Duke head football coach Manny Diaz announced that V'Angelo Bentley will join the Blue Devil program and serve as an assistant coach. Bentley will coach Duke's cornerbacks.
He comes to Duke after serving two seasons (2022-23) as a defensive assistant with the NFL's New England Patriots. During his time in Foxborough, Bentley worked with each of the defensive positional groups and helped the Patriots to 12 victories. Additionally at the conclusion of the 2022 season, Bentley and other members of the Patriots staff coached the annual East-West Shrine Bowl. Serving as the defensive backs coach, Bentley helped lead the West team to a 12-3 win over the East squad.
Prior to that, Bentley spent three seasons (2019-21) at Penn State University working with head coach James Franklin, co-defensive coordinators Tim Banks and Anthony Poindexter as well as associate head coach and cornerbacks coach Terry Smith. Bentley helped the Nittany Lions to 22 victories, including appearances in the 2019 Cotton and 2021 Outback bowls. During each of his seasons in Happy Valley, Bentley helped Penn State rank in the top-45 nationally in total defense and tackles for loss, while finishing ranked in the top-35 in turnover margin, rushing defense, turnovers gained, fumbles recovered, passing yards allowed and scoring defense in two of his three years.
Individually, Bentley mentored a handful of NFL prospects in cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Tariq Castro-Fields as well as safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and Jaquan Brisker. All were named All-Big Ten selections during their time at Penn State, while Porter Jr., and Brisker added All-America nods. Brisker and Castro-Fields went on to be selected by the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers in the second and sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, respectively. The following year, Porter Jr. and Brown were chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers and 49ers in the second and third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, respectively.
Before Penn State, Bentley served two seasons (2017-18) as a defensive football assistant at Ohio State University. While in Columbus under head coach Urban Meyer and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, Bentley helped the Buckeyes to a 15-3 overall ledger, including consecutive Big Ten titles and postseason bowl wins over No. 8 USC (2017 Cotton Bowl) and No. 9 Washington (2018 Rose Bowl).
Bentley coached numerous All-Big-Ten performers during his time at Ohio State, including three All-Americans with one being a unanimous selection in cornerback Jeff Okudah. He, along with fellow cornerback Denzel Ward went on to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Okudah was chosen by the Detroit Lions as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft, while Ward was taken by the Cleveland Browns in 2018 as the No. 4 overall selection. In addition, Bentley helped mentor Kendall Sheffield and Shaun Wade during his time with the Buckeyes. Sheffield was chosen by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, while Wade was taken by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Bentley was a four-year letterwinner (2012-13-14-15) as a cornerback and return specialist at the University of Illinois. He helped lead the Illini to 17 victories, including appearances in the 2014 Heart of Dallas bowl. The two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention (2014-15) compiled 133 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, one caused fumble, two fumble recoveries, 15 passes defended and one blocked field goal in 47 career games (32 starts). As a return specialist, Bentley registered 86 kickoff returns for 1,860 yards with one touchdown (100 yards vs. Southern Illinois, 2013) and 50 punt returns for 550 yards with one score (67 yards vs. Ohio State, 2013). He graduated ranked first in program history in career kickoff returns and kickoff return yards, third in punt return average (11.0 ypr), fourth in career punt return yards and 10th in kickoff return average (21.6). Additionally, he is the only player in Illinois history with a kickoff return, punt return, interception return, and fumble return for a touchdown during their career. He was selected a 2015 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a 2013 Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
After his collegiate playing career, Bentley signed as an undrafted free agent with the Patriots in 2016. He then transitioned over to the Canadian Football League, where he played professionally with the Hamilton Tiger Cats for one season (2016) prior to beginning his coaching career.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bentley graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications from Illinois in 2015. He then went on to earn his master's degree in recreation, sport, and tourism from the university in 2016 as well as a degree in educational leadership from Penn State in 2019.
THE V'ANGELO BENTLEY FILE
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Education: Illinois, 2015 (Communications); Illinois, 2016 (Recreation, Sport, and Tourism); Penn State, 2019 (Educational Leadership)
Birthday: Nov. 4, 1993
BENTLEY'S COACHING CAREER
- 2024-pres. – Duke (Cornerbacks)
- 2022-23 – New England Patriots (Defensive Assistant)
- 2019-21 – Penn State (Defensive Graduate Assistant)
- 2017-18 – Ohio State (Defensive Football Assistant)
