Lyle Hemphill, a former FootballScoop FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Year, is poised to join Mike Elko’s inaugural Duke University staff, multiple sources tell FootballScoop.
Hemphill, who carved a name nationally for his defensive work as Stony Brook’s defensive coordinator across six seasons from 2011-16, will join Elko’s first Blue Devils’ staff in a role coaching the safeties, per sources.
It’s a key hire for Elko, whom Duke tabbed last Friday as its replacement for David Cutcliffe.
Hemphill has been on Dave Clawson’s Wake Forest staff since 2017, arriving in Winston-Salem right after Elko departed the Demon Deacons’ program to run Notre Dame’s defense in 2017.
Hemphill also has coaching experience at Delaware and Hofstra.
Though Wake struggled this season on defense, Hemphill’s work with the program’s safeties – as well as in his co-coordinator role – have generally been considered bright spots for the program.
Wake was among the nation’s takeaway leaders during the COVID-19-shortened 2020, when the Demon Deacons’ defense forced a plus-10 turnover margin.