Ranking Every ACC Defensive Coordinator: Which Program Has the Best Defensive Signal Caller?

As the summer is slowly edging closer, so is the football season. After last season's national champion Ohio State lifted the prestigious CFP title, there were massive shifts in the collegiate football landscape and the ACC was no different.

Today's task? To rank every ACC defensive coordinator and analyze who tops the list.

17. Stanford: Bobby April III

April has been with the Cardinal for three seasons, yet last season saw Stanford allow an ACC-high 33.7 points per game, while allowing a conference-high of 52 touchdowns. The Cardinal allowed the second-highest yards per game (413.5).

16. University of Virginia: John Rudzinski

Rudzinski's Cavs' allowed the fifth-most amount of points in the ACC (28.8). UVa also allowed the third-most amount of yards per game (408.3).

15. Virginia Tech: Sam Siefkes

Taking the defensive headset for the Hokies next fall is Sam Siefkes. Siefkes comes from the Arizona Cardinals, where he assumed mantle of the Cardinals' linebacker core. Before the confines of State Farm Stadium, Siefkes spent two chilly seasons as a part of the Minnesota Vikings staff. As a Viking, Siefkes assumed an assistant linebackers coaching role in year two, with year one being spent as a defensive quality control coach.

Prior to Siefkes' NFL stints, he led a furious Wofford Terrier defense, which raked in superb stats for the FCS side. Seifkes' defenses ranked first, along with his rushing defense and total defense, during his only two years spent in Palmetto State.

Siefkes also spent two seasons as DC at Wisconsin-Platteville, where his squads allowed an impressive 18.9 points per game.

14. Georgia Tech: Blake Gideon

Gideon comes to Georgia Tech after four seasons (2021-24) as safeties coach at his alma mater, Texas. He was promoted to the Longhorns’ associate head coach for defense in 2024. In his four seasons at Texas, he helped increase the Longhorns’ win totals from five to eight to 12 to 13, with UT advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals in both 2023 and ’24.

13. University of North Carolina: Steve Belichick

The son of current Tar Heel head coach Bill Belichick, Steve spent time in the NFL and as the defensive coordinator for the University of Washington, yet Belichick is most known for his time with the Patriots.

During his time on the Patriots staff, Belichick was a part of five Super Bowls, with three victories, in 2015, 2017, and 2019. In 2023, Belichick helped lead a defense that ranked third in the NFL in opponent yards per play (4.7) and sixth in total defense, allowing 301.6 yards per game. The Pats also ranked No. 3 in rushing defense and 10th in passing defense. New England's defense was also stout in the previous years, with Belichick calling the plays, ranking No. 5 in opponent yards per play in 2022 and No. 10 in that same category in 2021.

12. NC State Wolfpack: D.J. Eliot

In 2022, Eliot served as Temple's defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach. With the Owls, Eliot directed a defense that ranked eighth in the country in sacks per game (3.2), ninth in tackles for loss per game (7.3), and 24th in passing yards allowed per game (198.6). Overall, Temple tallied 38 sacks, which more than doubled the defense's total from 2021 (15). Eliot also mentored linebacker Layton Jordan to a career-high nine sacks, which ranked second in the American Athletic Conference.

Eliot spent time as an analyst for Davae Aranda at Baylor and as the Philadelphia Eagles as the Eagles' linebacker coach.

11. Syracuse: Elijah Robinson

Robinson is in his second year as Syracuse's defensive coordinator. Last season, the Orange marked the sixth-best yards per game allowed in the ACC (377.5).

The Orange are in need of some improvements as Robinson's defense allowed a fourth-worst 29.2 points per game, while allowing the second-most touchdowns in the league (47).

10. Wake Forest: Scottie Hazelton

Hazelton was inducted in early January, and has spent years at a number of different universities.

At Texas in his role as the special assistant to the head coach, Hazelton worked with the Longhorn defense and specifically coached the nickelbacks. Texas ranked in the top 25 in nearly every statistical category including finishing the season with the No. 2 scoring defense, allowing just 13.2 points per game. Additionally, the Longhorns led the nation with 29 turnovers forced including having 20 interceptions which was second nationally.

At Michigan State, Hazelton worked with a successful core of linebackers. Before his time at the Big 10 school, Hazelton worked at Kansas State as a defensive coordinator. With the Wildcats Hazelton ranked fourth in the Big 12 allowing 368.4 yards per game in 2019.

9. Miami: Corey Hetherman

Cristobal hired the former Minnesota defensive coordinator in early January.

Hetherman oversaw a Gophers unit that was ninth nationally in points allowed (16.9 per game), fifth in total defense (285.7 yards allowed per game), 12th in rushing defense (109.6), and tied for ninth in passing defense (176.1). Minnesota’s 22 interceptions tied for seventh nationally, and its plus-9 turnover margin is tied for 17th.

8. Louisville: Mark Hagen and Ron English

Hagen and English have worked together for a number of years working together at Purdue, where they reformed the Boilermakers before making a move to the Cardinals.

Last season the combo, compiled the sixth-best points per game tally, allowing just 24.1 points per game. Hagen and English marked a middle-of-the-pack defense that saw Louisville average 368.7 yards allowed per game, which ranked eighth on the league.

7. Boston College: Tim Lewis

The Eagles raked in the fifth-best defense in terms of points per game (23.8). Lewis and his company allowed the least amount of touchdowns in the ACC last season (35), while also allowing the third-least points in the ACC (309).

6. Duke: Jonathan Patke

Patke is entering his second season as a Blue Devil. Patke has worked under head coach Manny Diaz in each of Diaz's three previous defensive staffs.

Within the ACC last year, Patke’s unit topped the league in tackles for loss per game, sacks per game, fumbles recovered, and turnovers gained and ranked second in passing yards allowed per game (213.5) and third in yards per play (5.0).

5. Pittsburgh Panthers: Randy Bates

Over the past six seasons (2019-24), Pitt has collected a combined 270.5 quarterback sacks, the highest total in the nation.

During that same span, the Panthers have finished in the nation’s top 12 in rushing defense four times. Pitt fielded the ACC’s top rushing defense four consecutive seasons from 2019-22.

During Bates' Pitt tenure, four defensive players have earned consensus All-America recognition, including linebacker Kyle Louis in 2024.

4. California: Peter Sirmon

Sirmon spent last season commanding a stout ACC defense. Last season the Golden Bears conceded just 37 touchdowns and the second-best 22.3 points per game. Cal also tallied the best defense in the ACC, allowing just 290 points.

3. Florida State: Tony White

The former Nebraska defensive coordinator is a two-time Broyles Award nominee. From 2021-24, White’s defense held its opponent to less than 100 rushing yards in 25 games and 15 times held the opponent to less than 75 rushing yards. All in stints as a Cornhusker and with time at Syracuse.

2. SMU: Scott Symons

Symons finished last year as 2024 Broyles Award Semifinalist. The Mustangs allowed the least amount of yards per game (326). Symons' defense allowed just 37 touchdowns, which ranked fourth-best in the conference.

1. Clemson: Tom Allen

Allen just joined the Tigers, having been the defensive coordinator at Penn State. Last season, the Nittany Lions compiled 13 wins and Penn State finished seventh in the nation in total defense (294.8 yards per game) and eighth in the nation in scoring defense (16.5 points per game) under Allen’s guidance