Kent State's Ben Needham expected to be promoted to def. coordinator

Kent State linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator Ben Needham is expected to be promoted to defensive coordinator, according to a source.

A strong recruiter, Needham would replace Brian George, who is Toledo’s new defensive coordinator. This past season was Needham’s third in his positions with the Golden Flashes, which are 27th in the FBS in total defense (350.1 yards per game).

Needham's promotion leaves a defensive line coach position to be filled by Kent State coach Paul Haynes.

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Prior to Needham's time with the Golden Flashes, he was a graduate assistant at Arkansas State in 2012. He was a defensive quality control assistant and then a graduate assistant at Ohio State from ’10–11.

Haynes was an assistant for both of those programs the same years. Needham spent 2008–09 as Drake’s defensive line coach after a year in the same position at Wabash.

A West Lafayette, Ind., native, he was an undergraduate intern for his alma mater, Ohio State, from 2005–06 following two seasons as an offensive lineman at DePauw.

Kent State had a 3–9 record this season, but three of its losses came by a touchdown or less.

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