ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Head Coach Billy Crocker today announced that Dillon Lucas will join the Eastern University football staff as defensive coordinator. Lucas comes to Eastern after serving for five years on the football staff at Elon University. He was special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach for the Phoenix under Crocker.

The South Jersey native was a standout linebacker at Villanova and worked for a season as linebackers coach at Moravian College before joining Coach Tony Trisciani at Elon. Lucas began his career at Elon as an assistant defensive line coach. 

"I am extremely honored and thankful to be able to join the staff at Eastern University," Lucas said. "Given the opportunity to build a winning program alongside Coach Billy Crocker from the beginning was something I could not pass up. I have had the privilege to work alongside him previously and I am extremely excited to watch his leadership take over this program. I look forward to being a part of the culture I know he will establish quickly. Coming back to the Northeast was also very enticing to me because I know the high quality student-athletes and football there is in this area. I cannot wait to recruit the right student-athletes and begin to mentor them as both athletes and young men. I cannot wait to get to work here at Eastern University. Go Eagles."

With experience playing for and coaching with Coach Crocker, Lucas will bring a shared vision and philosophy to the Eastern staff and to the Eastern defense. 

"Dillon is a key hire for our first coaching staff here at Eastern," Coach Crocker says.  "He will be instrumental in building this program. I have had the pleasure of knowing Dillon as both a player and a coach. He had a standout playing career as a linebacker at Villanova. Dillon is an intelligent, energetic coach who really connects with his players.  He is about the right things both on and off the field and someone I trust immensely. I am very fortunate to bring someone of Dillon's caliber to Eastern."

Lucas will join the the Eastern staff immediately and will be actively involved in building Eastern's recruiting network and building the roster and coaching staff.