LSU has reached into the NFL to fill two vacant positions on its coaching staff as Jake Peetz has been named the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, while DJ Mangas will serve as the passing game coordinator, head coach Ed Orgeron announced on Wednesday.
Peetz and Mangas both come to LSU after serving on the staff of the Carolina Panthers. Peetz, who has 10 years of NFL experience, served as Carolina’s quarterbacks coach in 2020, while Mangas was an offensive assistant to former LSU coach Joe Brady on the Panthers staff.
“Both Jake and DJ come highly recommended from one of the premier and innovative offensive coaches in the game in Joe Brady,” Orgeron said. “Jake brings 10 years of NFL experience with him to our staff. He spent a season coaching alongside and learning from Joe (Brady) so we couldn’t be more excited about Jake joining our staff. His knowledge of football combined with the players we have on our roster, will make for a dynamic offense for LSU in 2021.
Mangas was an offensive analyst for LSU during its national championship season in 2019. Mangas has spent the past two seasons working alongside Brady at both LSU and Carolina.
“We are very happy to bring DJ back to LSU,” Orgeron said. “He did a tremendous job in his one season with us in 2019 working alongside Joe (Brady) to produce one of the most explosive and productive offenses in college football history.”
Peetz spent two years with Carolina, coaching the running backs in 2019 when Christian McCaffrey put together a record-breaking season for the Panthers. In 2019, McCaffrey led the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,392) and became just the third player in NFL history with over 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. He also set the NFL record for receptions by a running back with 116 in 2019, becoming only the second player in league history with 1,000 rushing yard and 100 receptions in the same season.
In 2020, Peetz helped Carolina produce four players with over 1,000 scrimmage yards in a season as the Panthers become only the fifth team in the Super Bowl era to accomplish such a feat.
Other NFL stops for Peetz include the Oakland Raiders (2015-17), Washington Redskins (2014) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2012). Peetz spent the 2013 and 2018 seasons as an offensive analyst with Alabama. He also coached at Santa Barbara City College in 2006 and at UCLA in 2007.
Peetz coached quarterbacks in his final two seasons in Oakland (2016-17), serving as assistant quarterback coach in 2016 and quarterbacks coach in 2017. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr earned two of his three consecutive Pro Bowl selections working with Peetz. Peetz originally joined the team as a senior offensive assistant in 2015, working primarily with the running backs. He helped Latavious Murray earn Pro Bowl honors after rushing for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns, the first 1,000-yard rushing season by a Raider since 2010.
Peetz spent one year with Washington as the offensive quality control/assistant wide receivers coach in 2014. In his one season working with Peetz, Washington wide receiver DeSean Jackson led the NFL with an average of 20.9 yards per reception and led the team with 1,169 receiving yards.
Peetz played defensive back at Nebraska from 2003-05 prior to entering the coaching ranks.
“Maggie and I would like to thank Matt and Julie Rhule along with Mr. David and Nicole Tepper for the opportunity to coach with the Carolina Panthers,” Peetz said. “We are excited about the opportunity that Coach O has given us to move our family to Baton Rouge and be a part of the LSU football program. Dealing with Coach O and Scott Woodward through this process has shown me the commitment made to winning more national championships and I am grateful to be a part of that. We can’t wait to get to work, Geaux Tigers!”
Mangas, a former quarterback and wide receiver at William & Mary, served as running backs coach at his alma mater from 2014-16 before being elevated to offensive coordinator for two years from 2017-18. Other stops for Mangas include Hampton-Sydney College in 2012 and Georgetown University in 2013.
At the time of his promotion at William & Mary, Mangas was the second-youngest offensive coordinator in Division I football in 2017 and 2018. During his first season as coordinator, Mangas led four players to all-conference seasons, including offensive linemen Chris Durant and Connor Hilland, who signed NFL free agent contracts. Before being promoted to offensive coordinator, Mangas coached the Tribe’s running backs for three seasons, leading Mikal Abdul-Saboor (3,108) and Kendell Anderson (3,082) to fourth and fifth place finishes on the program’s all-time rushing list.
In 2019 at LSU, Mangas helped LSU to a 15-0 mark with quarterback Joe Burrow winning the Heisman Trophy, while Ja’Marr Chase was named the Biletnikoff Award winner. LSU averaged 568.5 yards and 48.4 points per game in 2019 as the Tigers set numerous SEC and LSU records on their way to claiming the national title.
“I’m beyond excited for the opportunity to be back in Baton Rouge and coaching for LSU and Coach Orgeron,” Mangas said. “I was fortunate enough to be a part of the 2019 team and see exactly what this offense and these players are capable of. It fires me up to see the potential we have for the 2021 offense. I can’t wait to meet with the rest of the staff, coaches, and players and get to work. Geaux Tigers!”
The hiring of Peetz and Mangas is pending approval from the LSU Board of Supervisors.
SOUNDS LIKE TWO GOOD COACHES TO ME.NOW LET’S GET THE RIGHT DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR-DEFENSIVE LINE COAQCH OR IS COACH O GOING TO COACH DEFENSIVE LINE?
Where does this put Dalton Hilliard?
I would have liked to see a top college assistant coach who is familiar with a west coast offense but Coach O knows these fellows so maybe good. go get that defensive coach from Cincinnati and we have a team.