According to Football Scoop, Liberty is closing in on finding a new safeties coach as they report Hugh Freeze and the Flames’ coaching staff is “working to hire Jack Curtis.” The Flames need a replacement for Corey Batoon who spent the 2020 season as Liberty’s safeties coach before leaving last month to become defensive coordinator at South Alabama under new head coach Kane Wommack.
Curtis has spent the past five seasons as Tulane’s defensive coordinator, and prior to that spent five seasons as Georgia Southern’s defensive coordinator. He is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and has coaching experience at Mississippi State, Northwestern State, Arkansas State, Memphis, and Central Missouri, as well.
Curtis has served as defensive coordinator at Northwestern State, Arkansas State, and Central Missouri, in addition to his previous two stops. He’s coached defensive backs and/or safeties at all of his stops.
He will join a Liberty football team which finished the 2020 season with a 10-1 record, tying the program’s record for wins in a season. The Flames defeated former Big South rival Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl on Dec. 26, becoming the second transitioning team in NCAA history to win consecutive bowl games during its first two full seasons at the FBS level.
Under second year head coach Hugh Freeze and second year defensive coordinator Scott Symons, Liberty’s defense held opponents to 20.5 points and 317.7 yards per game. Those numbers were good enough for the Flames to rank 22nd nationally in scoring defense and 11th in the country in total defense.
Last month, Football Scoop also reported that Liberty offensive line coach Sam Gregg was in line to be the offensive coordinator at Southern Miss under head coach Will Hall, but Gregg will instead remain on staff at Liberty.
*photo courtesy Tulane Athletics
