By Mike Gilpatrick–

Bobby Petrino found a replacement for football’s defensive coordinator position: Mississippi State’s Peter Sirmon.

Before coaching, Sirmon played at Oregon and seven seasons for the Tennessee Titans. Sirmon was the associate head coach, linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator for Southern California from 2014-2015. A well-known recruiter, Sirmon helped USC gain the top recruiting classes in both seasons.

In his first season as defensive coordinator, MSU had the 110th overall defense in 2016 and ranked 97th in points per game, allowing 33.1 points a contest.

Former football’s defensive coordinator Todd Grantham bolted Louisville for the same position at Mississippi State.

The University of Louisville is expected to make a statement once Sirmon’s contract is finalized.

Photo by Nancy Hanner / The Louisville Cardinal