The Jacksonville Jaguars have completed the hiring of new head coaches for the 2024 campaign. Recent promotions and new additions consist of:
Ryan Nielsen begins his first season as the Jaguars defensive coordinator and his eighth season coaching in the NFL. He previously served as defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons (2023) and co-defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints (2022). In his lone season with the Falcons, they finished the regular season tied for the second-most forced fumbles in the NFL (18). Atlanta also doubled their sack total from 21 in 2022 to 42 last season. Before Atlanta, Nielsen spent six seasons coaching defense with the Saints. He received his start in coaching as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, the University of Southern California, in 2002. Nielsen, a Simi Valley, Calif. native started 30 games at defensive tackle at USC from 1998-2001.
Starting with the 2024 campaign, Kris Richard will be the Jaguars’ defensive backs coach. With over 17 years of NFL teaching and playing experience, Richard most recently worked as the secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator for the 2022 New Orleans Saints, who finished fifth in the NFL in total defense, alongside Nielsen. Richard was originally selected by Seattle in the third round (85th overall), and he played 38 games (one start) at cornerback for the Seahawks between 2002 and 2004 before spending one season in San Francisco (2005).
As the inside linebackers coach in Jacksonville, Matt House is starting his debut season. House most recently worked with LSU for two years (2022–2023) as the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. During that time, the Tigers topped the SEC in total tackles (2023) and were sixth in overall defense (2022). House coached linebackers for the Kansas City Chiefs for three seasons (2019–2021) before coming to LSU. He competed for the Super Bowl title the following year and was a member of the Kansas City team that won Super Bowl LIV in 2019. House coached Josh Allen, an outside linebacker for the Jaguars, to SEC Defensive Player of the Year and the Bronko Nagurski Award during his three seasons (2016–18) at the University of Kentucky.
Cory Robinson, who most recently worked as a defensive analyst at the University of Tennessee, comes to Jacksonville as a defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach. Robinson was the assistant defensive backs coach for the New Orleans Saints for three seasons (2020–22) before to joining Tennessee. With 184.4 passing yards allowed per game, the Saints’ passing defense finished second in the NFL in 2022. During Robinson’s three seasons in New Orleans, the Saints’ defense ranked in the top ten, and in 2020 and 2021, Marshon Lattimore was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Jeremy Garrett, who spent two years as the defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns, brings more than ten years of coaching expertise to the Jaguars. The last time Garrett coached the defensive line at Auburn was in 2023. Under his direction, defensive tackle Marcus Harris was named to the first team of the Associated Press All-SEC, and defensive lineman Keldric Faulk was named an All-SEC Freshman. In terms of sacks, Auburn’s defense was seventh in the SEC in 2023. Prior to joining Auburn, Garrett oversaw one of the most effective defensive lines in collegiate football in 2022, when Liberty led the nation in sacks and tackles for loss. He played football for Ole Miss for four years (2004–07), when Nielsen was his defensive line coach.
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