BOWLING GREEN — The shuffling of the Bowling Green State University football staff has continued to evolve in the offseason.

On the heels of an 0-5 campaign last season, Falcons head coach Scot Loeffler has altered his staff on both sides of the ball.

In January, the program announced that offensive coordinator Terry Malone would take over play-calling duties from Loeffler.

On Wednesday, BG shook up the defensive staff.

Current Falcons cornerbacks coach Eric Lewis was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Former BGSU assistant Bob Ligashesky is being brought back into the fold as a special teams coordinator and safeties coach.

Former University of Michigan standout Cato June will be hired as BG's outside linebackers coach and the Falcons' run game coordinator.

A native of East Lansing, Mich., Lewis has more than a decade of collegiate and NFL coaching experience. Lewis joined Loeffler's staff as a cornerbacks coach in February of 2020 following a stint coaching the defensive backs at Boston College.

Lewis was the defensive coordinator at Eastern Michigan in 2009, when the Eagles allowed just 150.1 yards per game passing — the fewest yards allowed in the nation.

Lewis then was the defensive coordinator at Weber State from 2012 to 2013.

The Falcons defense gave up 45 points per game last season, the second most in all of college football (225 points in five games). The 2020 team also finished last in the nation in average turnover margin at minus-2.00. The Falcons had 11 turnovers (four fumbles and seven interceptions) and forced just one turnover (one fumble recovery) for a minus-10 margin overall.

Lewis will replace former BG defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, who has retired from college football.

VanGorder was a member of Loeffler's initial staff in 2019. VanGorder had been a defensive coordinator at four Power Five schools and was the head coach at both Georgia Southern (2006) and Wayne State (1992-94). VanGorder is now an assistant coach at Gulf Shores High School in Alabama.

Ligashesky, who was the special teams coordinator at Illinois for the last five seasons, was previously an assistant coach at BG from 1991 to 1999. Ligashesky also coached the tight ends at Illinois in 2016 and 2017. Ligashesky also has NFL experience, having served as the special teams coordinator for the Houston Texans. He also was on the coaching staffs in Tampa Bay, Denver, Oakland, and Pittsburgh. Ligashesky was the linebackers coach at BG in the 1990s.

June, who played at Michigan from 1998 to 2002, was a sixth-round pick in the 2003 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He played in 89 NFL games with stints with the Colts (2003-06), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2007-08), and Chicago Bears (2009).

June entered the coaching ranks in 2011 when he joined the staff at his alma mater, Anacostia High School in Washington D.C. June then spent four seasons at Howard University where he held various positions and was the program's recruiting coordinator. He then joined the staff at U-Mass, where he coached the outside linebackers last season.

Bowling Green opens at Tennessee on Sept. 4.

First Published March 24, 2021, 7:31 p.m.