http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/77...PT-nd01.article <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Charlie Weis continues to attract college football's top talent. The Notre Dame coach's latest blue-chip addition is not a five-star recruit but veteran coach Jon Tenuta, widely considered one of the top defensive minds in college football. Weis announced Thursday that Tenuta, the former defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, will replace Bill Lewis, who served as Weis' assistant head coach/defense the last three seasons. Lewis, who will undergo multiple hip-replacement surgeries expected to require a four-month recovery, will join the university's athletics community relations staff. ''I'm excited Bill will remain a member of the Notre Dame family, and I'm ecstatic that we could offer Jon the position,'' Weis said in a statement. ''Jon's track record speaks for itself. He is a coach with an immense amount of defensive knowledge and will undoubtedly help our program.'' Tenuta will work with defensive coordinator Corwin Brown, a Weis favorite who was hired before last season. Brown, a Chicago native, has played a key role in helping Weis assemble what is considered to be one of the nation's top recruiting classes. ''Corwin and I talked to a few candidates and agreed that Jon was the best person for the job,'' Weis said. ''Corwin and Jon had numerous conversations on how they would work together, and they both agreed this would be a great fit.'' Tenuta's aggressive scheme helped the Yellow Jackets finish 20th in the nation in yards allowed and first in sacks last season. The 27-year coaching veteran left Georgia Tech when head coach Chan Gailey was fired after the season. Lewis, the head coach at Georgia Tech from 1992 to '94, was one of the original assistants hired by Weis in 2005. ''I want to make it abundantly clear that this was my decision,'' Lewis said in the same statement.</div> Why does one of the best defensive coordinators in college football take a lesser position at Notre Dame? Huge pickup for the Irish though.
Good get for Notre Dame I was afraid Tenuta was going to end up at LSU, that would have just been unfair. Glad he's off Georgia's schedule for now.
