Feb. 19, 2016
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State football head coach Rocky Long has announced the addition of former Aztec Ernie Lawson as the team's defensive line coach.
By adding Lawson, the entire current SDSU defensive coaching staff has now played under Long in his 3-3-5 defense, including linebackers coach Zach Arnett (2005-08 at New Mexico), safeties coach Danny Gonzales (1998 at New Mexico), Lawson (2009-10 at San Diego State) and cornerbacks coach Tony White (1997 at UCLA).
Lawson comes to The Mesa after spending the past two years as a high school coach, including the 2014 season as the head coach, defensive coordinator and head strength coach at American Canyon High in northern California, where he implemented the 3-3-5 defense. This past season, Lawson was the defensive line coach and head strength coach at Northside High in Fort Worth, Texas.
Prior to his stint as head football coach at ACHS, Lawson spent two years at Michigan (2012-13) as a graduate assistant with the linebackers and defensive line. At Michigan under former Aztec head coach Brady Hoke, he worked with former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison on the intricacies of numerous defenses, including the 3-3-5.
Lawson captained the 2010 SDSU football team to a 9-4 overall record and the program's first bowl berth since 1998. A four-year letterwinner from 2007-10, Lawson was an honorable mention all-Mountain West performer as a senior, recording 30 tackles, including 9.5 for loss. Lawson was also chosen as San Diego State's co-defensive player of the year in 2010, and received one of the team's captain awards. Additionally, he was voted the Aztecs' Most Inspirational Player in 2007. Lawson was also a multi-time scholar-athlete while at SDSU.
Lawson earned his master's degree in kinesiology at Michigan in May 2014 and his bachelor's degree in fitness, nutrition and health at San Diego State in December 2010.
Lawson replaced Osia Lewis, who recently took a defensive line job at another school.