DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — Miami University's football team has a new associate head coach and a new defensive coordinator.

Miami head coach Shane Mongtomery announced on Thursday a series of changes to his staff, spurred by the departure of Taver Johnson, who has accepted the position of assistant coaches in charge of cornerbacks at for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Johnson, who had spent the last two seasons as Miami's associate head coach and defensive coordinator, originally had left Miami after accepting a job with the NFL's Oakland Raiders as defensive line coach.

Jay Hood is the RedHawks' new defensive coordinator, and DeAndre Smith has been promoted to associate head coach.

Hood, the former head coach at Mesa State College from 1994-97, was Miami's defensive line coach the last two years. He is a 1986 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan.

"I feel good about promoting Jay," Montgomery said. "He brings a tremendous amout of experience. He's very organized and he's been around a lot of different systems."

Hood takes over a defense than led the Mid-American Conference in pass defense and was sixth in total defense last season under Johnson.

Montgomery called Johnson "a young, talented football coach with a lot of energy who brought a lot of expertise to our staff ... It was a good opportunity for him."

Smith, a 1992 graduate of Missouri State, has served the past two seasons as Miami's running backs coach and run game coordinator. He will continue to coach the running backs.

"DeAndre has been a tremendous asset to our staff," Mongtomery said.

Third-year offensive line coach Matt Hohman, a 1995 gradauate of Miami, becomes the new running game coordinator.

Former special teams coordinator and defensive assistant Rusty Wright will replace Hood as Miami's defensine line coach. Wright, who is starting his third season at Miami, is a 1996 graduate of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

Miami's new defensive ends coach is Jimmy Lindsey, who comes to Oxford after four years as assistant coach at Gardner-Webb University. He also will serve as co-special teams coordinator along with linebackers coach Craig Aukerman.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.