Vanderbilt Hires Todd Lyght as Cornerbacks Coach

Vanderbilt just added a Super Bowl pedigree to their defensive coaching staff. On Monday, the Commodores officially welcomed Todd Lyght to campus, where he'll be the team's latest cornerbacks coach.

Lyght was the fifth overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft and played 12 years as a professional. He was an All-Pro in 1999 when he helped guide the Saint Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title (over the team that's now four miles from his office, the Tennessee Titans).

Here's what Lyght had to say about his new job on Twitter. He seems pretty excited about being in Nashville:

@VandyFootball @vandyfans Thank you for the opportunity, so excited to be here! Got my office, ready to go to work! pic.twitter.com/ADAgLhm9iH

— ToddLyght (@ToddLyght) January 13, 2015

After retiring in 2002 (after a stint with a 3-13 Detroit Lions team), Lyght spent time as a football analyst and high school coach before latching on with Chip Kelly's Oregon team as a defensive intern in 2011. That led to a job on Kelly's staff with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was assistant defensive backs coach for the past two seasons. Now, he'll have the chance to mold a young secondary that includes young guns like Torren McGaster, Tre Bell, Darrius Sims, and Taurean Ferguson.

Vanderbilt's cornerbacks had their share of growing pains in 2014, but they showed flashes of greatness despite the tall task of replacing stalwarts Andre Hal and Steven Clarke along the sidelines. Lyght will be counted on to harness that talent and help head coach/defensive coordinator Derek Mason bring his vision to life in 2015.