Assistant Coaches
STAFF
John Chavis Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers YEAR AT LSU: BIRTHDATE: WIFE: CHILDREN: HIGH SCHOOL: COLLEGE:
Fifth (appointed Jan. 5, 2009) Oct. 16, 1956 in Dillon, S.C. Diane Crisp Davis John, Jason Dillon (S.C.) High School Tennessee, ‘79
@LSUCoachChavis
PLAYING EXPERIENCE 1976-78 Tennessee (middle guard) COACHING EXPERIENCE 1979 Tennessee (graduate assistant) 1980-83 Alabama A&M (defensive line) 1984-85 Alabama State (defensive coordinator) 1986-88 Alabama A&M (defensive coordinator) 1989-2008 Tennessee (defensive line/linebackers, 1989-94; defensive coordinator/linebackers, 1995-2008) 2009LSU (defensive coordinator/linebackers) BOWL EXPERIENCE Year Bowl 1979 Bluebonnet 1990 Cotton 1991 Sugar 1992 Fiesta 1993 Hall of Fame 1994 Florida Citrus 1994 Gator 1996 Florida Citrus 1997 Florida Citrus 1998 Orange 1999 Fiesta 2000 Fiesta 2001 Cotton 2002 Florida Citrus 2002 Peach 2004 Peach 2005 Cotton 2007 Outback 2008 Outback 2010 Capital One 2011 Cotton Bowl 2012 BCS 2012 Chick-fil-A
Team Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee LSU LSU LSU LSU
Opponent Purdue Arkansas Virginia Penn State Boston College Penn State Virginia Tech Ohio State Northwestern Nebraska Florida State Nebraska Kansas State Michigan Maryland Clemson Texas A&M Penn State Wisconsin Penn State Texas A&M Alabama Clemson
John with his wife Diane.
Results L, 27-22 W, 31-27 W, 23-22 L, 42-17 W, 38-23 L, 31-13 W, 45-23 W, 20-14 W, 48-28 L, 42-17 W, 23-16 L, 31-21 L, 35-21 W, 45-17 L, 30-3 L, 27-14 W, 38-7 L, 20-10 W, 21-17 L, 19-17 W, 41-24 L, 21-0 L, 25-24
With 18 years of experience as a highly successful defensive coordinator in college football’s toughest conference – the SEC – John Chavis has earned his reputation as being one of the best defensive coaches in the game. Chavis, also known as “Chief,” enters his fifth season as LSU’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2013. In four years at LSU, Chavis has seen 19 players that he’s coached selected in the NFL Draft, including five in the first round, while also producing seven first-team All-Americans and nine first-team All-SEC performers. Over the past two years, five of the seven draft-eligible players who have started on the defensive line for the Tigers have been picked in the NFL Draft. In the 2013, LSU became the first school in NFL Draft history to have six defensive players selected during the first three rounds. LSU finished with eight defenders selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, including first rounders in Barkevious Mingo (No. 5 overall) and Eric Reid (No. 18 overall). Chavis, the recipient of the 2011 Broyles National Assistant Coach of the Year, brings a philosophy to the field that features aggressive play (pressuring the quarterback), a commitment to being physical (win the battle up front), and one that has the Tigers displaying a certain swagger (make opponents earn every yard) with which the Tigers have thrived. He also coaches by the principal that there’s no substitute for speed. In his four years with the Tigers, Chavis’ defense has ranked in the top 12 nationally in total yards and scoring three times (2010, ’11 and ’12). The Tigers have forced 113 turnovers, and the LSU defense has accounted for 12 touchdowns and a pair of safeties. Also, in 53 games with the Tigers, Chavis’ defense has held the opponent to fewer than 100 net rushing yards 23 times. LSU put together another outstanding season on defense in 2012 despite losing a pair of first-round draft picks and the top defensive player in college football prior to the season. The Tigers still managed to rank No. 8 nationally in total defense (307.6 yards per game) and No. 9 in rushing defense (101.6). LSU also allowed just 17.5 points per game, its fourth consecutive year of yielding 18 points or less. LSU had its best year yet under Chavis in 2011 as the Tigers capped the year ranked in the top five in the nation in four categories including total defense (No. 2 at 261.5), scoring defense (No. 2 at 11.29), pass efficiency defense (No. 3 with 95.58 rating) and rushing defense (No. 5 at 90.07). LSU also ranked No. 8 nationally in pass defense with 171.43 yards per game.
LSU’s 2011 defense featured a young and explosive defensive front along with arguably the nation’s top secondary with two national award winners in Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne. LSU allowed only six first half touchdowns, including just two in the first quarter, all season as the Tigers rode their dominant defense’s style of play to a 13-0 regular season mark and the SEC title. In both 2010 and 2011, Chavis and the Tigers defense featured the Thorpe Award winner (nation’s top defensive back) in Patrick Peterson in 2010 and Claiborne in 2011, as well as the Bednarik Award winner (nation’s top defender) in Peterson and Mathieu in 2011. LSU was also home to the past two SEC Defensive Players of the Year in Peterson (2010), Mathieu (2011 by AP) and Claiborne (2011 by Coaches). LSU had four players off its 2011 defense selected in the NFL Draft, including two first rounders in Claiborne (6th overall) and defensive tackle Michael Brockers (12th overall). In 2010, LSU led the SEC and ranked 10th in the nation in pass defense (169.8), were No. 11 in scoring defense (18.2) and No. 12 in total defense (307.2). Chavis’ 2010 defense featured Peterson, who was picked with the fifth overall selection in NFL Draft, along with linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and defensive tackle Drake Nevis, who were both first-team All-SEC picks. In his first year at LSU in 2009, Chavis turned around a Tiger defense, taking a unit that ranked near the bottom of the SEC in 2008 to one that was among the top four in the league the following year. LSU finished the 2009 season ranked third in the league and 11th in the nation in scoring defense and they were fourth in the SEC in rushing defense. LSU allowed only six rushing TD’s in 2009, the secondlowest total in the league. Chavis, who has 24 years of experience in the rugged SEC, has produced a defense that has ranked among the top four in the league in total defense 13 times during his 18 seasons as a coordinator. Furthermore, Chavis has developed 41 players into first-team All-SEC selections since 1995 with another 15 earning first team All-America honors. In addition to his duties as defensive coordinator, Chavis also coaches linebackers, a position which has included an NFL draft pick in three of the past four years. Most recently, Kevin Minter was a second-round pick in 2013. Prior to his arrival in Baton Rouge in 2009, Chavis spent 14 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, helping the Vols to win at least nine games in a season 11 times. The Vols won at least 10 games in a season eight times during his time as defensive coordinator, which included a school-record 13 victories during their national championship season in 1998. The Vols had 11 wins 1995, 1997, and 2001 and they won 10 games in 1996, 2003, 2004, and 2007. With Chavis as the defensive coordinator, Tennessee made five appearances in the SEC Championship Game, winning the league title in 1997 and 1998, and they were invited to three BCS bowl games. Other coaching accomplishments for Chavis at Tennessee include coaching four linebackers to first-team All-America honors in Leonard Little (1997), Al Wilson (1998), Raynoch Thompson (1999) and Kevin Burnett (2004). All four of those players were selected in the NFL Draft with Wilson being a first round selection. Chavis also coached Jerod Mayo, who was the 10th player taken in the 2008 NFL Draft and was named the 2008 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Chavis, who is originally from Dillon, S.C., is married to the former Diane Crisp. They are the parents of sons, John and Jason.
2013 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE
LSU 99 99