Kentucky DC D.J. Eliot Accepts Same Position With Colorado
Kentucky defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot has reportedly accepted the same position at Colorado under Mike MacIntyre, leaving the Wildcats without a leader on defense just two weeks from signing day.
Kentucky defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot has reportedly accepted the same position at Colorado under Mike MacIntyre, leaving the Wildcats without a leader on defense just two weeks from signing day.
Mark Stoops is trying to build a competitor at Kentucky, but he and the Wildcats will have to find a new defensive coordinator before the 2017 season as D.J. Eliot has accepted the same position at Colorado.
Eliot had served as Kentucky’s defensive coordinator since 2013 when Stoops arrived in Lexington, coming with the head coach from Tallahassee where he was the defensive end coach for Florida State while Stoops was defensive coordinator.
The Wildcats defense improved steadily in Eliot’s first three seasons, ranking as high as 59th in the country in total defense in 2015, giving up 394.2 yards per game. That effort took a step back this season. Though Kentucky made a bowl appearance for the first time in four years, the defense slid to 85th in the nation, allowing 434.2 yards per outing.
Eliot will be taking over for Jim Leavitt as the leader of the Buffaloes’ defense after the latter accepted the same position with Oregon under new head coach Willie Taggart. Colorado had a resurgence of a year under head coach Mike MacIntyre, especially on defense as the Buffaloes held opponents to 342.5 yards and 21.7 points per game on their way to a 10-4 record and Pac-12 South division title.
With signing day just two weeks away, the timing of Eliot’s decision could not be much worse for Stoops and Kentucky, as they try to bring in some recruits to shore up a defense that struggled this past season.
