Western Kentucky’s football program announced the hiring of Jimmy Lindsey as the run game coordinator/edges/defensive line coach on Thursday.

Lindsey previously served on the WKU coaching staff for three seasons from 2017-19. He was the program’s defensive line coach in 2017, before becoming the defensive ends coach/recruiting coordinator in 2018 and 2019.

During his final season of his first stint with the Hilltoppers, Lindsey helped the program produce a top-25 overall defense, allowing just 20.1 points per game. It was the lowest mark for the program since 2004 and ranked No. 22 in the FBS that season. WKU held opponents to a 29.7% rate (51-of-172) on third down attempts, which ranked sixth in FBS and was the lowest mark for the program since a 30.1% rate (49-of-163) on opponent third down tries in 1987.

The Hilltoppers ranked third in FBS with only 82 missed tackles all season long. WKU also ranked among the best in the nation in a handful of other statistics – 15th with 224 first downs allowed, 19th in red zone defense with a scoring rate of 75.8%, 24th in total defense with 335.5 yards allowed per game and 28th with 200 passing yards allowed per game.

That same season, then-junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone was voted Conference USA’s Defensive Player of the Year after producing 99 total tackles – including 21 for loss – with 11.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. The Atlanta native set the WKU FBS Era record (since 2009) in tackles for loss, while becoming only the fourth defender in all-time Hilltopper history with double-digit quarterback takedowns. Malone was WKU’s first league Defensive Player of the Year since linebacker Xavius Boyd and defensive end Quanterus Smith went back-to-back in the Sun Belt Conference in 2013 and 2012, respectively. Malone went on to be CUSA’s Defensive Player of the Year again in 2021 – he was just the fourth player in CUSA history to receive the recognition twice – and he was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

While at WKU in 2018, Lindsey also coached Juwuan Jones to Football Writers Association of America’s Freshman All-American honors.

Between stints at WKU, Lindsey served as defensive ends coach at Illinois in 2020 and acted as the defensive coordinator of the season finale that season. Owen Carney Jr. earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors under Lindsey that year.

He spent the next two seasons as the defensive line coach at South Carolina, where he oversaw the development of Zacch Pickens, a fourth-round NFL draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 2003. He also coached Tonka Hemingway to Second Team All-SEC honors in 2022 and helped Alex Huntley earn Freshman All-SEC honors in 2021. The Gamecocks appeared in bowl games in each season with Lindsey on staff.

The Morven, North Carolina, native worked with LSU in 2023, and rejoins the Hilltoppers after one season at North Carolina, where he was a senior advisor to the defensive coordinator under head coach Mack Brown.

Lindsey spent one season at Georgia Southern where he served in a similar capacity as defensive line coach. Prior to working in Statesboro, Lindsey spent four seasons at Furman as the defensive line coach and added the title of assistant head coach in 2015. At Furman, Lindsey mentored defensive end Gary Wilkins to All-America honors during his senior season in 2014 and a contract with the Oakland Raiders. Lindsey also helped Furman win a Southern Conference championship in 2013.

Before Furman, Lindsey spent two seasons at his alma mater, Chattanooga, coaching the defensive line and special teams. In 2011, four of Lindsey’s defensive linemen earned All-SoCon honors, including first-teamer Josh Williams. Lindsey also spent time coaching at Tennessee-Martin, Miami (Ohio), Gardner-Webb and with four NFL teams in the Minority Coaching Internship program.

During his time at Gardner-Webb (2003-06), Lindsey coached the defensive line and linebackers as well as served as the recruiting coordinator. One of Lindsey’s products, Harold Wells, was named the 2004 I-AA Football Gazette National Defensive Lineman of the Year, and defensive end Brian Johnson was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.

Lindsey, a former linebacker, was a team captain at Chattanooga during his senior season in 1999 and the recipient of UTC’s Marco Sheppard Mr. Hustle Award.