 1 year as a scouting intern with the Steelers before he was promoted to the coaching staff. That seems like a pretty fast track into coaching for an NFL franchise; someone in that storied organization saw potential in him.

GO BRUINS.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

In This FanPost

Teams

Trending Discussions