David Mackie named Louisiana Tech Safeties Coach

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech head coach Skip Holtz named David Mackie as the new LA Tech safeties coach as announced on Tuesday.

“David volunteered in our program a year ago. I was really impressed with his attention to detail, his relationship with our players, his work ethic and his knowledge of the game,” Holtz said. “When the position opened, we interviewed a lot of people outside the building and just felt like there wasn’t a better candidate for where we are right now for Louisiana Tech than David Mackie. We’re excited he’s going to be with us and look forward to watching him grow as a young coach.”

Mackie spent the 2020 season as the defensive analyst/assistant linebackers coach at Louisiana Tech. He helped coach and develop standout linebackers Trey Baldwin and Tyler Grubbs to earn second team all-Conference USA honors. He assisted in coaching Grubbs to be named to the ESPN Freshman All-American team. His influence has also been impactful on the recruiting trail as he was instrumental in bringing in transfer defensive back Myles Mason from Arkansas and graduate transfer defensive back Elijah Hamilton from Vanderbilt.

Mackie came to the Bulldogs after spending the 2019 season at Hampton University as the safeties coach and co-special teams coordinator. He helped the special teams unit improve in KOR avg., KOC def., PR avg., PR def., FG percentage and net punt from their 2018 statistics.

Prior to that, Mackie was at East Carolina from 2015-18. In 2018, he was the senior defensive analyst under current LA Tech defensive coordinator David Blackwell. He mentored the nickel position in an off the field role. He helped former walk on Devon Sutton become the leading tackler with 80 stops and 10.5 TFLs. Mackie assisted in a defense in 2018 that finished third in the nation in tackles for loss and ranked third in the AAC in sacks and third down defense. The ECU defense ended the season tied for ninth nationally with 4.92 three and outs per game.

In 2016 and 2017, he worked as the defensive quality control coordinator while assisting the outside linebackers and safeties.

Prior to being the defensive quality control coordinator, Mackie worked as the special teams quality control in 2015 where he mentored the specialist in an off the field role. He helped a special teams unit improve in every major category including, PR defense (10th nationally), PR average, KOC defense, KOR average, Net punt and FG percentage. He also helped punter Worth Gregory set a school record and finish the season tied for second in the country in punts down inside the 20. He helped freshman Caleb Pratt break the school touchback record and kicker Davis Plowman finish tied for 21st in the nation in field goal percentage.

Mackie also helped in the on-campus recruiting effort. He was instrumental in bringing in preferred walk on Nate Harvey from Georgia Military College. Harvey was the 2018 AAC Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in the nation in TFLs and finished first in the country in TFLs per game.

Prior to his arrival in Greenville, Mackie served as cornerbacks coach and video coordinator at Georgia Military College in 2014. Before his appointment in Milledgeville, he coached the defensive backs, was the head strength coach and the special teams coordinator for Hardaway (GA.) High School from 2010 to 2013. While directing Hardaway’s strength program, he earned his USA Weightlifting certification.

During his tenure at both GMC and HHS, Mackie helped develop 18 players who later went on to play collegiate football at the Division I level.

Mackie graduated from the University of Georgia in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in history and followed with master’s in business administration from Troy University in 2010. He also earned secondary history education certification from Columbus State (GA.) University.

Mackie is married to the former Melissa Galey of Lubbock, Texas, and they are the parents of son, Micah, and daughter, Dallas.