Cory Diaz | Monroe News Star

Skip Holtz looks to have found his next defensive coordinator.

Reports surfaced Tuesday afternoon that David Blackwell, who spent last season in the same capacity at Old Dominion, has been hired as Louisiana Tech's new top defensive coach.

BleedTechBlue.com first reported the news.

Chris Seward, AP

Blackwell fills the defensive coordinator position that's been vacant since Bob Diaco left Ruston to take the same job at Purdue just a couple of days after the Bulldogs shut out Miami, 14-0, in the Independence Bowl Dec. 26.

Under his guidance in 2019, the Monarchs defense were one of the most improved units in FBS, surging to 49th in total defense after struggling the year prior at 118th in the country. Despite the team going 1-11, losing its last 11 games of the season, Old Dominion allowed just 28 points to then 24th-ranked Virginia and 31 to Virginia Tech.

Blackwell was a casualty of longtime ODU head coach Bobby Wilder's resignation after the regular season.

Prior to his stint with the Monarch, Blackwell spent one season as DC at East Carolina following leading one of the top FCS defenses at Jacksonville State, who played for the FCS national championship in 2015, for four years.

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Blackwell has also spent time at Clemson, coaching linebackers there for six seasons under then head coach Tommy Bowden mostly before Dabo Swinney took over as interim head coach midway through the 2008 season after Bowden resigned.