Baylor hires Oregon co-DC Matt Powledge as defensive coordinator

Baylor has its new defensive coordinator and it’s turning to an old friend. The Bears have officially hired Oregon co-defensive coordinator Matt Powledge for the role, according to a release from the school.

“We are thrilled to welcome Matt back to Waco,” head coach Dave Aranda said. “Matt is an elite defensive mind who has a great understanding of our system, on and off the field. His experience both on our staff and elsewhere, paired with his understanding of person over player and his ability to connect with student-athletes, make him an ideal fit to serve as our defensive coordinator.”

Powledge served as Baylor’s special teams coordinator from 2020-21 before joining forces with Dan Lanning at Oregon this past season. He coached the safeties and worked alongside Tosh Lupoi, who coached the linebackers. Together, they helped lead a defense that held teams to 386.1 yards per game, a mark that ranked fourth in the Pac-12.

In addition to his duties as special teams coordinator at Baylor, Powledge also worked with the safeties and helped with the development of Jalen Pitre, who won the 2021 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award. The Bears were also the No. 10 scoring defense in the country in 2021, holding teams to 18.3 points per game.

Before his time in Waco, Powledge was the outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Louisiana from 2018-19. He got his coaching start at Southeastern Louisiana in 2010 as a graduate assistant, working with the tight ends, following a four-year career as a fullback at Sam Houston State.

Powledge will now replace Ron Roberts, who was let go as Baylor’s defensive coordinator following the 2021 campaign. The Bears didn’t have the success they had in 2021 as they allowed 26.9 points per game and allowed 371 yards per game in 2022 — up from 346 yards per contest the year prior.

Baylor finished the 2022 season 6-7, including a season-ending 30-15 loss to Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl. It was a disappointing follow-up to a 2021 season that saw the Bears finish 12-2 overall and 7-2 in Big 12 play. The regression on defense was enough for Dave Aranda to make a change, and Powledge is now set to take over.