Chiefs promote Donald D’Alesio to safeties coach

The Kansas City Chiefs made a change to their coaching staff on Tuesday, following the departure of former defensive backs and cornerbacks coach Sam Madison to the Miami Dolphins. The team promoted Donald D’Alesio, who was previously a defensive assistant, to the role of safeties coach.

Now a second-year staff member under Steve Spagnuolo, D’Alesio joined the Chiefs after spending five seasons as a member of the Youngstown State football coaching staff, followed by the 2020 season as a defensive analyst at LSU.

After five years as a defensive back at Youngstown State (2010-14), D’Alesio worked his way up from defensive quality control (2015) to defensive line coach (2016-17) to co-defensive coordinator (2018) to defensive coordinator (2019). As the Penguins’ defensive coordinator in 2019, D’Alesio led a unit that ranked seventh in pass defense, 10th in sacks and 24th in total defense in the FCS.

As a player, he started 44 games, compiling 274 career tackles. As a senior in 2014, he was second on the team with 91 tackles (45 solo). He also had two interceptions.