La Tech taps Dameron to lead defense
By: Lance Snow
Updated: February 19, 2013
Courtesy Louisiana Tech:
RUSTON, La. (Feb. 19, 2013) - First year Louisiana Tech head football coach Skip Holtz taps Kim Dameron as the team's defensive coordinator.
RUSTON, La. (Feb. 19, 2013) - First year Louisiana Tech head football coach Skip Holtz taps Kim Dameron as the team's defensive coordinator.
Dameron, joins the Louisiana Tech Family after spending two years at Cornell,
serving as safeties coach in 2011 and defensive coordinator during the
2012 campaign.
"Kim
Dameron brings a lot of experience with 14 years as a defensive
coordinator," Holtz said. "On a personal level, I
have known him for a long time as he played and began his coaching
career under my father at Arkansas. From a recruiting standpoint, he
brings great ties to the area to our program and I am excited to have
him on our staff."
He joined the Cornell staff in the spring of 2011 and had previously worked with Big Red head coach Kent Austin for two
seasons at Ole Miss.
"My
wife and I are extremely excited to come back to North Louisiana and
the Ark-La-Tex area," Dameron said.
"I have known about Louisiana Tech for years and its reputation
nationally, along with the school joining Conference USA with a new head
coach in Skip Holtz, makes this a very exciting opportunity. I have had
a smile on my face since the first day I got here
and I don't expect that smile to come off my face anytime soon."
Dameron
spent three seasons with Ole Miss as safeties coach and saw two of his
charges drafted by the NFL. In 2009, his
pass defense unit ranked 11th in the NCAA in pass efficiency defense and
15th in pass defense. In the season prior to his arrival, the Rebels
ranked 12th in the SEC in total defense and 11th in scoring defense,
marks that jumped to fifth-best after his first
season.
Prior
to his arrival at Ole Miss, Dameron had served three seasons as
defensive coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe. During
his time there, ULM became bowl eligible for the first time in 2007 and
won at Alabama. His 2006 squad allowed the fewest points in the Sun Belt
and ranked third nationally in turnovers gained and ninth in
interceptions.
Dameron
had previous stops as defensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin and
Eastern Illinois for nationally ranked Football
Championship Subdivision programs, as well as at Cincinnati for a Bowl
Championship Subdivision bowl team in 1997. Like Austin, Dameron spent
time in the Canadian Football League as the secondary coach for the
Toronto Argonauts in 1999. That squad ranked first
nationally in the CFL in total defense, scoring defense and passing
defense. It was second in rushing defense.
Dameron
began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Lou Holtz at
his alma mater, Arkansas, after earning his
degree. Dameron was a four-year player for Lou Holtz from 1979-82 at
defensive back and wide receiver. As a Razorback, he participated in
four bowl games, including the 1979 Sugar Bowl, and was named Southwest
Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his
performance against Texas A&M in 1979.
He
then continued his coaching career at Missouri State, managing the
defensive secondary and special teams from 1986-91.
The Bears were the 1989 and 1990 Gateway Conference champions. The 1989
squad was an NCAA quarterfinalist, while the 1990 squad advanced to the
NCAA first round of the I-AA playoffs.
After
spending 1992 as the defensive secondary coach at UNLV alongside
Louisiana Tech defensive line coach Stan Eggen,
Dameron served as the defensive coordinator at Murray State from
1993-95. The Racers won the 1995 Ohio Valley Conference championship.
That year MSU was nationally ranked third in total defense, second in
pass efficiency defense, 10th in rushing defense, and
sixth in scoring defense. He coached first team All-American defensive
back William Hampton.
Dameron
moved on to Cincinnati in 1996 to take a position as the defensive
secondary coach. The 1996 squad ranked 13th
nationally in total defense and 14th in pass efficiency defense. In
1997, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. The Bearcats won the
1997 Humanitarian Bowl, defeating Utah State. That season the defense
was ranked fifth nationally in rushing defense and
33rd in total defense. In 1998, he added special teams and academic
liaison duties. Four former Bearcats under Dameron's tutelage went on to
the NFL.
Dameron and his wife, Debbie, have one daughter, Krystie.
