Mike Gundy has made plenty of waves this offseason in filling out his staff for the 2018 season and beyond. He made a splashy analyst hire last week by adding on former Montana head coach and offensive guru Bob Stitt, and it seems he’s got his eyes on who he’ll hire to fill his 10th assistant coaching spot.

According to FootballScoop, that position is expected to be given to Brian VanGorder — a former Auburn, Atlanta Falcons and Notre Dame defensive coordinator who served as a defensive analyst with the Pokes over the last year.

We expect VanGorder to be promoted to the full-time staff as the 10th assistant, but not the defensive coordinator. [Football Scoop]

A 10th assistant coaching position is a new thing in 2018 for teams allowed by the NCAA that went into effect on Jan. 9, and VanGorder would be an intriguing move on several levels.

First, this move would likely mean VanGorder won’t be the DC to replace Glenn Spencer as FootballScoop notes, which was a possibility given his experience. Second, this promotion for VanGorder gives OSU a quality defensive mind next season and beyond for whomever Gundy does bring in as DC.

Furthermore, barring a Joe Bob Clements promotion to DC, it appears Gundy will be dipping into the talent pool outside the program to fill the defensive coordinator spot. And as for that opening … FootballScoop reports that Gundy has brought in a number of candidates and the position will likely be filled soon.