After successful stints as defensive coordinator at Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke and co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, Tyler Santucci joins Georgia Tech’s staff as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach.
In one season at Duke (2023), Santucci directed the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, which was good for 16th nationally. The Blue Devils also ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red-zone defense. For his role in directing the ACC’s top scoring defense, he was a nominee for the 2023 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach.
Prior to his lone season at Duke, Santucci spent three seasons at Texas A&M (2020-22), serving as linebackers coach for all three seasons and as co-defensive coordinator in his final campaign with the Aggies in 2022. As co-defensive coordinator, where he direct the nation’s No. 1 pass defense (156.2 ypg) and a top 25 scoring defense (20.7 ppg).
He has also coached linebackers at Wake Forest (2019) and Texas State (2016), served as a defensive analyst at Notre Dame (2017) and A&M (2018), spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Wake (2014-15) and four seasons on the staff at his alma mater, Stony Brook (2010-11).
Santucci, who was a standout linebacker at Stony Brook from 2006-09, has a wife, Arielle, have a daughter, Liana.
| THE TYLER SANTUCCI FILE | ||
| PERSONAL | ||
| Hometown | New Kensington, Pa. | |
| Alma Mater | Stony Brook, 2010 | |
| Family | wife: Arielle; daughter: Liana | |
| PLAYING EXPERIENCE | ||
| 2006-10 | Stony Brook (LB) | |
| COACHING EXPERIENCE | ||
| 2010-11 | Stony Brook | Graduate assistant |
| 2012 | Stony Brook | Safeties |
| 2013 | Stony Brook | Defensive line |
| 2014-15 | Wake Forest | Graduate assistant |
| 2016 | Texas State | Linebackers |
| 2017 | Notre Dame | Defensive analyst |
| 2018 | Texas A&M | Defensive analyst |
| 2019 | Wake Forest | Linebackers |
| 2020-21 | Texas A&M | Linebackers |
| 2022 | Texas A&M | Co-defensive coordinator/linebackers |
| 2023 | Duke | Defensive coordinator/linebackers |
| 2024- | Georgia Tech | Defensive coordinator/linebackers |
FULL BIOGRAPHY
After successful stints as defensive coordinator at Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke and co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, Tyler Santucci joins Georgia Tech’s staff as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach.
In one season at Duke (2023), Santucci directed the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, which was good for 16th nationally. The Blue Devils also ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red-zone defense. Duke allowed a total of just 10 points in a pair of wins over teams that finished the season in the top 25 – No. 20 Clemson (28-7) and No. 21 NC State (24-3) – and finished 8-5 overall after a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.
For his role in directing the ACC’s top scoring defense, Santucci was a nominee for the 2023 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coach.
Prior to his lone season at Duke, Santucci spent three seasons at Texas A&M (2020-22), serving as linebackers coach for all three seasons and as co-defensive coordinator in his final campaign with the Aggies in 2022. As co-defensive coordinator, where he direct the nation’s No. 1 pass defense (156.2 ypg) and a top 25 scoring defense (20.7 ppg). The Aggies also ranked among the top 10 nationally in red-zone defense and top 20 in interceptions and pass efficiency defense with Santucci as co-DC. In his three seasons at A&M, the Aggies won 22 games, including nine during the Covid-19-shortened 2020 campaign, when they finished 9-1 overall and ranked No. 4 in the nation.
In addition to the last four seasons at Duke and Texas A&M, Santucci has also coached linebackers at Wake Forest (2019) and Texas State (2016). His experience also includes two seasons as a defensive analyst at Notre Dame (2017) and A&M (2018), two seasons as a graduate assistant at Wake (2014-15) and four seasons on the staff at his alma mater, Stony Brook, first as a graduate assistant (2010-11), then as the Seawolves’ safeties (2012) and defensive line (2013) coach.
In all, he’s helped lead teams to bowl games in six of the last seven seasons.
Santucci was a standout linebacker at Stony Brook from 2006-09, finishing his playing career with 284 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss and five interceptions. He was an all-Big South Conference selection as a junior (second team) and senior (first team), and was named Big South Defensive Player of the Year and second-team Associated Press NCAA Division I FCS all-America as a senior in 2009. In 2013, he was named to the Big South’s first all-decade team. He graduated from Stony Brook with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2010.
Santucci and his wife, Arielle, have a daughter, Liana.
