BOWLING GREEN — Carl Pelini has resigned as Bowling Green’s defensive coordinator, the school announced Saturday.
Pelini, who spent one year at Bowling Green and became the program’s interim coach after BG fired Mike Jinks, is leaving for an undisclosed job opportunity, the school said.
Before Bowling Green, Pelini worked alongside his brother, Bo, who is the head coach at Youngstown State.
The Falcons went 2-3 during Pelini’s tenure as interim coach, after which several players vouched publicly for him to earn the full-time position. BG interviewed Pelini for head coach but ultimately hired Boston College offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler.
Pelini initially became part of Loeffler’s staff as the defensive coordinator, but this week decided to go elsewhere.
The Falcons did not immediately name a new defensive coordinator, but they have another longtime defensive coach already on staff. Loeffler hired Brian VanGorder to coach linebackers and be the associate head coach. VanGorder previously has been a defensive coordinator at Louisville, Notre Dame, and Georgia, in addition to a one-year stay at Auburn when Loeffler was the offensive coordinator.
VanGorder also spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
First Published January 19, 2019, 5:12 p.m.
