re: John Lovett rumored to be on les radar

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John Lovett is in his second year as defensive coordinator at the University of Miami. A veteran coach with 19 years of experience as a defensive coordinator with stops at Clemson, Auburn and Mississippi, Lovett's defense ranked 29th in 2009. He directed a defense that featured All-America and Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist defensive back Brandon Harris, First Team All-ACC Defensive Lineman Allen Bailey and second team All-ACC linebackers Darryl Sharpton and Colin McCarthy. Sharpton ended up a fourth round selection of the Houston Texans.

Lovett spent the last two seasons as the special teams coordinator and a defensive assistant at North Carolina, where the kickoff coverage unit ranked among the nation's top 15 and the Tar Heels blocked six kicks in 2008. He coached the NCAA all-time leader in combined kick return yards in Brandon Tate, who also established the ACC career mark for kickoff return yards. Kicker Connor Barth set the school career mark for field goals.

Prior to going to North Carolina, Lovett was the defensive coordinator at Bowling Green from 2005-06. In addition to coordinating the defense at Bowling Green, Lovett coached linebackers in 2005 and defensive backs in 2006. In his first year with the Falcons, Lovett's defense ranked 20th in the country in turnover margin.

Lovett served as the defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2002-04, and helped develop one of the ACC's top defenses, while defensive backs Justin Miller and Brian Mance earned All-America honors. In 2004, Clemson was 11th in the nation in pass defense efficiency (103.4) and 26th in total defense (327.3). In 2003, his defense allowed just 19.2 points per game as Clemson finished the year with nine wins and a top 25 national ranking.

As the defensive coordinator at Auburn from 1999-2001, Lovett helped lead the Tigers to bowl games each of his last two years including an appearance in the 2001 Peach Bowl.

Lovett coached the secondary all four years he was at Ole Miss (1995-98), including the 1997 season when the Rebels had an 8-4 overall record, including a victory in the Motor City Bowl.

Prior to coaching at Mississippi, Lovett worked as defensive coordinator at the University of Maine for two stints. He first went to Orono in 1985 and served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach from 1985-88, and then returned in 1994 to serve as defensive coordinator for the Black Bears. The 1987 team won the conference championship and qualified for the Division I-AA playoffs.

Lovett began his career in coaching at Saint Joseph's Region High School in Montvale, N.J., in 1976. He started his college career in 1978 at Union College in New York, where he worked until 1982. Lovett spent the 1983 season in the Ivy League at Brown, and then moved back to New York to work under Joe Walton as the New York Jets' defensive quality control coach in 1984. In 1989, he joined head coach Tim Murphy at the University of Cincinnati, where he remained until 1992. In 1993, he coached at UNLV as the secondary coach.

Lovett graduated from C.W. Post College in December of 1973 and was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in fall 2008. He initially was a walk-on, but quickly earned a scholarship and served as the team's co-captain as a senior in 1973. He played for Dom Anile, who is now a Consultant to Player Personnel for the Indianapolis Colts. At the completion of his career, he enrolled in graduate school at the University of Denver and he earned his Master's Degree in 1975. The next year he entered the coaching profession. He and his wife Carol reside in Miami.

Lovett At A Glance

Personal Information
Full name: John Lovett
Birthdate: December 1, 1950
Hometown: Nyack, N.Y.
Education: B.A. education, C.W. Post College (1973)
Master's, Denver (1975)
Wife: Carol

LOVETT's Coaching Career
2007-2008 - North Carolina(assistant coach/special teams coordinator/defensive assistant)
2005-06 - Bowling Green(assistant coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers/ defensive backs)
2002-04 - Clemson (assistant coach/defensive coordinator)
1999-2001 - Auburn (assistant coach/defensive coordinator)
1995-98 - Mississippi (assistant coach/secondary)
1994 - Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator)
1993 - UNLV (assistant coach/secondary)
1989-92 - Cincinnati (assistant coach/defensive coordinator)
1985-88 - Maine (assistant coach/defensive coordinator)
1984 - New York Jets (defensive quality control coach)
1983 - Brown (assistant coach)
1978-82 - Union College, N.Y. (assistant coach)
1976-77 - St. Joseph's Regional High School, N.J.

Bowl Games as a Coach (8)
2009 Champs Sports Bowl
2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl
2004 Peach Bowl
2002 Tangerine Bowl
2001 Peach Bowl
2000 Citrus Bowl
1998 Independence Bowl
1997 Motor City Bowl

Prominent Players Coached
Derrick Burgess (Ole Miss) - Oakland Raiders
Kenyatta Lucas (Ole Miss) - Carolina Panthers
Carlos Rogers (Auburn) - Washington Redskins
Roderick Hood (Auburn) - Cleveland Browns
Tye Hill (Clemson) - Tye Hill (St. Louis Rams)
Justin Miller (Clemson) - Oakland Raiders
Leroy Hill (Clemson) - Seattle Seahawks
Marcus Washington (Auburn)

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