FIU Football: Former First-Round Draft Pick Kenechi Udeze To Join Coaching Staff

Per Bruce Feldman of the Athletic, FIU has hired Kenechi Udeze to become the Panthers outside linebackers and defensive ends coach. Udeze is a former All-American at the University of Southern California and former first-round NFL Draft pick. 

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As a player at USC, Udeze was a member of the Trojans' 2003 national championship team and was a first-team All American. The defensive end won the Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. National Defensive Player of the Year in 2003 with 16.5 sacks. He was the #20 overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft by Minnesota.

Udeze began his coaching career at the University of Washington where he was hired to be the assistant strength and conditioning coach. He was hired at Washington by former UW and USC head coach and current Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. He was reunited with Sarkisian at USC in 2016.

Since going into coaching, he has had stops with three NFL teams and six power five programs - most notably, LSU, USC, and the University of Houston. He spent 2023 with Dana Holgorsen's staff at UH as a pass rush specialist.

Fast-forward to 2024, FIU cornerbacks coach DeMarcus Van Dyke departed for USF and Anthony Gaitor, who was the outside linebackers coach was promoted to cornerbacks coach, leaving the outside linebackers role unfilled until Tuesday.

Udeze brings over 10 years of coaching experience from the NFL and Power Five level.