Mike Cassity Named Defensive Coordinator
February 24, 2004 | Football
Feb. 24, 2004
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Mike Cassity has been named defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville, replacing Mike Gillhamer, who has been named a defensive assistant in the secondary for the Carolina Panthers in the National Football League, announced head coach Bobby Petrino.
Cassity, a former defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Illinois, has spent 19 years as a defensive coordinator and has 28 years of total coaching experience. He was hired in December to assist in the secondary after serving the last three seasons with the Fighting Illini, but now takes over a defense that returns eight starters. He will also coach the safeties this season.
An experienced defensive mind, Cassity has spent his entire career on the defensive side of the football. He turned around a struggling Illinois defense into one of the top units in the Big Ten. Before Cassity's arrival, Illinois ranked 11th in the Big Ten versus the run and allowed 232.5 yards per game on the ground. In 2001, Cassity's troops ranked fourth in the Big Ten in rush defense and allowed 147.0 yards per game, an improvement of 85.5 yards a contest.
Cassity came to Illinois from Oklahoma State where he served as defensive coordinator for the Cowboys for two seasons. Cassity's defense held opponents to only 126.0 rushing yards per game in 2000, and he guided a defense that was ranked ninth in total defense in 1999.
After a two-year stint at OSU, Cassity, served two seasons as the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary at Baylor. He coached the secondary at Wisconsin in 1995-96, leading the Badgers to a Copper Bowl title in 1996. He has been a defensive coordinator at Cincinnati (1994), Georgia Tech (1992-93), East Carolina (1990-91), Northeast Louisiana (1989) and Western Kentucky (1983-88).
"We're fortunate to have someone with Mike's knowledge on the defensive side of the football," said Petrino. "Mike brings 19 years of experience as a defensive coordinator to the table. I have all the confidence that Mike will bring an attacking, disciplined unit to the field in 2004."
Gillhamer leaves Louisville after one season, helping the Cardinals to a 9-4 record and a berth in the GMAC Bowl. Inheriting a unit that lost seven starters to graduation and the NFL, Gillhamer directed a young defense which had only four returning starters and relied mainly on red-shirt and true freshmen. The defense, which had its ups-and-downs limited Kentucky to just 344 yards of total offense in a 40-24 season-opening win over the Wildcats, and also held opponents to 14 points or less in three games last season.
"I knew when I hired Mike that the possibility would always be there for him to return to the NFL," said Petrino. "I thought Mike did a great job teaching and working with the defense. I thought we played well early in the season, but it was a young group on that side of the ball. Mike will do a great job in the NFL and I wish him nothing but the best."
"I had a great experience here," said Gillhamer. "I appreciate the opportunity that Bobby Petrino gave me to be the defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville. We started something really positive here with the young players that we have. I'm going to miss Bobby, the staff and the players. My goal has always been to get back into the NFL, and I have a great opportunity with John Fox, who I coached with when I was with the New York Giants."
Petrino also announced that football operations director Tony Levine will return to the field to coach the linebackers. Levine coached the running backs during bowl preparations before returning to his role as the operations director.
