After losing their defensive coordinator to an FBS opportunity, sources tell FootballScoop Duquesne (FCS – PA) is working to bring a veteran coach to the staff.

Greg Gattuso, who spent last season as a senior defensive analyst at Penn State, is set to join the Duquesne staff in a senior capacity overseeing the defense. We’re told that while the exact role could carry the defensive coordinator title, it could also be in a head coach of the defense type of role.

Prior to joining the Penn State staff, Gattuso spend 11 seasons leading the University of Albany (FCS – NY) program. He was just the second head coach in program history, stepping into the shoes of legendary coach Bob Ford following the icon’s retirement.

His time leading the Great Danes was littered with accomplishments, including the school’s second ever FCS playoff appearance, and first-ever playoff win with a 42-14 win over Central Connecticut State in 2019.

The 2023 Albany team finished with the best record in program history, going 11-4 overall and 7-1 in the CAA.

Before taking over at Albany, Gattuso spent a dozen seasons as the head coach of the Duquesne program. While lading the Dukes he hit the double-digit wins mark four times, and from 1995-2004 won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference eight times in a decade leaving the school with an impressive 97-32 overall record and a 67-7 mark in league play.

After leaving Duquesne, Gattuso spent a few seasons in major college football with stops at Pitt as tight ends coach and then defensive line before adding the assistant head coach title in 2008, and then left for Maryland where he served in the same capacity for a few seasons.

In 2014, he took the head coaching job at Albany, spending over a decade leading the program, before he stepped down from that role back in February of 2025 to join the staff at his alma mater working for James Franklin in Happy Valley.

Gattuso played for the Nittany Lions, starring as a defensive lineman in the 1980’s and helping them to a national title in 1982.

At Duquesne, he’s set to fill the role of opened up by Mickey Jacobs, who left to join the staff of Jason Candle at UConn. In Storrs, Jacobs will coach the Huskies linebackers. 

Under Jacobs, the Duquesne defense ranked 19th nationally among FCS teams in total defense this season. Before joining the Duquesne staff, Jacobs was a senior analyst at Buffalo and also logged a stop as a graduate assistant in the ACC at Pitt.