Daryl Daleen joined the Cardinals’ coaching staff in February 2023. He works directly with Big Red’s inside linebackers and serves as the Cards’ co-special teams coordinator.
During his first season on campus, Daleen’s troops played a huge role in Lamar’s improved defense in every statistical category. Big Red ranked second or third in the league in scoring, total and pass defense, and the Cardinals rush defense surrendered 64 fewer yards per game than the year previous. All stats which helped Lamar post the nation’s fourth-largest single-season turnaround in 2023. This coming on the heels of a 2022 campaign that saw LU ranked near the bottom of the league in scoring, total, rushing and pass defense.
Daleen began his coaching career in 2004 at Newberry College and has worked at every level of the game from high school to NCAA Division I in the past two decades, including two prior stints with Coach Rossomando at New Haven and then at Central Connecticut State.
Originally joining the UNH staff as the special teams coordinator/defensive line coach, he was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2013. During his time with the Chargers, Daleen helped build one of the top defenses at the NCAA Division II level. In 2012, Daleen produced a conference defensive player of the year, conference defensive lineman of the year and an honorable mention All-American.
Success on the defensive side of the ball has been a constant under Daleen's direction. The Chargers led the league in sacks in three consecutive seasons, and this came following a stretch where he served as coordinator at Pikeville (Ky.) College where his squad ranked among the league leaders in sacks and forced turnovers.
Daleen followed Rossomando to Central Connecticut State where he helped produce the best run in school history. The Blue Devils would go on to win a Northeast Conference title (with a perfect 6-0 record) and advance to the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history.
Daleen is a graduate of Newberry College with his bachelor of arts degree in history.
