LSU's Kelly promoted Jancek to special teams cooridantor

Updated Feb. 28, 2023 6:40 p.m. ET

Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU coach Brian Kelly is promoting senior defensive analyst John Jancek to special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach.

“John is a veteran SEC coordinator who possesses a great deal of knowledge as it relates to the scheme we teach,” Kelly said Tuesday, alluding to Jancek’s previous stints as a defensive coordinator at Georgia and Tennessee. “He’s earned this opportunity.”

Jancek fills the spot vacated by Brian Polian, who is remaining at LSU in a managerial role overseeing the roster and monitoring the transfer portal.

LSU was plagued early last season by a handful of special teams failures, from a critical blocked extra point kick in a season-opening, one-point loss, to several fumbled punt or kick returns.

During three decades of coaching at the college level, Jancek also has been part of Kelly’s staffs at Grand Valley State and Central Michigan.

Jancek said he loves Kelly's “vision and the way he leads the program.”

In addition to Georgia and Tennessee, Jancek's coaching career also included stints at Kentucky, Cincinnati, South Florida and Colorado State.

Before reuniting with Kelly in 2022, Jancek was a defensive quality control assistant at Georgia, where he was part of the 2021 national title team.

Jancek grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. He played defensive line at Grand Valley State from 1986-1990.

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