Santucci, a former star linebacker at Stony Brook, began his coaching career at his alma mater 14 years ago. He earned his first D.C. job at A&M in 2022, where he helped coach the nation's No. 1 pass defense. He led the ACC's highest scoring defense last season in Durham, North Carolina.
Now, he's charged with turning Tech's porous defense into one that will help elevate the program to a conference title contender.
“For me, it’s all about starting from scratch, having no preconceived notions about anyone or anything, and building it the way we believe as a defensive staff and the way our key coaches want us to.” said Santucci. “And I think this allows us to get to where we want to get to in a timely manner without being able to cheat or skip steps.
“But fundamentally, how we play, the effort we put into playing, how we communicate, how we treat each other, how we take care of each other. I know I have to start with that, and then I feel like I can get to where I need to get to.”
He said Santucci's defense will be based on a 4-2-5 configuration with two high safeties, two cornerbacks and a nickel back. A back (outside) linebacker and a mike (middle) linebacker, as well as four defensive linemen line up as the two defensive ends, a defensive tackle and a nose tackle.
But in terms of scheme, coverage and personnel, Santucci said nothing was at the forefront of his instructions in the first few days of spring practice. Instead, he drills into his defensive players how to work, how to go to meetings, how to play together, how to huddle around the ball and how to communicate.
Santucci added that he is asking for a lot of trust from the Yellow Jackets early in the process.
“They show up every day and they want to be coached. They want to be coached hard and they want to understand and know why. 'Hey, coach, why are we doing this? ?’ They’re great people to be around,” Santucci said. “Every challenge we threw at them as a coaching staff, they answered. And they showed up, and they didn't relent, and that's all we can ask. Everything. From day one, all we ask is, “Hey, there's going to be a little bit of blind faith here.” But believe me, we're going to put you guys in the position that you want to be and ultimately we want to be the defenders. ” ”
Tech's defense ranked last in the ACC in 2023 in preventing third-down conversions against the run and total defense. They were the second-worst team in the league in tackles for loss, points defensed and first downs conceded.
However, linebackers Kyle Efford (the team's top tackler in 2023) and Trenillias Tatum, defensive backs Clayton Powell-Lee, LaMyles Brooks, and Ahamari Harvey, and linemen Zeke Biggers and Eddie Kelly. , Horace Lockett, and Machius are a unit that will bring back some of their experience. Scott, just to name a few. Tech also added EJ Lightsey (linebacker from Georgia), Jackson Hamilton (linebacker from Louisville), Ayo Tifasse (defensive lineman from Florida State) and Jack Burton (defensive lineman from Furman). Mann) and Warren Burrell (cornerback from Furman) were transferred. Tennessee) and Saeed Gibbs (cornerback from Rhode Island).
Santucci's determination of who among that group will be able to perform Saturday in 2024 won't be known until August, but his assessment of the effort began this month.
“This will be a merit-based defense,” he said. “The way we perform, the way we communicate and the way we hold ourselves to standards will determine how the depth chart is constructed.”
