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Maryland will hire former Houston defensive coordinator Brian Stewart to replace Todd Bradford, BTN’s Tom Dienhart is reporting.

Stewart, 47, oversaw a transformation with the Cougars that saw them go from 111th in total defense and 95th in scoring defense in the year before he arrived to 62nd and 35th two years later, as he departs. His teams had strong passing defenses and forced turnovers, and Houston had one of the better defenses in the Conference-USA this past year.

In terms of recruiting, don’t expect much. Stewart brought in one three-star recruit last year, and that’s it. Before Houston, he jumped around the NFL for eight years, first as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Texans, and eventually as the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys for two years. During his time with the ‘Boys, he coached two top-ten defenses (in total defense), had five Pro Bowl selections on his unit in 2007, and the team led the league in sacks with 59 in 2008.

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