Chidera Uzo-Diribe had been on the job for a few days prior to SMU officially announcing him as the new defensive line coach on Thursday. He's taken over coaching duties for Randall Joyner, who left SMU for Ole Miss, and he's already made an impression on the recruiting trail.

Uzo-Diribe was the outside linebackers coach at Kansas last season, but he was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive end at Colorado from 2010-13. After signing with the New Orleans Saints in 2015, he went on to focus on a coaching career and served as a defensive graduate assistant at Colorado from 2016-18.

The HillTopics spoke with Jon Kirby, publisher of Jayhawk Slant, Rivals.com's Kansas affiliate, about Uzo-Diribe and offered thoughts on what he could bring to the Hilltop.

TH: What do you think Chidera's immediate impact will be as a D-line coach for SMU?

JK: The word is he has a good relationship with Jim Leavitt, so there is a past connection. Chidera was well-liked at Kansas and was a quick riser.

You've known him for quite some time. How would you describe him to SMU fans?

A great person and every bit as good of a coach. He's got a very calm demeanor. We didn't get to watch a lot of practice, but I'm sure he has a side where he can turn up the intensity.

He was well-liked by the players. From a recruiting standpoint, what type of guy is Chidera? How impactful was he at KU?

He's a very good recruiter. Being young, he relates well to the recruits, and based off the interviews I did with many of them, he was very thorough. He's got good ties in California.

Randall Joyner was a well-liked D-line coach because of his authenticity. What's a word you'd use to describe Chidera? And why?

I don't know if there is a word, but I think what makes him good is the cool and calm way he has about him. He doesn't seem like a coach that gets too high or low.

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