Pete Lembo's found the cornerstone piece of his first defensive staff as Buffalo head coach.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Lembo is tabbing Joe Bowen as the Bulls's defensive coordinator.
A Miami (Ohio) grad, the 31-year-old Bowen -- set to become one of Football Bowls Subdivision's youngest defensive play-callers -- owns previous coaching experience at Florida State, Michigan State and South Carolina, where he crossed paths with Lembo.
Bowen spent the 2023 campaign as Miami's linebackers coach and running game coordinator; the Redhawks turned in an 11-3 season that stood as one of the best campaigns in school history.
The Miami defense was central in that, as the unit allowed less than 16 points per game.
Redhawks linebacker Matt Salopek developed into the MAC's Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, when he posted 125 tackles on a defense that yielded less than 11 points per game in league play.
Lembo was hired last week to helm the Buffalo program after previous coach Maurice Linguist departed the Bulls after three seasons as head coach to become a co-defensive coordinator on Kalen DeBoer's new Alabama staff.