University of Connecticut Athletics
Lou Spanos Joins Huskies as Defensive Coordinator
1/16/2019 9:50:00 AM | Football
Served as UCLA’s Defensive Coordinator from 2012-13
STORRS, Conn. - Lou Spanos, a 24-year coaching veteran with experience in the NFL and college, has been hired as the defensive coordinator for the UConn football team as announced by head coach Randy Edsall on Wednesday. Spanos served as the defensive coordinator at UCLA from 2012-13.Â
"Lou was exactly what I was looking for when I started the search for a new defensive coordinator," Edsall said. Â "I wanted someone who had NFL and college experience, someone who has coordinated a defense previously with success and someone who knows how to develop players and will be aggressive with the scheme that we will be running.
"When you look at who Lou worked for and with throughout his career, it is very impressive. Talking with the coaches that Lou has worked for and with during his career, it was very apparent to me that we were able to attract an outstanding coach, person and recruiter to our staff and someone that will relate very well with our student athletes and take us to where we want to go defensively."
Most recently, Spanos spent the 2018 season on staff for the Alabama Crimson Tide as an analyst after serving as the linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2014-18. During his time with the Titans, Spanos oversaw a linebacker unit that posted the second-highest number of sacks in the NFL over the 2016 and 2017 seasons and a Titan linebacker led the squad in tackles in each of his seasons in Nashville.
"I am looking forward to the opportunity to join Coach Edsall's staff at UConn," Spanos said. "I can't wait to get up to Storrs and meet the student-athletes on the team and hit the recruiting trail."  Â
During Spanos' final year on head coach Mike Mularkey's staff, the Titans posted their second-straight winning season and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round of the 2017 playoffs.Â
Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo earned a spot in the Pro Bowl following the 2016 season and he also earned the honor following the 2010 season during Spanos' stint as the linebackers coach with the Washington Redskins. Outside linebacker Derrick Morgan had one of the finest seasons of his career while working with Spanos in 2016 as the nine-year NFL veteran posted a team-high 56 quarterback pressures and career-high 9.0 sacks in 2016. The 9.0 sacks tied him for ninth highest in the AFC.Â
Prior to his time with the Titans, Spanos was the defensive coordinator on head coach Jim Mora's staff at UCLA during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. In 2013, the Bruins allowed 23.2 points per game while UCLA totaled 79 sacks and 58 forced turnovers over Spanos' two seasons. Linebacker Eric Kendricks led the Pac-12 Conference and ranked 11th in the nation in tackle average (10.64 per game) in 2013 and his total of 150 tackles was the most by a Bruin since 1978. Additionally Myles Jack, who now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, was honored as a Freshman All-American and as the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year following the 2013 season.
The Bruins finished the 2013 season ranked 17th nationally and defeated Virginia Tech, 42-12, in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve.Â
In 2012, Spanos' first Bruin defense ranked among the nation's best in sacks and was headlined by All-America linebacker Anthony Barr (13.5 sacks / 21.5 tackles for loss) and defensive end Datone Jones (6.5 sacks / 19.0 tackles for loss). Jones went on to be selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The team finished the season eighth in the nation in sacks, while Barr also ranked eighth in the country in sack average and second in total sacks.
The 2012 squad finished 9-5 overall and won the Pac-12 South Division. The Bruins dropped a 27-24 decision to No. 8 Stanford in the league championship game and competed in the Holiday Bowl. Â
In the 2010-11 seasons, Spanos served as the linebackers coach of the Washington Redskins. London Fletcher, who played in the 2011 Pro Bowl, led the NFL in tackles with 166 in 2011 and was added to the 2012 Pro Bowl. The previous 15 seasons, Spanos was a defensive assistant with the Steelers. While in Pittsburgh, he worked closely with the linebackers and the secondary.
Spanos was one of only three assistants on staff to be with the team for its Super Bowl XXX (lost to Dallas), Super Bowl XL (win over Seattle) and Super Bowl XLIII (win over Arizona) appearances. During his 15 seasons working with the Steelers, the defense ranked among the top 10 in the NFL 13 times, including four No. 1 rankings.
Pittsburgh managed to win at least 10 games in 10 of those seasons. Spanos coached nine different Steeler linebackers who combined for 19 Pro Bowl appearances - Kevin Greene (2), Greg Lloyd (2), Chad Brown (1), Levon Kirkland (2), Jason Gildon (3), Kendrell Bell (1), Joey Porter (3), James Farrior (2) and James Harrison (3). Additionally, Harrison earned the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2008, while Bell was the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2001. Spanos originally joined the Steelers in 1994 as an intern in the scouting department before being promoted to a defensive assistant after one season.
A 1994 graduate of Tulsa, Spanos was a four-year letterman at center. The 1989 and 1991 Golden Hurricane squads played in bowl games. In 1991, Tulsa beat San Diego State in the Freedom Bowl to finish 10-2 on the year and was ranked 21st on the final Associated Press poll. After his playing career ended (1989-92), Spanos remained at Tulsa as a student assistant working with the linebackers.
Spanos and his wife, Timme, have two sons, Zachary and Caleb and one daughter, Gabriella.
What They're Saying About Lou Spanos
Lou Spanos is passionate about his job and his family and is fully committed to both. He is a great teacher of the game and it is very important to him that his players find success. He brings toughness and physicality to everywhere he has coached.
- Mike Mularkey, former Tennessee Titans head coach
Lou Spanos is a man and coach I greatly admire. He had an immediate and profound impact on the UCLA football program and our student athletes as our defensive coordinator. Lou is a great communicator, a creative football mind, and a humble and loyal person. He has worked with some of the great defensive football minds of this generation and has taken the best attributes of each and applied them to his own successful philosophy. Lou is a family man, mentor and trusted friend who will embrace the vision of Coach Edsall and UConn football.
- Jim Mora, former UCLA head coach
I have known Lou for a long time and have always admired the job he did so when I had the opportunity to become the head coach of the Washington Redskins, Lou was one of the first people I hired. Lou is a heck of a football coach and a great family man who players instantly follow and listen to and his knowledge of the game is very impressive. Perhaps his best quality is his ability to relate to players and that is of the utmost importance. This is a great hire by UConn.
- Mike Shanahan, Two-time Super Bowl Champion head coach
