LAKE CHARLES – New McNeese head coach Lance Guidry has completed his coaching staff with the hiring of Tommy Restivo as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator.
 
Restivo (RES-T-VO) comes to McNeese after spending the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach at South Carolina State where in 2015, his unit ranked No. 3 in the FCS in passing defense, 4^th in scoring, 6^th in total and 25^th in rushing.
 
In comparison to the Cowboys' stellar DWA last year, McNeese finished third in scoring, 4^th in rushing, 11^th in total and 60^th in passing.
 
"It's very exciting to have someone that has the knowledge and skills like Tommy to join our staff," said Guidry. "If you want to get better you have to hire somebody who has been around the best. Tommy has been around some of the greatest minds in college football from Charlie Strong (Florida/Louisville) to Urban Meyer (Florida) and Vance Bedford (Louisville)."
 
In addition to the team rankings listed above, Restivo headed up a squad that led the nation in sacks, tackles for a loss, pass efficiency defense and 3^rd-down defense.
 
In 2014, the Bulldogs was ranked in the top ten nationally in the FCS in several categories including sacks (44/2nd), tackles for loss (8.9 per game) and pass efficiency defense.
 
A key player for the powerful defense this past season was NFL prospect Javon Hargrave who ranked third in the FCS with 13.5 sacks and fifth with 22 tackles for a loss. The defensive tackle was a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned numerous all-American honors.
 
Prior to joining SC State, Restivo spent four seasons (2010-2013) at the University of Louisville under current University of Texas head coach Charlie Strong. In his first two years with the program, Restivo was a quality control coach on the defensive staff, working with the linebackers and defensive line. In 2012, he was promoted to secondary coach, where he guided three All-BIG EAST players in cornerback Adrian Bushell and safeties Calvin Pryor and Hakeem Smith. Pryor was a 2014 first-round draft pick of the New York Jets, while Smith signed as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans in May 2014.
 
Restivo spent a total of six seasons working for Strong at the University of Florida and Louisville. At Florida, Restivo served as the defensive quality control assistant in 2008 and 2009 and coached on the team that won the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship in 2009 under head coach Urban Meyer. When Strong was hired as Louisville head coach a year later, he took Restivo along to serve in the same capacity on the defensive staff.
 
Restivo has extensive postseason coaching experience having coached in five bowl games in addition to the 2009 national title game. Restivo was also on the sidelines for the 2010 and 2013 Sugar Bowl, 2010 Beef 'O Brady's Bowl, the 2011 Belk Bowl and the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl.
 
"Tommy is an up-and-coming star in the profession," said Guidry. "He's helped develop some great athletes who have gone on to the next level and he's a winner."
 
A native of Toledo, Ohio, Restivo was a defensive graduate assistant at Marshall in 2007-08 and graduated from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. in 2006 with a degree in kinesiology, where he also lettered as a linebacker.
 
What They're Saying About Tommy Restivo:
 
Vance Bedford, Defensive Coordinator, University of Texas (with Restivo at Louisville)
 
"I have worked with Coach Restivo for seven years. He has coached linebackers, defensive line and defensive backs. He understands the entire defense and how each group works together. Tommy is innovative, he studies the new ideas that are out there and finds a way to incorporate it to fit his players. He is a family man and a friend. There's no doubt he has what it takes to be a head coach one day and that he'll do extremely well at McNeese."
 
Clint Hurtt, Outside Linebackers Coach, Chicago Bears (with Restivo at Louisville)
 
"Tommy is an excellent teacher in the meeting room and on the field. He can coach at all three levels of the defense – defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs. Very few coaches can do that. He was a key component to us leading the NCAA in several categories while at Louisville. He's a hard-nosed, disciplined coach that demands the best from his players and most importantly, gets results."