Pelini to be LSU's DC, Dunbar says yes to Miles

The word seems to be out on the street – but Les Miles isn’t talking yet.

After a month-plus of waiting, LSU fans can rest easy as it appears Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Bo Pelini will be the Tigers’ next defensive coordinator.

ESPN.com, among other news services, had the story this morning, however, there is official word from LSU or Miles. An announcement is expected before the end of the week.

Pelini served as the interim coach at Nebraska after Frank Solich was fired two seasons ago. A protege of Pete Carroll, the current coach at Southern California and former coach of the New England Patriots, Pelini was an assistant in the NFL for nine years, coaching on the staffs of the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers.

Pelini re-entered the college ranks with the Cornhuskers as their defensive coordinator. A graduate of Ohio State, where he played for John Cooper, Pelini’s name has surfaced for several head coaching positions including those at Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

In his only season at Norman, Pelini shared the role of defensive coordinator with assistant head coach Brent Venables. Pelini specialized in the secondary where the Sooners defense struggled finishing fifth in the Big XII and 48^th nationally giving up 204.38 yards per game.

As a whole, though, the Oklahoma defense led the conference and finished 13^th in the country in total defense allowing 299 yards per game. The Sooners rushing defense was the best in the league (94.6 ypg) and giving up just 16.8 points each contest was good enough for first place in the conference and 11^th in America.

DUNBAR FOLLOWS MILES TO LSU

It is also being reported by chicagobears.com that former LSU All-SEC defensive lineman Karl Dunbar will leave the Bears’ staff and return home to Baton Rouge to coach defensive line on Miles’ staff.

Dunbar, who played at LSU from 1986-89 and served as the school's assistant strength and conditioning coordinator from 2000-02, has been hired as an assistant head coach and defensive line coach by first-year head coach Les Miles.

Dunbar coached defensive linemen on Miles' staff at Oklahoma State for two seasons before accepting his first NFL job with the Bears.

"I've told (Miles) 'no' three times already, but I guess he's just like the Godfather," Dunbar said. "He made me an offer I couldn't refuse to go back home. It took care of my family and that was the foundation of it all."

A native of Plaisance, La., Dunbar began his coaching career as the defensive line coach at Opelousas (La.) High School in 1996 before serving as defensive coordinator at Beau Chene High School in Arnaudville, La., in 1997.

Dunbar then spent two seasons as defensive line coach at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., before returning to his alma mater in 2000.

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Information was gathered from ESPN.com, soonersports.com and Chicagobears.com.