Under Rocky Long the Aztecs defense was one of the best units in the country so the old head coach is going to be a tough act to follow.
Kurt Mattix has his work cut out for him.
SDSU head coach Brady Hoke named Mattix his new defensive coorinator on Thursday. Mattix spent the last four years as the D.C. for FCS Eastern Kentucky University. During that time he built a heck of defensive unit.
Last year the Colonels ranked in the top 20 in the Football Championship Subdivision in eight major statistical categories including red zone defense and 3rd down defense. Those are things the Aztecs also excelled at in 2019. San Diego State allowed the fewest touchdowns in the nation (19).
Mattix and Hoke are familiar with one another. From 2011-14 Mattix was a defensive quality control coach on Hoke's staff at Michigan, working with the defensive line, linebackers and special teams units.
Mattix played his college ball at Valparaiso, graduating in 1999 but by that time he'd already started laying the ground work for a coaching career. He was working the Portage High School football team's defensive and offensive lines while still playing for the Crusaders and had his first collegiate job in 2000 for Tri-State University (now known as Trine) as the special teams coordinator.
