In just one season, Liam Coen turned the Jacksonville Jaguars around, with Trevor Lawrence playing the best ball of his career. On the other hand, the team's defense was the foundation of its winning ways from the get-go. Decision makers across the league have taken notice, as national outlets covering the sport mentioned Anthony Campanile in various lists, tagging him as a head coaching candidate.
You'd think power brokers across the league would be more concerned with the first-year defensive coordinator's lack of experience, but that didn't stop Shad Khan from hiring a guy who only called plays at the NFL level for one season. As we can see, that gamble definitely paid off.
It's wild to think that Coen could have his own coaching tree after one year on the job, but there's a serious chance that one or both of his coordinators could climb the ladder after the 2025 campaign ends. With that in mind, let's look at three assistants who could fill the void left by Campanile's absence in 2026.
Al Harris could keep the turnovers coming for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Al Harris, yes, that Al Harris, currently serves as the Chicago Bears' defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. I'd like to find a snappy way to say he's been really good, but the numbers speak for themselves.
Chicago's defense leads the NFL with 21 interceptions through 15 games. If that isn't enough to impress you, Harris has helped Kevin Byard snag six interceptions at age 32. Nashon Wright takes the silver medal with five interceptions, but he's run one all the way back for a pick-six as well.
Those 11 interceptions would make them the 17th best defense in the league on their own.
Now, sit back and daydream a little. What if Travis Hunter could get that level of coaching in his second year on the job? Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers' contributions in Hunter's absence provide an opportunity to play the second-overall pick at cornerback more often in 2026. Unlocking the former Buffalo's potential as a defender could make the Jaguars a force in the AFC for years to come.
I like the sound of that; and Coach Coen should, too.
Giff Smith gives the Jaguars a chance to apply even more pressure in 2026
If all goes well during the offseason, Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen will return to fill the role as Jacksonville's standout pass-rushing duo. Hines-Allen is expected to be one of the franchise's leaders in the locker room and on the field moving forward, so the next defensive coordinator should be a coach who understands how to put his EDGEs in the best situations.
Luckily, Giff Smith, the Los Angeles Rams' defensive line coach and run game coordinator, has a history of doing that. In 2024, Smith coached Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner to their best seasons as pros.
As a rookie, Fiske racked up 8.5 sacks, 40 hurries, and 51 quarterback pressures. This was good enough to make him a finalist for the Associated Press' Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Turner's second season was equally as impactful, as the defensive end tallied 10 tackles for loss, batted four passes down, and got to the quarterback eight times.
B.J. Green, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Colorado, has shown a lot of potential during his rookie season. Smith could use his 14 years of NFL experience to mold Green into an affordable rotational piece for the Jaguars to deploy for the next few years. The same is true for fellow rookie Danny Striggow. Hopefully, the current Ram could improve Jacksonville's defensive tackle play while he's at it.
Ron Milus provides organizational stability going into 2026
Losing either coordinator next season would be a massive blow to the Jags. Coen's messaging unified the entire organization in less than 12 months, so it's natural for the young head coach to consider an internal promotion to keep things on schedule.
Ron Milus, the Jaguars' current secondary coach, has 25 years of NFL experience. Three of those years (2022-24) were spent guiding the Indianapolis Colts to 41 interceptions in that time period. Milus also coached some prolific tacklers, as Nick Cross (146) and Jaylon Jones (100) were the only two DBs to make 100 or more stops on the same team in 2024.
Jacksonville's 19 interceptions as a unit only trail Al Harris' Chicago Bears. Of the defense's 19 picks, 12 are spread out between members of the secondary (nickels, dimes, corners, and safeties). I think this means Milus is doing his job.
So, who gets the call?
If you ask me, Al Harris would be a home run hire. In theory, Coen would be able to elevate Harris and retain Milus as a lower-level assistant. That means he could double up on the defense and build it around Travis Hunter once the potential unicorn comes back from his season-ending injury.
Finding a way to keep Coach Camp is a fantastic option as well, but we don't know which teams will make a surprise decision at the end of the season. This means Coen will need to plan ahead for the worst-case scenario, whether it feels good or not.
For what it's worth, it looks like the meta of the NFL is changing. There were a lot of other candidates from great defenses to consider, so that means Coen will have a wealth of choices at his disposal if and when the time comes. Either way, it looks like the Jags will be in good shape, and that's something us fans have been waiting to hear for a long time.