LSU is hiring Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini as defensive coordinator, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Pelini, who served as LSU’s defensive coordinator from 2005 to 2007 and helped the Tigers to a national championship in 2007, has coached Youngstown State for the past five seasons. An official announcement on Pelini’s hiring is expected later Monday. Sports Illustrated first reported the move.
Pelini, 52, replaces Dave Aranda, who served as LSU’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons before leaving for the head-coaching job at Baylor. Aranda had been the highest-paid assistant in college football, earning $2.5 million annually.
Pelini is receiving a multiyear contract with an annual salary comparable to Aranda’s, which will make him one of college football’s highest-paid assistants, sources told ESPN.
Pelini’s son, Patrick, noted his father’s return to LSU on Twitter.
Run it back! pic.twitter.com/Ac6PNmijnv
— Patrick Pelini (@PPelini) January 27, 2020
Pelini is 100-55 as a head coach at Nebraska and Youngstown State. He has served as defensive coordinator at LSU, Oklahoma and Nebraska, and he coached linebackers for three NFL teams between 1994 and 2002.
After being fired by Nebraska following the 2014 season, Pelini returned to Youngstown, Ohio, his hometown, to coach the Penguins.
He guided Youngstown State to the FCS national championship game in his second season but did not win more than six games in any of the other four.