It’s been a quick rise for White to becoming a coordinator in the SEC.

The Kentucky Wildcats have found their next defensive coordinator.

As expected, Kentucky will promote outside linebackers coach Brad White to defensive coordinator, according to Josh Edwards of Cats Pause, who adds that Jon Sumrall will now coach the inside linebackers:

It was reported earlier that Sumrall was leaving the Ole Miss Rebels to join Mark Stoops’ staff. Now, we know that he will coach the inside linebackers, which was one of the duties Matt House had in addition to being defensive coordinator for the last two seasons.

But with House leaving for the Chiefs, Kentucky decided to hire just one coach to work with the inside linebackers, while White will keep working with the outside backers in addition to running the defense.

White joined the UK coaching staff in 2018 as the 10th coaching assistant, which was only allowed beginning that year. It turns out that rule change made by the NCAA paid off in a big way, as White has quickly become one of Kentucky’s top assistant coaches.

White had been serving as the linebackers coach of the Colts, where he finished his sixth season with the team before coming to Lexington last year. He previously served as the assistant linebackers coach (2014) and the defensive quality control coach (2012-13).

The connection between White and UK is through Dean Hood, who was at Wake Forest while White was there. Hood is now UK’s special teams coordinator, so that played a major part in getting White to Lexington.

In his first season coaching the outside linebackers, White helped Kentucky’s defense make big strides en route to becoming a top-25 unit in scoring defense (6) and total defense (23). He also helped develop outside linebacker Josh Allen into the National Defensive Player of the Year and a likely top-five NFL Draft pick.