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Syracuse assistant head coach Justin Lustig is joining Vanderbilt as the special teams coordinator, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported. Lustig joined head coach Dino Babers’ staff in 2017 to coach special teams and running backs before Babers promoted him in February 2019 to assistant head coach. 

Newly hired Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea is assembling his staff while also preparing Notre Dame — where he’s the defensive coordinator — for its College Football Playoff Semifinal game against Alabama on Friday. Before Lea’s position at Notre Dame, he was Syracuse’s linebackers coach for three years under Scott Shafer. 

Lustig was the head coach at Edinboro University for one season in 2016 before stepping down in March of 2017 and coming to Syracuse. In addition to his special teams duties at SU, he coached running backs during his first season before moving on to coach outside receivers, which he’s done for the past three seasons. Thamel’s report did not indicate whether Lustig will hold the position of receivers coach at Vanderbilt. 

Under his direction, Syracuse has been among the nation’s leaders in special teams efficiency, finishing fifth this past season in ESPN’s rankings and sixth in 2018. Lustig also helped coach 2018 Lou Groza Award Winner Andre Szmyt, as well as current Atlanta Falcons punter Sterling Hofrichter. Lustig was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee, given to the country’s top assistant coach.

Published on December 31, 2020 at 12:56 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_