DURHAM – Duke head football coach Mike Elko announced Tuesday that Tyler Santucci will join the Blue Devil gridiron program as the defensive coordinator. Santucci also will coach Duke’s linebackers.
“I am excited to welcome Tyler, his wife Arielle, and their daughter Liana into our Duke football family,” Elko said. “I’ve known Tyler for quite a while and I’m confident he’ll be a great fit for us here in Durham. His work ethic, leadership, passion and understanding of the sport made him an easy choice for this opportunity. I am eager to see our defense reach new heights under his direction.”
Santucci and Elko have served together on three previous defensive staffs, most recently at Texas A&M in 2020 and 2021, where Santucci was the linebackers coach. The pair also spent time together at Notre Dame and Wake Forest.
“My family and I are grateful for the opportunity to join this prestigious university and football program here at Duke,” Santucci said. “I would like to thank Coach Elko and Nina King for believing in me to lead and coordinate the defense. Coach Elko and staff have done a remarkable job over this past year of laying the foundation for the future of the Duke football program. I am looking forward to building and sustaining meaningful relationships with our student-athletes as we help them chase their dreams. My wife Arielle, daughter Liana, and myself could not be more excited to begin the next chapter of our lives in Bull City.”
Santucci comes to Durham after a one-year stint as the co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M under head coach Jimbo Fisher. Before being promoted in 2022, he spent two seasons as the Aggies’ linebackers coach, helping them to a 17-5 ledger and an invitation to the 2020 Capital One Orange and 2021 Taxslayer Gator Bowls.
During his time at Texas A&M, Santucci helped the Aggies defense to a No. 3 national ranking in scoring defense (15.92), as well as the No. 7 red zone defense (.710) in 2021. The year prior, he helped the Aggies lead the SEC and rank among the top 10 in the nation in total defense (317.3), while boasting a top-three ranking in the country in rushing defense (92.0). Texas A&M would cap off its 2020 nine-win season with a 41-27 victory over No. 13 North Carolina in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
Santucci spent the 2019 season as the inside…
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