Things are always fluid, of course, but provided nothing changes, one of the hallmarks of this offseason might be that Rod Carey was able to hold on to his defensive line coach, Walter Stewart.
Stewart, a former team captain and defensive lineman under Butch Jones at Cincinnati, was courted by his alma mater. According to several sources with knowledge of the situation, Stewart was offered the Bearcats' defensive line coach job after a big push from Luke Fickell but turned it down. Stewart, according to two other sources, also interviewed for Penn State's defensive line coaching spot before James Franklin hired John Scott Jr.
With Stewart on Carey's staff as his defensive line coach in 2018, Northern Illinois finished second nationally to Clemson with 50 sacks. He also worked with All-American Sutton Smith, the MAC's player of the year and defensive player of the year. And of course this past season, he coached AAC Defensive Player of the Year Quincy Roche and helped oversee career-best seasons from Ifeanyi Maijeh, Dana Levine and even DeAndre Kelly, who had fallen out of favor with Geoff Collins' staff.
Stewart, a former team captain and defensive lineman under Butch Jones at Cincinnati, was courted by his alma mater. According to several sources with knowledge of the situation, Stewart was offered the Bearcats' defensive line coach job after a big push from Luke Fickell but turned it down. Stewart, according to two other sources, also interviewed for Penn State's defensive line coaching spot before James Franklin hired John Scott Jr.
With Stewart on Carey's staff as his defensive line coach in 2018, Northern Illinois finished second nationally to Clemson with 50 sacks. He also worked with All-American Sutton Smith, the MAC's player of the year and defensive player of the year. And of course this past season, he coached AAC Defensive Player of the Year Quincy Roche and helped oversee career-best seasons from Ifeanyi Maijeh, Dana Levine and even DeAndre Kelly, who had fallen out of favor with Geoff Collins' staff.
