University of Louisville head football coach Charlie Strong announced that Clint Hurtt has been hired as the defensive line coach, replacing Jon Fabris, who recently left the Cardinals' staff.
Hurtt joins the Louisville staff after serving three seasons as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Miami.
Hurtt is widely considered one of the top young recruiters in college football as he has signed the top class in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2008 and 2009. He helped signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2008, according to ESPN.com. The 2009 class was ranked in the top 10 in the country as six of the signees were ranked in the ESPN.com Top 150.
Hurtt tutored some of the top young defensive line athletes in the country in 2008, including freshmen Marcus Robinson and Marcus Forston, who earned Freshman All-America honors that season.
In 2007, the Miami defensive line featured Arizona Cardinals' second-round selection Calais Campbell. Campbell ranked third on the team with 85 tackles from his defensive end spot. Senior Vegas Franklin had his best season as a Hurricane, leading the team with seven sacks and ranking second with 11.5 tackles for loss.
UM's defensive line recorded 27.5 sacks while the Hurricane defense led the ACC. Hurtt came back to his alma mater in 2006 after one season as the defensive line coach at Florida International. The 2006 Hurricanes' defense set a school record for allowing the fewest rushing yards in a season -- 67.9 yards per game, breaking the previous mark of 69.1 yards per game set in 1989.
Hurtt was a three-year letterman for the Hurricanes as a defensive lineman. He signed with Miami in 1997 and played extensively as a freshman before redshirting in 1998 to recover from an injury. Hurtt returned to the lineup and saw extensive action in 1999 and 2000 before an injury prior to the 2001 season ended his playing career. After the injury, Hurtt joined the Hurricanes staff as a volunteer assistant on the strength and conditioning staff. In 2003, he was named a graduate assistant and worked with the defensive line for two seasons.
A native of Rochester, N.Y., Hurtt had an outstanding prep career at Milford (Conn.) Academy. He graduated from the University of Miami in 2001 with a degree in criminology and liberal arts. His father, Clinton, played for the New York Jets and Baltimore Colts.
