Brick Haley, a veteran defensive line coach who has spent time in both the NFL and the Southeastern Conference, has been named the defensive line coach at LSU, head coach Les Miles announced on Friday.Haley comes to LSU from the Chicago Bears where he served as the defensive line coach for the NFL franchise for the past two seasons. In addition to his stop in the NFL, Haley coached three years at Mississippi State and has also served as a defensive coordinator at the collegiate level at both Baylor and Troy.”It was very important that we hire a defensive line coach with a great background,” Miles said. “Brick has experience in both the SEC and the NFL which speaks to his ability to coach at the highest levels of the game.”Brick has great knowledge of the game and a technical expertise in coaching the defensive line which will allow our players to continue to develop. He also brings a great work ethic and the ability to relate to players, which will help develop the young men on our team both on and off the field.”In two years in the NFL with the Bears, Haley coached a defensive line that helped Chicago rank No. 5 in the league in rushing yards allowed per game in 2008. The Bears finished sixth in the NFL in sacks in 2007 with defensive end Tommie Harris earning a spot in the Pro Bowl that year.Prior to his stint in the NFL, Haley spent three years as the defensive line coach at Mississippi State from 2004-06. At Mississippi State, Haley helped improve a Bulldogs defense that finished 41st in the nation in 2006 after finishing 113th a year before his arrival. Under Haley’s watch, Bulldogs defensive end Titus Brown developed into a second-team all-SEC selection after leading the team and ranking fifth in the conference in sacks in 2006.In 2005, Haley coached the SEC leader in sacks (third in NCAA) and tackles for loss (fourth in NCAA) in Willie Evans.Before arriving at Mississippi State, Haley spent two years (2002-2003) as Georgia Tech’s linebackers coach where he helped the Yellow Jackets to a pair of postseason bowl games. In 2003, he coached a first-team all-ACC performer after Tech’s trio of starting linebackers finished the 2002 season as the team’s top-three tacklers.Previously, Haley was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Baylor (1999-2001) after coaching outside linebackers for one season each at Clemson (1998) and Houston (1997). The defensive line coach at Troy State from 1994-96, he was promoted to defensive coordinator following the 1996 campaign before leaving for Houston. Haley coached the defensive line at Austin Peay from 1991-93 after starting his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1990. His first coaching job was at Enterprise (Ala.) High School in 1989.The Gadsden, Ala., native played linebacker at Alabama A&M from 1984-88 and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. He received Alabama A&M’s Inspiration Award in 1987 and was named football MVP for the 1988 season. He and his wife, Tina, have three sons: Adrian, A.J. and Jeremy.
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Football: Haley named defensive line coach – 1/9
By LSU Athletic Department news release
January 9, 2009