The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
Since 1888
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.

Reports: Vanderbilt football hires Inoke Breckterfield as defensive line coach

Inoke Breckterfield spent the last six seasons as Wisconsin’s defensive line coach.
Inoke+Breckterfield+as+defensive+coordinator+of+the+Wisconsin+Badgers.+%28Wisconsin+Athletics%29
Inoke Breckterfield as defensive coordinator of the Wisconsin Badgers. (Wisconsin Athletics)

Vanderbilt football has reportedly hired Inoke Breckterfield as its new defensive line coach, as first reported by Bruce Feldman. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel later confirmed Feldman’s report through a source.

Breckterfield would replace Jovan Haye, who spent two seasons as the Commodores’ defensive line coach. Haye, a Vanderbilt alumnus and former teammate of Clark Lea’s, could also be moved to a different role.

Breckterfield is currently the defensive line coach at Wisconsin, a position he’s held for six seasons. Under Breckterfield’s tutelage, Wisconsin has developed an elite defensive line; in 2015—his first season as defensive line coach—he helped the Badgers piece together the nation’s top defense, ranking first in scoring defense (13.7 ppg) and second in total defense (268.5 ypg). Among his Badger products are Alec James and Conor Sheehy, both named second-team All-Big Ten selections as seniors in 2017, a season in which the defense ranked second nationally in total defense (262.1 ypg), third in scoring defense (13.9 ppg), third in rushing defense (98.4 ypg) and first in passing efficiency defense (96.4). His stout defensive units only improved, as his trio of defensive linemen notched 17 tackles for a loss and 10 of the Badgers’ school-record 51 sacks in 2019, ranking second in the nation.

Prior to his arrival at Wisconsin, Breckterfield served as the defensive tackles coach at Pittsburgh, defensive line coach at UCLA and defensive line coach at Montana. While at Pittsburgh, Breckterfield coached Aaron Donald, who went on to be named a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Through his seven-year NFL career, Donald has been named to seven Pro Bowls, won Defensive Rookie of the Year his freshman year (2014) and is a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

While coaching the defensive line at UCLA, Breckterfield worked alongside Vanderbilt’s new head football coach, Clark Lea, who coached UCLA’s linebackers.

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About the Contributor
Simon Gibbs, Former Sports Editor
Simon Gibbs (‘21) is the former Sports Editor for The Vanderbilt Hustler. He has been on staff since the first semester of his freshman year, previously serving as a Staff Writer, Senior Writer and Deputy Sports Editor. Simon is also the host of VU Sports Wired on Vanderbilt Video Productions and The Hustler Sports 30 on VandyRadio. Simon has attended several events as credentialed media, including the 2019 NFL Draft, 2019 College Baseball World Series and the 2019 SEC Tournament. Outside of his Commodore coverage, Simon has had bylines published on NHL.com and NashvillePredators.com. When he's not writing, you can find Simon watching his hometown New York Mets, waiting for that next ring. For tips, comments or concerns, please reach out to: [email protected]    
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