LSU TO INTERVIEW VIKINGS' DARONTE JONES ON SUNDAY

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

Coming across our wire was news of Vikings' DBs Coach Daronte Jones interviewing with LSU tomorrow, and Coach O won't just be asking for an update on Justin Jefferson....he may be seeking to hire Jones with the future of the program resting on his shoulders.

The pursuit began based on the recommendation and suggestion of long time Tigers' WRs Coach Mickey Joseph, who also knew that Daronte had worked with his brother Vance as well as former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. The last part interested Coach Orgeron a lot, but what captured his attention most: when Mickey Joseph suggested he was an "elite man manager"....so did hearing that Daronte also played for a smaller school, Morgan State, just like Coach O did at Northwestern State in Louisiana. Coaching from Louisiana high schools to Cincinnati, Miami and Minnesota at the NFL level, Wisconsin, Louisville, UCLA and Hawaii at the Division I level, as well as in the Canadian Football League...but after some intense work and grind at the NFL level, he's getting a major shot at LSU's defensive coordinator job.

Daronte Jones' time as the DBs coach at Wisconsin in 2015 saw his star rise: His unit led the nation with only 7 passing TDs allowed. He was replaced by Jim Leonhard the next year when he departed to the Miami Dolphins.

That year in 2016 at Miami as DBs Coach, the Dolphins picked off 16 passes (3rd in the nation according to ESPN stats) and the next year safety Reshad Jones went to the Pro Bowl.