Duke assistant football coach resigns

Durham

Duke football is looking for a new defensive coordinator after Robb Smith left the program.

Smith left Duke for personal reasons after one season with the Blue Devils, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Robb and I talked about him wanting to come back closer to his family in Minnesota, Duke coach Mike Elko said in a statement. After all, this was just the right moment for him. We appreciate Robb’s commitment to our program this past season and wish him the best in the future.

According to a source, Texas A&M linebackers coach Tyler Santucci, the Aggies’ defensive coordinator, is Elkos’ top candidate to replace Smith.

Elko hired Smith in December 2021 shortly after he was named head coach of the Blue Devils. Together, they helped the Blue Devils post a 9-4 record, including a 30-13 Military Bowl win over UCF in the program’s first bowl appearance since 2018.

Duke allowed 22.1 points per game last season, which was 31st nationally and fifth best in the ACC. That comes after the Blue Devils allowed an ACC-worst 39.8 points per game (No. 127 nationally) in 2021 before the arrival of Elko and Smiths.

Previously, Smith coached the defense at the University of Minnesota in 2017-2018 sacked nine games in the 2018 season. He had stints at Texas A&M, Rutgers and Duke after leaving Minnesota, but still owns a home in the Minneapolis area.

The 34-year-old Santucci previously worked with Elko at Wake Forest, Notre Dame and Texas A&M. He was an assistant for the Demon Deacons in 2014-15, when Elko served as Wakes’ defensive coordinator.

When Elko became Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator in 2017, Santucci followed him as a defensive analyst. Santucci returned to Wake Forest as the linebackers coach in 2019 before moving to Elko as Texas A&M’s linebackers coach in 2020 and 2021.

After Elko left to become the Dukes’ head coach, Santucci was promoted to defensive coordinator last January.

Although the Aggies went 5-7 last season, he allowed 21.2 points per game, 25th nationally. Last season, with Elko as defensive coordinator, Texas A&M ranked No. 3 nationally in allowing 15.9 points per game.

This story was originally published January 21, 2023 at 8:05 am.