Bill D'Ottavio enters his first season as Samford's defensive coordinator.

"We are excited to have Bill join our staff," Sullivan said. "He has coached every position on the defensive side, and he is as well respected as anyone in coaching."

D'Ottavio comes to Samford from Tulane where he served as the assistant head coach from 2004 to 2006. At Tulane University, he coached cornerbacks. In 2005, the Green Wave ranked first in Conference USA in pass defense.

D'Ottavio served on the coaching staff at the University of Central Florida from 1999 to 2003. He coached linebackers while at UCF, and served as the team's defensive coordinator in 2002 and 2003. In 2000, the UCF defense ranked sixth in the nation in sacks and tied for 10th in the nation in turnovers gained.

From 1997 to 1998, D'Ottavio served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at his alma mater, Millersville University in Millersville, Pa. He helped Millersville to a 15-5 record over those two seasons, and the team won the 1998 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division championship.

D'Ottavio worked at Middle Tennessee State University in 1995 and 1996. He coached the secondary and assisted with the special teams, specifically on kickoff coverage.

Prior to his time at Middle Tennessee, D'Ottavio served on the coaching staff at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 1989 to 1994. He coached the secondary from 1989 to 1992, and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1993. He coached the defensive line while coordinating the defense in 1993 and 1994. While at IUP, D'Ottavio helped lead the team to a 65-11-1 record, five appearances in the NCAA semifinals and two appearances in the NCAA finals.

D'Ottavio served as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 1987 and 1988, and he began his coaching career as a student assistant at Millersville in 1985, and he served the school as a graduate assistant in 1986.

D'Ottavio, a native of Roxbury, N.J., is a 1986 graduate of Millersville University.