Confirmed by BOL: Derrick Ansley is our new DB coach

LINK BIO from UK football page
Now in his fourth season at Kentucky, Derrick Ansley has expanded responsibilities in 2015 and again in 2016.

Ansley, who coached cornerbacks in 2013-14, guided the secondary in 2015, and will serve as secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2016.

With the exception of departed safety Ashely Lowery, Kentucky’s secondary returns mostly intact. Three senior starters, safety A.J. Stamps and cornerbacks Fred Tiller and Cody Quinn, headline the returnees. Versatile junior Blake McClain has been a part-time starter at nickelback for two years and can play any position in the defensive backfield. Several more veterans provide plenty of competition, and additional redshirts and signees give Ansley significantly more depth and experience than he had a year ago.

Last season, Ansley helped lead the UK defense which scored a school-record six defensive touchdowns and created 23 turnovers, ranking second in the SEC in turnover margin.

Ansley joined the Wildcat staff after a one-year term at Tennessee. In his one season, Ansley helped the Volunteers improve their national ranking in interceptions from 86th to 56th. He came to UT in Feb. 2012 after accepting the position of defensive back coach at Central Florida in Dec. 2011.

Ansley was a defensive graduate assistant coach with Alabama in 2010-11, helping the Crimson Tide to a 22-4 record, including the 2011 national championship season. Alabama went 10-3 in Ansley’s first year en route to a win in the Capital One Bowl over Michigan State. The Tide won the 2011 national championship to finish a 12-1 season.
The Crimson Tide had one of the best defenses in the country both years Ansley was on staff, ranking fifth in total defense, third in scoring defense, sixth in pass efficiency defense and 13th in passing defense in 2010. In 2011, Alabama led the nation in total defense, scoring defense, passing defense and pass efficiency defense. Ansley also helped tutor Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie to All-America honors in 2011.

Ansley spent five seasons coaching at NCAA Division III Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala. before taking the graduate assistant position with Alabama. During his five-year stint with the Hawks, Ansley helped guide the team to its first-ever winning season and the school’s first playoff appearance. The Hawks posted a winning record four of the five seasons he was on staff, including two eight-win seasons.

The year before Ansley got to Huntingdon, the team had 12 interceptions and 23 pass breakups. Those numbers improved to 15 interceptions and 44 pass breakups in year one. In Ansley’s final season with Huntington, the Hawks had 22 interceptions and an impressive 56 pass breakups.

Ansley had a very successful collegiate playing career at Troy University, starting 40 consecutive games for the Trojans. The defensive back had a great junior season in 2003, finishing third in the nation in interceptions with nine pickoffs. He was first-team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2004, Troy’s first season in the league. He graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and was working on his master’s in human environmental sciences at Alabama.

Ansley is originally from Tallassee, Ala. Derrick and his wife Alaea have a daughter, Selena.

I like .... Would bet on this working out very well .

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Great get for the #CrimsonTide in Alabama native Derrick Ansley who has recruited the state the last few years for #Kentucky. @TideSports

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Aaron Suttles

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Ansley spent five seasons coaching at NCAA Division III Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala. before taking the graduate assistant position with Alabama. During his five-year stint with the Hawks, Ansley helped guide the team to its first-ever winning season and the school’s first playoff appearance. The Hawks posted a winning record four of the five seasons he was on staff, including two eight-win seasons.

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Unrelated to the quality of the hire, this caught my eye as a reason you always have to take the hyperbole in press releases with a grain of salt.

Huntington is my Alma Mater. The release makes it sound like they are some perennial loser that had a drastic turnaround. The program's first full season was 2004 and to date that 4-5 year is the only losing season they've ever had....

I just want the DB's to look for the ball.

he improved the kentucky secondary from 64th in 2013, to 44th in 2014, to 28th in 2015 (which was 2 spots better than us this year). They promoted him to co-defensive coordinator because he was being pursued as the defensive backs coach by georgia. i think its a really good hire. he was a coach for 5 years in division iii before he ever took the GA job for us, has lots of experience in the sec now and is by all accounts an excellent recruiter

Hawk Em

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I just want the DB's to look for the ball.

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people will say this right until one of our dbs gets burnt for a td when they were looking back while out of phase, then it will be 'why cant they play proper technique?"

In phase or out of phase...it is how Saban teaches DB play. That will not change.

If "in phase" turn your head and look for the ball. If out of phase watch the eyes/hands of the WR and rake his hands as the ball arrives.

In phase - hip to hip stride for stride

Out of phase - chasing or just behind the WR. you were beat and in catch up mode.

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I think what people get annoyed with is that oft times, our CBs will be "in phase" and still not turn their heads to look for the ball.

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Ding, Ding, Ding.

I understand "in phase" and "out of phase". But it seems like 75% of the time, our guys play out of phase until the receiver hits the ground with the ball.