Desormeaux Names Mike Giuliani Outside Linebackers Coach
Louisiana Football has elevated Mike Giuliani to outside linebackers assistant coach, head coach Michael Desormeaux announced on Wednesday. Giuliani has been on the Louisiana staff since 2019.
Over the last three seasons, Giuliani has done a masterful job with the team's linebacker corps, coaching All-Conference selections such as Chauncey Manac and Joe Dillon during his tenure.
"Mike Giuliani has been a true professional since the day he joined the #cULture," Desormeaux said. "It did not take long to realize that Mike is a detail-oriented person who takes pride in every aspect of the work he does. Mike has been relentless in recruiting, has a hunger for knowledge, and values relationships. For the past few years, he has been an instrumental piece of the puzzle on the defensive side of the ball, and I am thrilled to have him stay at Louisiana to continue the mission that we started. There is no doubt that the standard of play in the outside linebacker room will only continue to rise."
Manac finished the 2021 campaign with Second Team All-Conference honors after leading the team with 14.5 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sacks. He also ranked fifth on the team with 57 total tackles. Fellow outside linebacker AJ Riley also had a productive year with 23 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks.
"I could not be more grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to continue to work with Coach Desormeaux, this staff, and these players," Giuliani said. "I have coached in the NFL, SEC and ACC, and this has always been the best job I have ever had. We are a long way from New York, but Louisiana has felt like home since day one. I cannot wait to continue to entrench myself in this incredible community of people. We have accomplished so much together as a football program and a community over the last three years. The #cULture remains stronger than ever moving into this next chapter. I will always be so proud to be a Ragin' Cajun."
Manac and Dillon were just as effective in 2020, with Manac recording 31 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks and Dillon posting 25 tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
In 2019, he worked with Louisiana's inside linebackers, coaching Jacques Boudreaux and Ferrod Gardner to stellar seasons. Boudreaux finished the year with 106 tackles, becoming the first Ragin' Cajun to notch more than 100 tackles in a single season since 2016, while Gardner was credited 47 stops.
Prior to arriving in Lafayette, he spent the 2018 season at Louisville where he worked as a graduate assistant with the Cardinals' linebackers. C.J. Avery was a bright spot for the squad with 56 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, while Tabarius Peterson produced 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks, tied for the most on the team.
Giuliani spent one year at the University of Arkansas as quality control coach for defense in 2017. With the Razorbacks, he coached Randy Ramsey, who finished the year with 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks. Ramsey is currently playing professionally with the Green Bay Packers.
Before getting into college football, he served as a defensive assistant at the NFL level for six seasons.
He spent 2015 and 2016 with the Buffalo Bills, where his duties included coordination of the offensive scout team, offensive opponent breakdown, scouting reports, creation of game day call sheets and creation of the playbook, while assisting with linebackers.
Prior to Buffalo, he spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons as a defensive assistant with the New York Jets, working with defensive backs. He also worked as a season video assistant with the organization in 2011 and 2012.
Giuliani began his coaching career as a defensive student assistant at his alma mater, SUNY Cortland, from 2009-13. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology at SUNY Cortland in 2011.
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Re: Desormeaux Names Mike Giuliani Outside Linebackers Coach
Originally Posted by KajunKrazy
