DALLAS, TEXAS - SMU football coach Phil Bennett announced the hiring of two coaches to his staff today as Blake Miller and Darrell Patterson have joined the Mustang program.

?I am really excited Blake and Darrell joining our staff,? said Bennett. ?They are quality individuals and great coaches. I am very familiar with their work and I know they will hit the ground running.?

Miller will coach the SMU offensive line and comes to the school after spending the last three seasons at Southwest Texas State. He was the Bobcats' offensive line coach all three seasons and served as offensive coordinator the last two. He also spent three years as an assistant at Northwestern State (1997-99) and was a coach on the high school level at Kilgore (Texas) High for two seasons and Episcopal (Shreveport, La.) High for one year.

Miller was a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at LSU from 1986-90, earning first team All-SEC honors as a senior. He spent three seasons in the National Football League with the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and New York Giants.

Patterson joins the Mustang staff and will coach linebackers after leading the same segment at Baylor last year. His college coaching experience includes stints at Arkansas State, Kentucky, Temple and Akron. He also coached with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League.

Patterson played collegiately at TCU and is that program's all-time leading tackler, totaling 544 from 1979-82. He was a sixth round draft pick of the New York Giants in 1983 and played seven years in the CFL, helping the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a Grey Cup Championship in 1984.

With Patterson taking over linebacker responsibilities, Bennett announced that he has restructured some defensive coaching duties. Defensive coordinator Jim Gush, who worked with the linebackers a year ago, will coach defensive backs. Eric Roark, who coached the secondary last season, will now take over defensive end duties. Bob Fello will continue in his role as defensive tackles coach.