Breaking News: LSU former star apointed as new defensive line coach

LSU’s head coach, Brian Kelly, announced on Wednesday that Bo Davis, a former standout All-SEC nose guard and widely recognized as one of the premier defensive line coaches in college football, is making a return to LSU. Davis will be taking on the role of defensive line coach for the Tigers.

Having spent the past three seasons at Texas, Davis played a pivotal role in the Longhorns’ journey to the College Football Playoffs in 2023, boasting one of the nation’s top defenses. His tenure with the Longhorns spanned six years, initially as the defensive tackles coach from 2011-2013 and later as the defensive line coach from 2021-2023.

Davis has a storied history with LSU, having played for the Tigers in the early 1990s. Additionally, he served as a graduate assistant with the football program from 1995-1997 and was part of the strength and conditioning staff during LSU’s 2003 national championship triumph.

Known for his expertise in developing top-notch defensive linemen, Davis brings a wealth of experience to LSU. Over his 12 years coaching the defensive line in college football, he has cultivated 17 all-conference selections and seven all-Americans. His coaching has guided players to prestigious awards such as the Outland Trophy, Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12 and Conference USA, and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. Notably, Davis has also mentored finalists for the Outland, Nagurski, and Bednarik Awards.

Head Coach Brian Kelly expressed his enthusiasm for Bo Davis, stating, “As a defensive line coach, Bo brings a wealth of proven success at both the professional and collegiate level throughout his distinguished career. Additionally, Coach Davis is an outstanding recruiter and developer of the players in his charge. I am excited to welcome back to LSU Coach Bo Davis.”

Bo Davis boasts an impressive collegiate career with three national championships under his belt. He secured the 2003 title at LSU and went on to contribute to championships at Alabama in 2009 and 2015 while serving as the defensive line coach for the Crimson Tide.

During the 2023 season at Texas, Davis’s defensive line featured standout players like T’Vondre Sweat, a consensus all-American and the recipient of the Outland Trophy for the nation’s top interior lineman. Byron Murphy, under Davis’s coaching, earned the title of Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.

In terms of defensive performance, the Texas defense led by Davis in 2023 exhibited remarkable stats, allowing only 82.4 yards rushing per contest and holding opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in eight games.

Bo Davis’s coaching experience extends beyond the collegiate level, including a five-year stint in the NFL. His most recent NFL role was as the defensive line coach for the Detroit Lions from 2018 to 2020. Prior to that, Davis spent the 2006 season with the Miami Dolphins as the assistant defensive line coach and the 2016 season as a defensive assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In 2017, during his tenure as the defensive line coach at UTSA (University of Texas at San Antonio), Davis played a pivotal role in Marcus Davenport earning Conference USA Player of the Year honors. Davenport went on to become a first-round draft pick for the New Orleans Saints.

Davis has had two coaching stints at Alabama, first coaching the defensive line from 2007 to 2010 and then returning for the 2014-2015 seasons. In his initial tenure, Davis developed nose guard Terrence Cody into a two-time consensus All-American and a finalist for prestigious awards such as the Lombardi, Nagurski, and Bednarik Awards. In his second stretch with the Crimson Tide, Alabama’s defense led the nation in rushing in 2015, allowing only 75.7 yards per game. Davis’s 2015 defensive line featured first-team All-American A’Shawn Robinson, a finalist for the Outland Trophy, and Jonathan Allen, a 2017 first-round NFL Draft pick.

Davis’s coaching journey includes joining the Texas staff in 2011, where he coached defensive tackles for three years under Mack Brown. After a brief return to Alabama in 2014, he resumed his coaching role with the Longhorns. Before his collegiate coaching career, Davis played a pivotal role as a nose guard for LSU from 1990 to 1992, earning All-SEC honors in his senior year. He graduated from LSU in 1993 and served as a graduate assistant in the strength and conditioning program from 1995 to 1997.

Following four years coaching at North Shore High School in Galena Park, Texas, Davis returned to LSU as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2002 to 2005, contributing to the team’s success with a 41-11 record during that span.

Bo Davis and his wife, Omeika, have two sons, Beau and Jackson, and a daughter, Juliana.