New Ohio State assistant coach Alex Grinch had his work cut out for him when he arrived on the job as Washington State's defensive coordinator in 2015.
Washington State's defense was among the worst in the country in 2014, ranking 99th in total defense (442.3 yards allowed per game) and 117th in scoring defense (38.6 points allowed per game).
Over the course of Grinch's three years in Pullman, however, the Cougars defense steadily got better.
The Cougars ranked 84th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense (416.8 yards allowed per game) and 74th in scoring defense (27.