Hopson removed as defensive coordinator

 By Adam Douglas

 Sports Editor

 

Joe Murphy

Hopson

In an effort to improve the play of the Tiger defensive unit, University of Memphis head football coach Larry Porter removed defensive coordinator Jay Hopson from his current duties and named Mike DuBose and Galen Scott as co-coordinators. Hopson was offered a change in responsibility but chose not to remain on staff.

"This problem was bigger than coach Hopson," Porter said. "He is a fine man, and I thought he gave everything to this program. But at the end of the day, it's us as coaches that have to man up and do a better job at preparing this team."

Porter said that DuBose will continue to handle the entire Tiger defensive front. Scott will coach both the inside and outside linebackers and Shannon Morrison will be responsible for the defensive secondary.

"I think both guys bring something good to the table," Porter said. "Coach DuBose is a veteran guy and coach Scott is a very intellectual guy who understands what we're doing within this system, both in the front end and back end. And in terms of them both working together, they will be a great force moving forward in terms of tweaking some things in which we are doing."

Hopson was in his second season as the Tigers defensive coordinator. Defensively, the Tigers ranked 115 out of 120 football bowl division schools last season. This season, Memphis has given up over 1,200 yards of total offense in the first two games of the season, again ranking near the bottom of the FBS.

The Tigers parting ways with Hopson comes amid increasing scrutiny on Porter, who said two days earlier that he had no plans to change his staff.

Athletic Director R.C. Johnson reiterated last week that Porter's job is safe.

"We're not making changes because that's just ridiculous," Johnson said. "No one is more disappointed than I am over the last two Saturdays. Larry is too, and we both know that we have to get football going."

 Questions about Porter's job security began to swirl before the Tigers' game against Arkansas State on Saturday.

"The one thing that's obvious is that we're playing a bad brand of football right now," Porter said. "What we got to fix, I understand.  But as far as the chemistry and the defense as a group or core, there's some things that need to change schematically."