CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel defensive coordinator Maurice Drayton announced his resignation Thursday to accept a coaching position in the NFL.

"This is a bittersweet day for me," Coach Drayton said. "I love The Citadel because of what it stands for and because of my experiences here. I know firsthand the type of quality individual that is produced at The Citadel, and I attribute much of my success to lessons learned here. It has long been a goal of mine to coach in the NFL, and this opportunity was one I couldn't pass up."

In 2015, the Bulldogs ranked first in FCS with a school-record 515 interception return yards and five interception return touchdowns. The Citadel also led the Southern Conference and ranked third in FCS with 20 interceptions, the third-highest single-season total in program history, and with 31 turnovers forced. The Bulldogs also topped the SoCon with 10 passing touchdowns allowed, 11 fumble recoveries, holding opponents to a .365 third-down percentage and averaging 6.5 tackles for loss per game. The Bulldogs ranked second in the conference in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, sacks and pass efficiency defense.

The Bulldogs' physical defense showed remarkable improvement from 2014, lowering its points-per-game allowed average nearly seven points and allowing 86 less yards per game while forcing 19 more turnovers, to help lead the team to a 9-4 overall record and a co-Southern Conference championship. The Citadel's six SoCon wins tied the single-season program record for conference wins, and the nine overall victories were the second-highest single-season total in program history.

Drayton was a defensive back for The Citadel from 1994-98. He was a starting cornerback his final two seasons and compiled 145 tackles, 17 pass breakups and three interceptions during his playing career.

"One of my first priorities after being named head coach was to have a conversation with Coach Drayton about staying as our defensive coordinator," The Citadel head coach Brent Thompson said. "I know what The Citadel means to him and how important he has been to our success, and I'm thankful for the positive impact he has made on our program. A chance to coach at the highest level of football is hard to turn down, and I'm happy that he has this opportunity to fulfill one of his personal goals by working in the NFL."

"We are excited for Coach Drayton to have this opportunity," The Citadel athletic director Jim Senter said. "When you have good people who are successful, other programs and organizations are going to take notice. While he will be missed at The Citadel, I have full confidence that Coach Drayton is going to do a great job in the NFL just like he has done for us. We will continue to support him as he moves forward with his career."

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