Nebraska's head coach Mike Riley announced that Bob Diaco has been hired as the Huskers' defensive coordinator.
“When we began looking for a new defensive coordinator, Bob Diaco quickly rose to the top of the list,” Riley said. “He has coordinated a top-level defense, has proven himself as a great teacher and recruiter, and we are excited to have him join our football program. Bob is an energetic coach and is ready to get started immediately, beginning with hitting the recruiting trail to find future Blackshirts.”
Diaco spent the last three years as the head coach at the University of Connecticut. He was the first head coach in UCONN history to take the Huskies to postseason play only two years into their tenure. In 2015 UCONN's defense led the American Athletic Conference in total defense, ranked 15th nationally in scoring defense and was seventh in the country in red zone defense.
The 2015 St. Petersburg Bowl marked the ninth postseason game for Diaco as a coach.
Prior to that, the 43-year old was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame from 2010-2013. In addition to his defensive coordinator role, Diaco was the assistant head coach in 2012 and 2013. During his four seasons the Fighting Irish defense allowed an average of 19.08 points per game, which ranked as the ninth-best average over that time among FBS programs.
Diaco won the Frank Broyles Award in 2012 as the nations best assistant coach.
Diaco was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at Iowa as a linebacker and was named the team's co-MVP in 1995, starting all 23 games over his junior and senior season.
“I am honored to join Coach Riley and his staff at the University of Nebraska and am excited to become a part of one of the truly great programs in the history of college football,” Diaco said. “Coach Riley has such great respect from everyone in football, and he is building something special here. I started my college football experience in the Big Ten and am thrilled to be back in this conference. I can’t wait to get to work and help build a championship football program.”
Diaco’s Coaching Resume
2017 Nebraska, Defensive Coordinator
2014-16 Connecticut, Head Coach
2012-13 Notre Dame, Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach
2011 Notre Dame, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2010 Notre Dame, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
2009 Cincinnati, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
2006-08 Virginia, Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator
2005 Central Michigan, Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2004 Western Michigan, Linebackers/Special Teams
2003 Eastern Michigan, Outside Linebackers/Special Teams
2002 Eastern Michigan, Linebackers/Special Teams
2001 Eastern Michigan, Running Backs/Special Teams
1999-2000 Western Illinois, Running Backs/Special Teams
1996-1997 Iowa, Graduate Assistant
Bob Diaco File
Hometown: Cedar Grove, N.J.
College: Iowa, 1995
Playing Career: Iowa, 1992-95
