Cutcliffe hires seven coaches

Jan 4, 2008 - 7:02 PM DURHAM, North Carolina (Ticker) - Duke coach David Cutcliffe continued to fill out his coaching staff Friday, naming seven assistant including an associate head coach and an offensive coordinator.

Five of the seven worked with Cutcliffe during his last head coaching job at Mississippi, and two of those five have followed Cutcliffe to Durham from Tennessee this winter.

Cutcliffe tabbed Ron Middleton as his associate head coach and special team coordinator, hiring the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant from Alabama, where he worked as an assistant to Nick Saban.

Kurt Roper has been named offensive coordinator. Roper worked with Cutcliffe in Knoxville the past two seasons, where Cutcliffe was offensive coordinator and Roper worked as the running backs coach.

"You know you're always supposed to hire people that are smarter than you are and Kurt qualifies there," Cutcliffe said. "I think he's one of the better minds in college football.

"The reason he is an offensive coordinator now is that he has an unbelievable understanding of protection, the running game and the passing game. I'm looking forward to Kurt Roper's offenses breaking all of David Cutcliffe's numbers and records throughout the years."

Also crossing the Smoky Mountains from Knoxville is Matt Luke, Tennessee's recruiting coordinator, who now becomes Dukes running game coordinator and offensive line coach.

Zac Roper has been named recruiting coordinator and running backs coach, and Derek Jones will coach the defensive backs.

Middleton, Kurt Roper, Zac Roper, Luke and Jones all served under Cutcliffe at Ole Miss.

The two other hires, linebackers coach Jim Collins and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery, return to Durham after previous stints at Duke.