Lane Kiffin Hires Two Defensive Line Coaches To His Staff

Lane Kiffin officially added 11 new coaches to his staff at LSU on Monday, including South Carolina defensive line coach Sterling Lucas and Ole Miss senior defensive analyst Lou Spanos.

Lucas will have the same role on Kiffin's staff at LSU, while Spanos will hold the title of assistant defensive line/pass rush specialist.

LSU's defensive line staff will now consist of:

Defensive Line - Sterling Lucas
Assistant Defensive Line and Pass Rush Specialist - Lou Spanos
Edge Rushers - Kevin Peoples

Lucas has spent the past five seasons with the Gamecocks as the team’s defensive ends/outside linebackers coach and was appointed defensive run-game coordinator in January 2025.

The Orangeburg, S.C., native played linebacker at North Carolina State and began his coaching career in 2013 with the Wolfpack.

Lucas spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and the Jacksonville Jaguars before joining South Carolina's staff in 2022.

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Spanos has been on Kiffin's staff at Ole Miss since 2023. He was the defensive coordinator at UConn from 2019 to 2021 and was the Huskies' interim head coach for the 2022 season. He was a defensive analyst at Alabama in 2018 and UCLA's defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2013.

He also spent significant time coaching in the NFL at the following franchises:

Pittsburgh Steelers (1995–2009)
Defensive quality control and assistant linebackers coach

Washington Redskins (2010–2011)
Linebackers coach

Tennessee Titans (2014–2017)
Linebackers coach

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