According to a report, Florida State has made its coaching hire to replace Sal Sunseri, and it's a good one.
Florida State is hiring Brad Lawing, formerly of Florida and South Carolina, to be its new defensive ends coach, according to Warchant.com. Lawing replaces Sal Sunseri, who left for the Oakland Raiders.
Lawing is known as a solid recruiter and recruits take notice that he has coached players like Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler, Jr., and others at stops at Florida, South Carolina, Michigan State, North Carolina and other schools. Lawing is 57 years old, two years older than the departing Sal Sunseri.
The immediate recruiting impact could help Florida State with five-star defensive end Byron Cowart, of Seffner (Fla.) Armwood, who didn't list FSU in his top two Thursday.
Here's a bit from Lawing's Florida bio ...
"His 2012 USC team set a school record with 43 sacks on the season. The team's 43 sacks ranked sixth in the nation. Sophomore Jadeveon Clowney was a unanimous first-team All-American after recording a school record 23.5 tackles for loss and a school record 13.0 sacks.
In 2011, South Carolina finished the year with the nation's third-best rated defense, a unit that surrendered just 268 yards per contest. Aided by a ferocious pass rush, Carolina boasted the nation's second-best pass defense and ranked 11th in the country, allowing just 18.4 points per game.
Under his watch, defensive end Melvin Ingram earned first-team All-America honors while Jadeveon Clowney was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2011.
His 2010 squad recorded 41sacks and helped the Gamecocks put together the league's third-best and nation's 12th-best rushing defense. Defensive end Devin Taylor earned first-team All-SEC recognition.
In 2009, the Gamecocks finished in the upper half of the SEC in every defensive category and were 15th in the country in total defense.
In 2009, the Gamecocks finished in the upper half of the SEC in every defensive category and were 15th in the country in total defense.
The Gamecocks finished the 2008 season with the 13th-ranked defense nationally. Carolina showed its most improvement in run defense, allowing 133 yards per game, ranking 43rd in the country, after surrendering 209 yards per game on the ground in 2007 while ranking 110th in the nation.
In 2007, Lawing coached Eric Norwood to All-SEC honors. Norwood finished the season with a school-record 19.5 tackles for loss. Ladi Ajiboye was a second-team Freshman All-American."