LSU Football to Hire DJ Mangas as Passing Game Coordinator
LSU has hired Carolina Panthers offensive assistant DJ Mangas to replace Scott Linehan as passing game coordinator, the program announced on Wednesday.
“I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to be back in Baton Rouge and coaching for LSU and Coach [Ed] Orgeron,” Mangas said. “I was fortunate enough to be a part of the 2019 team and see exactly what this offense and these players are capable of. It fires me up to see the potential we have for the 2021 offense. I can’t wait to meet with the rest of the staff, coaches, and players and get to work. Geaux Tigers!”
Mangas joins the LSU staff a year after departing Baton Rouge as an offensive analyst for the purple and gold during the 2019 national championship season. He's been beside Joe Brady's climb up the coaching ranks. The two played college football together at William and Mary and when Brady was hired by Carolina, Mangas became a coaching assistant for the Panthers.
“Both Jake and DJ come highly recommended from one of the premier and innovative offensive coaches in the game in Joe Brady,” Ed Orgeron said. “Jake brings 10 years of NFL experience with him to our staff. He spent a season coaching alongside and learning from Joe (Brady) so we couldn’t be more excited about Jake joining our staff. His knowledge of football combined with the players we have on our roster, will make for a dynamic offense for LSU in 2021.
Orgeron recently said in an interview on Off the Bench that he reached out to Brady about potential hires for the two open offensive coaching positions and Mangas was one of the many names suggested for the job opening. The 32-year-old interviewed for the job on Tuesday, with Orgeron saying he wanted to fill the coaching positions ideally before players start returning from winter break on Jan. 11.
"Find the right fit and knowing exactly what we want on offense and defense. We have done a lot of research. There's many great candidates out there that want to come," Orgeron said. "We're on top of things. It’s about the right fit for LSU and bringing the LSU standard of performance to LSU, and we are excited about it.”
Mangas takes on a critical role as the last few years, the passing game coordinator has called plays on third down and in the red zone, two areas that LSU was inconsistent with during the 2020 season. Orgeron talked about getting back to that offensive style and finding the right chemistry with the coaching staff that made Brady and Steve Ensminger so successful in 2019.
“We are very happy to bring DJ back to LSU,” Orgeron said. “He did a tremendous job in his one season with us in 2019 working alongside Joe (Brady) to produce one of the most explosive and productive offenses in college football history.”
