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It didn’t take LSU coach Les Miles long to find his new defensive backs coach.
Just days after losing former coach Ron Cooper to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miles hired Nebraska secondary coach Corey Raymond to fill the same position in Baton Rouge.
The move serves as a homecoming for the new Tigers’ assistant as Raymond is a New Iberia native and former LSU standout at cornerback, where he played from 1988-91.
“We are happy to bring Corey back to his alma mater, a place where he was a great college player,” Miles said in a release issued by LSU.
Raymond’s return to LSU caps what has been a quick ascent in the coaching ranks for the New Iberia High School graduate.
Following his 185-tackle and eight-interception career in Baton Rouge, Raymond spent six seasons in the NFL – splitting three seasons each with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions.
In his NFL, Raymond posted 258 career tackles, 11 interceptions and 60 total starts.
Raymond started his coaching career in the high school ranks, serving as defensive coordinator at New Iberia in 2003 before taking over Westgate’s defense from 2004-05.
From there, the former LSU standout returned to Baton Rouge and got started on the collegiate level.
Raymond was an intern in the LSU football department in 2006, before serving as an assistant strength coach with the team from 2007-08, where he worked with then-LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini.
During the 2006-08 seasons, the Tigers had a combined 30-9 record, including 2007’s 12-2 SEC and National Championship season.
LSU’s defense ranked No. 3 in the country in two of Raymond’s three seasons in Baton Rouge.
Following his first stint with the Tigers, Raymond joined Utah State as cornerback’s coach.
During his time with the Aggies, Raymond coached All-WAC performer Curtis Marsh, who ended up being a third-round pick in the NFL Draft.
After a two-year stint with Utah State, Raymond reunited with Pelini and served as Nebraska’s secondary coach in 2011.
With the Cornhuskers, the former LSU defensive back did arguably his best coaching job.
Despite having lost all four secondary players to graduation in 2010 – including three players who were drafted to the NFL – the Cornhuskers ranked No. 18 in the nation in pass defense in 2011.
That success was thanks in large part to the play of 2011 Big 10 Defensive Back of the Year, Alfonzo Dennard, whom Raymond groomed in his one year stint with the team.
Miles said the coach’s ability to maximize players’ potential is what led to his hire at LSU.
With the Tigers, Raymond will be coaching a talented group that includes Heisman Trophy finalist and 2011 Defensive Player of the Year Tyrann Mathieu.
“I feel like Corey is exactly what our secondary needed,” Miles said. “He has proven expertise in teaching defensive backs and he will also do a great job mentoring our players. I think he’s a perfect fit for our program.”
