ATLANTA — The UGA football program might have needed two full months to find a replacement for former defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, the new head coach at Colorado.
But in the end, Kirby Smart didn't have to look very far for Tucker's successor.
On Friday, the Bulldogs reportedly tapped outside linebackers coach Dan Lanning to be the new defensive coordinator, according to The Athletic.
The 32-year-old Lanning, who spent time at Alabama and Memphis before joining Smart's staff last season, will inherit a Dawgs defense that ranked 14th nationally in scoring defense last year (tied for 4th in the SEC) and 18th in touchdowns allowed.
Among the key defensive returnees in 2019: Jordan Davis, Monty Rice, J.R. Reed, Richard Lecounte, Tyson Campbell, Julian Rochester, Tyler Clark and Mark Herring.
