Joe Lee Dunn, a longtime college football coach who served as Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator from 1996 to 2002, died Tuesday.
Dunn, a native of Ozark, Alabama, was 75.
He coached under Jackie Sherrill during his Bulldogs tenure, helping MSU post winning records in four straight seasons from 1997 to 2000. In 1999, Dunn was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in the nation.
In a tweet Wednesday confirming Dunn’s death, Mississippi State called him the “innovator of the 3-3-5 scheme and one of the most respected defensive coordinators in the game.”
Dunn had stints as the head coach at New Mexico (1983-86) and Ole Miss (1994). He was the Rebels’ defensive coordinator in 1992 and 1993.
Dunn also coached at Chattanooga — his alma mater — South Carolina, Memphis State, Arkansas, Memphis, New Mexico State and Division II McMurry.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” Mississippi State’s message read.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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