Coastal Carolina football hires Carlin as defensive coordinator

CONWAY Coastal Carolina football coach Joe Moglia took his time selecting the Chanticleers’ new defensive coordinator, but he believes he’s found the right man for the job, hiring Clayton Carlin away from Bucknell.

Carlin had spent the last two seasons as Bucknell’s defensive coordinator after a successful run at Cornell. He got his start as a graduate assistant at Nebraska from 1994-96 under legendary coach Tom Osborne, who placed a call to Moglia on Carlin’s behalf.

“We’ve done a lot of homework in terms of trying to make sure we understood him. I think we’re delighted to get him. I think he’s a find,” Moglia said Wednesday after announcing the hire.

Carlin said he was lured to Coastal by the opportunity to work for Moglia and work with a program capable of competing for conference championships every year.

“First was coach Moglia -- the outstanding leader he is and the type of man he is. That was certainly very appealing,” Carlin said. “The facilities are outstanding, the area is outstanding, [and] meeting with Hunter Yurachek, they are committed to doing things the right way on the field and off the field there. [That] made it very appealing to my family and I.”

Last season, Bucknell ranked third among FCS teams in rush defense, holding opponents to 78.27 rushing yards per game. The Bison, led by All-American defensive back Bryce Robertson, ranked 12th in total defense (301.55 yards per game) and 15th in scoring defense (19.36 points per game) while leading the nation in turnover margin by tallying 22 interceptions and 17 fumble recoveries

Prior to his time at Bucknell, Carlin spent six years at Cornell -- four as defensive coordinator and two in between as offensive coordinator while boosting the team’s struggling offense. In his first season there in 2004, the Big Red finished seventh nationally in rush defense and 13th in scoring defense (18.1 points per game).

Carlin also had stints at New Mexico State, Villanova and Buffalo.

As for making the move to Coastal, he said it was just the right opportunity to pursue.

“It was not an easy decision because we certainly enjoyed the people here at Bucknell, and we did some good things defensively this past year,” Carlin said. “But we just felt at the end of the day that Coastal was the place for my family and I because of coach Moglia and the administration there. We just thought it was the best thing to do, and from what I’ve seen you can compete for championships there consistently, and that’s very appealing.”

Defensively, Carlin said he and Moglia are “very much on the same page philosophically” and his emphasis is on stopping the run and hitting the quarterback. Scheme-wise, he expects the Chants to line up in an even front but be able to adapt and adjust.

“I’m a big fan of less is more,” Carlin said. “I don’t think you have to have 100 different things in the gameplan. Defensive football is reactionary. If they’re thinking too much, they can’t react fast enough and they can’t play fast enough.”

Moglia, who was hired Dec. 20, said he has two remaining positions to fill on his coaching staff, still needing to hire assistants to coach the linebackers and wide receivers.