The Blue Devils’ coaching staff will have a different look next year.
Defensive coordinator Marion Hobby has left the school to take an assistant’s job at Clemson, a school he previously coached for in 2005.
Hobby had been the defensive coordinator at Duke since January of 2008.
“We hate to see Marion leave, but certainly wish him well in his return to Clemson,” head coach David Cutcliffe said in a statement. “We appreciate his contributions to the Duke football program over the past three years as he was a very strong part of our family here.”
Hobby spent nine seasons total coaching alongside Cutcliffe, including six years at Ole Miss while Cutcliffe was head coach.
Hobby’s defense found unprecedented success with the Blue Devils in his first season at the helm, with Duke giving up only 23.4 points per game, a 20-year low for the program. He also began mentoring Vince Oghobaase, a 2009 All-American.
The Blue Devils’ defense began slipping after 2008, though. In 2009, Duke gave up 28.3 points per game, and last season the team allowed 35.4 a game, good for 109th in the nation. Lowlights included the Wake Forest game, in which the Blue Devils gave up 54 points, and the Alabama contest, when they allowed 62. Duke also allowed 450 yards per game, just 108th best in the country.
Cutcliffe has not announced a successor to Hobby.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.