Lou Spanos, with 21 years of NFL coaching experience, joined the LSU staff in January and serves as the assistant defensive line coach and pass rush specialist for the Tigers. Spanos arrived at LSU after three years as a defensive analyst at Ole Miss.
In a coaching career that spans over 30 years, Spanos spent 21 seasons in the NFL, 15 with the Steelers (1995-2009), two with the Commanders (2010-11) and four with the Titans (2014-17).
His college coaching career includes stops at UCLA, Connecticut, Alabama and Ole Miss. He served as defensive coordinator at UCLA for two years and spent the final 10 games of the 2021 season as interim head coach at Connecticut.
During his three years on Lane Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss, the Rebels went a combined 34-7 and were ranked in the Top 10 in the final AP poll in both 2025 (No. 3) and 2023 (No. 9). In 2025, Ole Miss had the best season in program history, posting a 13-2 mark and reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs. The Rebels, which went 10-3 in 2024, finished that year ranked No. 11 and Ole Miss went 11-2 in 2023 with a win over Penn State in the Peach Bowl to cap the season.
Prior to joining Ole Miss, Spanos spent three seasons (2019-21) at Connecticut where he served as defensive coordinator before being elevated to interim head coach for the final 10 games of the 2021 season.
In 2018, Spanos served as analyst on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. The Crimson Tide won its first 14 games that year before falling to Clemson in the CFP National Championship Game.
From 2014-17, Spanos coached linebackers for the Tennessee Titans, helping the franchise to back-to-back 9-7 records in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, the Titans reached the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs after a win over the Chiefs in the Wild Card Round. In addition, the Titans linebackers combined to have the second-highest number of sacks in the NFL over the 2016-17 seasons.
Individually, outside linebacker Brian Orakpo earned a spot in the Pro Bowl following the 2016 season, while Derrick Morgan, also an outside linebacker, had one of the best years of his career with 56 quarterback pressures and a career-best 9.0 sacks to rank No. 9 in the AFC.
Prior to his time with the Titans, Spanos was the defensive coordinator on Jim Mora's staff at UCLA for two years (2012-13). In 2013, the Bruins allowed 23.2 points per game while UCLA totaled 79 sacks and 58 forced turnovers over Spanos' two seasons.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks led the Pac-12 Conference and ranked No. 11 in the nation in tackle per game with 10.6 and his 150 total tackles in 2013 were the most by a Bruin since 1978.
Myles Jack earned Freshman All-American honors as well as being named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2013.
The Bruins finished the 2013 season ranked No. 17 and defeated Virginia Tech, 42-12, in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve.
In 2012, Spanos' Bruin defense ranked among the nation's best in sacks and was headlined by All-America linebacker Anthony Barr, who tallied 21.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks along with defensive end Datone Jones (6.5 sacks, 19.0 tackles for loss). Jones went on to be selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The team finished the season eighth in the nation in sacks, while Barr also ranked eighth in the country in sack average and second in total sacks.
The 2012 squad finished 9-5 overall and won the Pac-12 South Division. The Bruins dropped a 27-24 decision to No. 8 Stanford in the league championship game and competed in the Holiday Bowl.
In the 2010-11 seasons, Spanos served as the linebackers coach of the Washington Redskins. London Fletcher, who played in the 2011 Pro Bowl, led the NFL in tackles with 166 in 2011 and was added to the 2012 Pro Bowl.
After one year as a student assistant at Tulsa, Spanos got his start in coaching in 1994 as an intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After one season as an intern, he was elevated to defensive assistant, a position he held for 15 years with the franchise. His focus with the Pittsburgh defense was with the linebackers and secondary.
In 15 seasons with the Steelers, Spanos was part of three Super Bowl teams, which included wins over Seattle in Super Bowl XL and Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers, which one at least 10 games 10 times over the 15-year span, ranked among the top 10 in the NFL In defense 13 times, leading the league on four occasions.
Spanos coached nine different Steeler linebackers who combined for 19 Pro Bowl appearances - Kevin Greene (2), Greg Lloyd (2), Chad Brown (1), Levon Kirkland (2), Jason Gildon (3), Kendrell Bell (1), Joey Porter (3), James Farrior (2) and James Harrison (3). Additionally, Harrison earned the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2008, while Bell was the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2001. Spanos originally joined the Steelers in 1994 as an intern in the scouting department before being promoted to a defensive assistant after one season.
A 1994 graduate of Tulsa, Spanos was a four-year letterman at center for the Golden Hurricane.
The 1989 and 1991 Golden Hurricane squads played in bowl games. In 1991, Tulsa beat San Diego State in the Freedom Bowl to finish 10-2 on the year and was ranked 21st on the final Associated Press poll. After his playing career ended (1989-92), Spanos remained at Tulsa as a student assistant working with the linebackers.
Spanos and his wife Timme, have two sons, Zachary and Caleb and a daughter, Gabriella.
The Lou Spanos File
Year at LSU (in 2026-27): First
Birthdate: March 27, 1971
Hometown: Dormont, Pa.
College: Tulsa (1994)
Wife: Timme
Children: Zachary, Caleb, Gabriella
Coaching Experience
1993-94 Tulsa (student assistant)
1995-2009 Pittsburg Steelers (assistant linebackers/defensive quality control)
2010-2011 Washington Redskins (linebackers)
2012-2013 UCLA (defensive coordinator)
2014-2017 Tennessee Titans (linebackers)
2018 Alabama (analyst)
2019-2021 Connecticut (defensive coordinator, 2019-21; interim head coach, 2021)
2023-25 Ole Miss (defensive analyst)
2026 LSU (assistant defensive line/pass rush specialist)