EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Mel Tucker is bolstering his defensive staff for the 2023 season adding veteran coach Diron Reynolds. Reynolds has 25 years of coaching experience at the NLF and Power 5 programs.

“I’ve known Diron Reynolds for more than 15 years – he’s one of the best coaches in the business. He has an impressive pedigree having worked for some of the top coaches in all of football, including Tony Dungy, Leslie Frazier, David Shaw, and Jim Caldwell, and has coached in both the Super Bowl and College Football Playoff,” said Tucker. “He has also developed players at the highest level, from mentoring future NFL Draft picks to working daily with Pro Bowlers in the NFL. Diron is a family man with great character who will be relentless in leading and motivating our players on and off the field. I’m thrilled about this hire and can’t wait to start working with him.”

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Reynolds has been at Stanford the past seven seasons as the defensive line coach. He coached four NLF Draft picks on the defensive line including Solomon Thomas who was drafted No. 3 overall in 2017 by the San Francisco 49ers. Along with that, Thomas as the Pac-12’s Morris Trophy winner as the top lineman and was All-America by three different outlets. Reynolds also coached Harrison Phillips who was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and Casey Toohill whoe was taken in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

In 2015, Reynolds coached at Oklahoma for one season as the Sooners won the Big 12 Championship and played in the College Football Playoffs. That season he coached Charles Tapper who was Big 12 All-First Team and a drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft in the fourth round.

Reynolds also made coaching stops in the NFL at the Colts, Dolphins, and Vikings.