Former Irish Corner Todd Lyght Expected to Become Notre Dame's Defensive Backs Coach

The coaching rumblings are in full swing at Notre Dame. After losing DB coach Kerry Cooks to Oklahoma at least one position has opened up. Yesterday it was rumored that Brady Hoke would be joining the Irish staff, although that has since been proven to be false. There also rumors that quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur is on his way back to the NFL soon, as well.

In looking to find a new DB coach it appears Notre Dame has found their man.

Former Irish DB, 1st rd pick and 12-year NFL vet Todd Lyght expected to join #NotreDame coaching staff: http://t.co/vg07QjYnga #Irish247

— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) February 5, 2015

Todd Lyght may be a name familiar to many Irish fans. The tall 6-1 corner from Flint, Michigan had an incredibly star-studded career for Notre Dame. Lyght was a two-time consensus All-American in 1989-90 (including a unanimous pick as a junior), three-year starter, captain as a senior, and a member of Notre Dame's last National Championship team in 1988. He was selected with the 5th overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and would rack up 725 tackles and 37 interceptions over a 12-year pro career, including All-Pro and Pro Bowl nominations in 1999. He also won the 1999 Super Bowl with the Rams.

Lyght began is coaching career 7 years after his NFL retirement, first working as a defensive backs assistant at Las Vegas' Bishop Gorman High School--home to current Irish players Ronnie Stanley, Nicco Fertitta, and Aliz'e Jones. He then moved to the Oregon Ducks as a defensive intern for two seasons before joining the Philadelphia Eagles as the assistant DB coach for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Lyght was recently hired by Vanderbilt on January 14th and apparently will be skipping out of Nashville after less than a month on the job.

It's probably fair to criticize Lyght's coaching experience as he hasn't been a full assistant at either the college or pro level. However, when you factor in his stellar college and NFL career it's easy to see why he'd be someone you'd want to bring on your staff.

In terms of recruiting this looks to be a home run hire for Notre Dame. Lyght brings instant credibility to living rooms all over the country and could be especially effective in the Los Angeles area where he lived for many years. He'll be 46 in just a couple days so he's not super young but hopefully the energy to become a valued recruiter is waiting to break out as soon as possible.

This is also great news because it allows me the opportunity to insert one of my favorite Notre Dame pictures.