TCU fires defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie per report

Neither of the defenses during Sonny Dykes’ first two seasons at TCU have been particularly great. That’s why, after a pair of campaigns with him in Forth Worth, DC Joe Gillespie has been relieved of his duties.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg confirmed the initial report by 247’s Jeremy Clark regarding the Horned Frogs’ defensive coordinator. Following a 5-7 finish in 2023, TCU has elected to move in a different direction than Gillespie as far as their defensive staff.

Source confirms Joe Gillespie is out as TCU’s defensive coordinator after two seasons. @JClarkHFB247 on it first.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 10, 2023

Gillespie came with Dykes when he arrived in 2021. He did so after seven seasons at Tulsa, including the final three in the same role for the Golden Hurricanes.

In 2022, the defense under Gillespie was actually worse than it was this season. They finished 91st in the nation by giving up 29 points and over 400 yards per game. Still, it was an improvement on defense from the final year under Gary Patterson. That unit was No. 118th in the country after giving up 34.9 points and 462 yards per contest. It also didn’t matter much as TCU was still able to go 13-2 en route to an appearance in the national championship.

Then, in 2023, it was more of the same as they gave up 27.8 points and, once again, over 400 yards of offense to their opponents.

If TCU wants to bounce back next fall, it’s clear that defense was going to be high on their list of improvements. However, rather than working around the edges, they went with the full reset by moving on from Gillespie on Sunday.

NaNa Osafo-Mensah announces transfer commitment to TCU

TCU landed a big commitment via the transfer portal on Friday.

Notre Dame edge rusher NaNa Osafo-Mensah announced that he has committed to the Horned Frogs. Ofaso-Mensah will return home to play for Sonny Dykes as a Fort Worth, Texas native.

Coming Home🐸 #committed pic.twitter.com/He2OewdMe2

— NaNa Osafo-Mensah (@NaNaOsafo2) December 8, 2023

Osafo-Mensah played in 39 career games at Notre Dame with 37 appearances coming across the last three seasons. He has five career sacks and nine tackles for loss.

Osafo-Mensah played high school football at Nolan Catholic (Texas) High School where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 245 overall recruit in the 2019 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Osafo-Mensah will drop in on a defense for TCU that struggled in 2023. He will also join the Horned Frogs as they head into a new-look Big 12 in 2024.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.