Reports: South Carolina bringing in Jon Hoke as co-defensive coordinator

Steve Spurrier is bringing in a familiar face to coach South Carolina’s defense.

According to multiple reports, Spurrier has hired Chicago Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke as co-defensive coordinator. Hoke previously served as Spurrier’s defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Florida from 1999-2001.

According to The State, Hoke will share the defensive coordinator position with Lorenzo Ward moving forward. Ward just finished his third season as the Gamecocks’ defensive coordinator. In Ward’s first two seasons, the Gamecocks finished in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense and total defense. That production fell off in 2014 as the Gamecocks’ defense finished 92nd nationally and allowed 36.8 points per game in SEC play.

Hoke has been a defensive backs coach in the NFL since 2002 with stints with the Houston Texans (2002-08) and the Bears (2009-2014).

Before coaching with Spurrier at Florida, Hoke had stops as a defensive backs coach at Missouri, Kent State, San Diego State, Bowling Green, North Carolina State and Dayton.

According to ESPN.com, Hoke, the older brother of former Michigan coach Brady Hoke, will make “somewhere in the $750,000 range annually” at South Carolina.

To make room for Hoke’s hire, The State is reporting that secondary coach Grady Brown will “move to an off field position.”

The Gamecocks went 7-6 in 2014.

For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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