Key tabs Tyler Santucci to fill his DC role

Georgia Tech will have a new defensive coordinator in 2024 and his name is Tyler Santucci. The former Duke and Texas A&M defensive coordinator joins the Jackets' staff as the defensive play caller and inside linebackers coach under second-year head coach Brent Key. The deal is expected to be finalized this weekend.

Santucci who worked for Mike Elko at Duke, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. He served as Elko's top assistant at multiple stops and eventually his defensive coordinator at Duke while remaining as the co-defensive coordinator for the Aggies when Elko took over at Duke.

Dave Clawson at Wake Forest and Brian Kelly at Notre Dame also employed the young coach as he was coming up the coaching ranks. He brings a lot of experience despite being just 35 years old.

He started coaching right out of college at Stony Brook after finishing his career working his way through the GA ranks into on-the-field jobs and eventually P5 assistant coach status at Texas State in 2016.

At Tech, Santucci will reunite with his defensive line coach at Duke, Jess Simpson who was hired at the beginning of the year by Key while the defensive coordinator search was ongoing. Key also hired Kyle Pope formerly of Memphis as outside linebackers coach earlier this week. That will leave a defensive back coaching spot on the field for 2024.

Duke finished in the top 50 in most defensive categories this past season.