Back in October, Tim Beck made the decision to make a change at offensive coordinator, relieving Travis Trickett of his duties as the play caller and quarterbacks coach in his second season with the program.
Now Beck has reportedly decided to make a change at defensive coordinator as well.
Pete Thamel shares today that Craig Naivar has been told that he will not return next fall.
Naivar is a veteran of college coaching, bringing nearly three decades of experience to Beck's staff in December of 2022, where he was also tabbed with coaching the safeties.
A nominee for the Broyles Award in 2023, Naivar led a defense that ranked among the top 25 in the country in a number of key defensive categories including defensive touchdowns, turnovers forced, and red zone defense.
This fall the Chanticleers defense ranked 108th nationally in scoring defense, allowing nearly 32 points per game, nearly a touchdown more than they allowed in 2023 when they ranked 50th nationally.
He joined the Coastal staff after a season at SMU as their special teams coordinator and safeties coach, and has previous experience at USC and Texas, where he held the co-defensive coordinator title with the Longhorns.
Beck's hire at defensive coordinator will join former Mike Leach assistant Drew Hollingshead, who Beck appointed the Chants new offensive coordinator at the end of December.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for all the latest coaching information.