EAST LANSING - Mel Tucker filled the final slot on his new Michigan State football coaching staff on Friday with the signing Scottie Hazelton as defensive coordinator.

Hazelton, 46, comes to Michigan State after a one-year stint as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Kansas State. Prior to that, he was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Wyoming (2017-18) and was assistant linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2014-16).

“Scottie definitely has the mentality you’re looking for in a defensive coordinator,” Tucker said in a statement released by the university. “He’s a leader with an infectious personality and he’s an excellent teacher. He’s learned from some of the great defensive minds in the game throughout his career.

“Scottie has been a defensive coordinator multiple times, including at the Power 5 level, he’s coached in the NFL, and he’s been on a staff that won a national championship. I couldn’t be more excited about hiring Scottie as our defensive coordinator to lead our outstanding defensive staff.”

Hazelton was linebackers coach at USC in 2012 and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Nevada in 2013. He served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at North Dakota State from 2010-11, and was defensive line coach at North Dakota State from 2007-09.

He was part of the North Dakota State National Championship staff in 2011.

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At Kansas State, his defense ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 in scoring defense at 21.4 points per game, the program’s best figure since 2003.

Kansas State ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 3 in the FBS in third down defense (.280), improving from No. 8 in the conference and No. 110 in the FBS the year before his arrival.

Kansas State ranked No. 2 in the Big 12 in pass defense and No. 4 in the Big 12 in total defense.

At Wyoming, his group ranked No. 19 in the nation in total defense in 2018 and No. 23 in 2017.

In 2018, Wyoming ranked No. 25 in rushing defense and No. 29 in scoring defense.

Wyoming ranked No. 1 in the nation in takeaways in 2017, ranking No. 1 in fumbles recovered and No. 2 in interceptions.

Wyoming ranked No. 9 in the country in scoring defense in 2017 and No. 13 in pass defense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars ranked No. 6 in total defense and No. 5 in passing defense in 2016 when Hazelton was linebackers coach.

In 2011, his North Dakota State defense led the FCS in scoring defense and was No. 20 in total defense, helping the Bison to its first FCS National Championship. This began a streak of eight national championships for the program in nine years.

Hazelton is a native of Brighton, Colo. He earned three letters as a linebacker at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., from 1992-94.

From 1996 to 2006, he coached at Fort Lewis, North Dakota State, St. Olaf, Missouri Southern and Michigan Tech.

Hazelton and his wife, Brooke, have two daughters, Ava and Sophie, and two sons, Bode and Crew.

Brooke Hazelton turned heads with this rivalry-tweaking response to a Tweet from an Michigan State fan: