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Published Jan 21, 2023

Defensive coordinator Robb Smith leaves Duke

Conor O'Neill • DevilsIllustrated

Publisher

@ConorONeill_DI

Defensive coordinator Robb Smith has left Duke because of personal reasons, a source close to the program told Devils Illustrated.

Smith came to Duke under coach Mike Elko after spending the previous two seasons at Rutgers. Before that, Smith was a defensive analyst at Texas A&M, working on the same staff as Elko (who was defensive coordinator).

"Robb and I have talked about him wanting to get back home closer to his family in Minnesota," Elko said through a statement. "In the end, this was just the right time for him. We appreciate Robb's commitment to our program over the past season and wish him the best moving forward."

A source indicated that Tyler Santucci has been targeted as Smith’s replacement at Duke. That’d be another Texas A&M connection, as Santucci joined Eko’s defensive staff in Jan. 2020 as linebackers coach and added the title of co-defensive coordinator after Elko came to Duke. Santucci, who’s 34, also worked with Elko at Wake Forest (2014-15) and Notre Dame (2017).

Smith, 47, has also coached at Minnesota, Arkansas, Maine and Iowa, along with a year in the professional ranks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a previous stop at Rutgers.

He is the first full-time staff member to depart Elko’s staff. In addition to being Duke’s defensive coordinator, Smith was the linebackers coach.

The departure is not the result of legal action.

Duke’s turnaround from three-win season in David Cutcliffe’s final season to nine wins this past season wasn’t possible without defensive improvements under Smith.

In one season at Duke, the Blue Devils went from allowing 517.6 yards per game in 2021 (the most in FBS) to allowing 378.2 this past season (67th).

Duke forced 26 turnovers this past season, half of the equation for the Blue Devils to hold the second-best turnover margin (plus-16) in the country.

Among the other notable areas of turnaround (there are many) for Duke’s defense, the Blue Devils went from allowing 205.8 rushing yards per game in 2021 (116th nationally) to allowing 120.9 this past season (25th).