Matt Guerrieri Named IU's Co-Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach

 

February 17, 2023

IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head football coach Tom Allen announced the hiring of Matt Guerrieri (gurr-AIR-ee) as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach on Friday afternoon.

“Matt fits in perfectly with our culture and aligns with our goals schematically,” Allen said. “He is innovative, energetic, and a tremendous family man. We welcome Matt, his wife, Alex, and their son, James, to IU!” 

Guerrieri spent 2012-21 at Duke, including four years as defensive coordinator, and joined the Ohio State staff in 2022.

“I am excited for the opportunity to join Coach Allen and his staff at IU,” Guerrieri said. “Coach Allen is a great coach and I look forward to working with him. My family and I can’t wait to get to Bloomington!”

Guerrieri has been a part of a College Football Playoff semifinalist, seven bowl teams, two 10-plus win teams, and five eight-plus win teams during his coaching career.

He served as a senior advisor and analyst with the Buckeyes before being named defensive coordinator at Tulsa on Jan. 6, 2023.

With the Blue Devils, Guerrieri was co-defensive coordinator from 2018-21 and safeties coach from 2015-21. He worked as a graduate assistant his first three campaigns.

Guerrieri was one of three finalists for the 2020 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year, a nominee for the 2018 Broyles Award, and one of 247Sports Top 30 Coaches Under 30 in 2018 and 2019.

He mentored All-American Jeremy Cash and five additional all-conference honorees. The 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Cash also was a finalist for both the Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player in the nation) and the Thorpe Award (top defensive back in the nation).

Guerrieri’s 2019 secondary propelled Duke to third in the ACC in pass defense, allowing just 199.0 yards per game, and a top-five finish in pass defense efficiency (123.8). 

The 2017 Blue Devils ranked among the conference leaders in opponent pass completion percentage (2nd), scoring defense (3rd), passing defense (3rd), and total defense (4th). They yielded 25-or-fewer points in 11-of-13 contests.

Duke surrendered 20.23 points per game, the program’s lowest total since 1977.

Guerrieri took part in the inaugural AFCA 30 Under 30 Coaches Leadership Institute in 2015.

Before joining the Blue Devils, Guerrieri spent 2011 as a defensive graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he helped coach the secondary and the outside linebackers.

A three-year letterman at Davidson College, Guerrieri started at safety for the Wildcats. He was a senior captain and a three-time All-Pioneer Football League Honor Roll selection.

Guerrieri graduated from Davidson in 2011 with a degree in sociology. He earned his master’s degree in Christian studies from Duke in 2014.

Matt is married to the former Alex Thompson and the couple has one son, James.