RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University head football coach Walt Wells announced on Thursday the addition of Frank Buffano as the program's new inside linebackers coach.
 
Buffano comes to Richmond after spending the last six seasons as the safeties coach at the University of Kentucky.
 
" I am very excited to announce Frank as our new ILB coach," said Wells. "Frank is a quality coach and person.  He has a wealth of knowledge on Defense and experience as an SEC Coach. I am very impressed with him from my time at UK. He also has excellent recruiting ties to the state of Ohio.  With this hire, defensive coordinator Jake Johnson has moved his position group to defensive line, which he coached for years here at EKU under Danny Hope and Dean Hood."
 
Most recently, with the Wildcats in 2025, Buffano coached Ty Bryant, who was recognized as the Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week, ending the season as a Coaches' All-SEC Second Team selection after leading the conference in interceptions with four.
 
Buffano helped lead the UK defense to the top 20 nationally and top five in the Southeastern Conference in multiple defensive categories with marks of 70.8 percent in red zone defense, 183.7 passing yards allowed per game, and only 215 first downs allowed in 2024.
 
That safeties group under Buffano was led by Zion Childress, who in his final year was an All-SEC Honorable Mention with the fourth most tackles on the team and tackles (55) for loss (6).
 
Following the 2024 season, UK safety Zion Childress was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys
 
Since 2020 with Buffano, UK recorded 10 interceptions for touchdowns, tied for the best in the nation.
 
In 2023, he helped the Wildcats produce a program-record 18 turnovers on defense through 13 games, including five that went for touchdowns with two pick-sixes.
 
Five of those 18 turnovers came from defensive back Maxwell Hairston, who had not one but two interception returns for touchdowns at Vanderbilt on Sept. 24 to tie the SEC record. That pair of pick-sixes was embedded in UK's streak of forcing at least one turnover in each of its first seven games of the season, the first time it has accomplished that feat since 2014.
 
In 2022, Buffano's safeties were led by Freshman All-American Honorable Mention Jordan Lovett who led the defense with 36 solo tackles and finished second on the defense with 62 total tackles. Lovett also had a team-high two interceptions.
 
Buffano's safeties also included Childress, Tyrell Ajian and Taj Dodson, helping a defense that ranked 11^th in the nation in total defense, seventh in the nation in passing yards allowed, and tied for third in the nation in passing touchdowns given up.
 
 
The season before, Buffano coached safety Yusuf Corker as he recorded 81 tackles and a team-high in pass breakups, being named a Lott IMPACT Trophy Semifinalist and a Reese's Senior Bowl participant.
 
Corker began to emerge as a talent in Lexington in 2020, Buffano's first year as the safeties coach, totaling 77 tackles (second on the team), two interceptions, 2.5 TFL, two PBU and one forced fumble. UK led the SEC in pass defense, limiting the opponent to 224.6 yards per game and 18 TDs in the air. UK also led the SEC in interceptions with 16, and the defensive backs snatched six of them.
 
Prior to his six seasons as a coach at UK, Buffano spent seven years as the director of football operations with the Wildcats beginning in 2013.
 
From 2010-12, Buffano spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Youngstown State, coaching linebackers for his last two seasons, highlighted by wins over Pittsburgh and top-ranked North Dakota State.
 
In 2012, the Penguins' defense was extremely stingy against the rush, allowing just 95.5 yards rushing per game, the fourth-lowest total average for a season in school history. YSU ranked sixth in the Football Championship Subdivision in fewest rushing yards allowed per contest.
 
YSU posted a 7-4 overall mark highlighted by a 31-17 win at Pittsburgh, the program's first-ever win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent. The Penguins allowed just 23 points in the last three games, the lowest total in a three-game stretch since 2003.
 
In 2011 under Buffano's tutelage, Teven Williams was named honorable-mention All-MVFC and was named to the all-newcomer squad after leading the team with 67 total stops, including 38 solos. The Penguins went 6-5 in the 2011 season, including a win over top-ranked North Dakota State, despite three freshman starters at linebacker most of the season. Of 33 possible starts, 29 were by freshmen and one was by a sophomore. Williams and Travis Williams were both named to the conference's all-newcomer squad.
 
In 2010, Buffano coached YSU's secondary. He had a second-team all-league selection in cornerback Brandian Ross, who went on to sign with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent. Another highlight on the season was an 87-yard interception return by safety Will Shaw. It was the fourth-longest in school history. During the campaign, YSU started two true freshmen and one sophomore for the majority of the year.
 
He started his collegiate coaching career at Arizona, where he spent five seasons, with his final three as a defensive graduate assistant coach.
 
In 2009, Arizona posted an 8-5 overall mark, tying for second in the Pac-10 Conference. In 2008, UA reached its first bowl game in nine seasons and finished the campaign with an 8-5 mark as well. The Wildcats played in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in 2009 and the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl in 2008.
 
The Youngstown, Ohio, native is a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School. He began his coaching career at his alma mater as an assistant coach for the legendary Don Bucci from 1990 through 1996, working with the running backs and defensive backs for the Cardinals. The program reached the state semifinals in 1990 and 1996. As a player, he was part of the Mooney squad that won the Division III State Championship in 1987.
 
Buffano graduated with a bachelor's degree in geography and regional development from Arizona in 2006.
 
He and his wife, Kelley, have three daughters, Isabella, Gabriella, and Olivia.