One of the (many) reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars went 4-13 in 2024 was their inability to stop opponents from reaching the end zone. This was a bit of a surprise when you take into account that they had no shortage of talent. Then again, defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen failed to get his unit going. To remedy the issue, the Jags gave him the mustachioed coach the boot and brought in Campanile to take his place.
Campanile is taking over a defense that ranked near the cellar in the league last year. However, he's embracing the challenge and is intrigued to land in Jacksonville after spending the 2024 season as the run coordinator/linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers.
"Honestly, the biggest thing was, I felt really good about the roster here, felt really good about the people here," Campanile told J.P. Shadrick of the team's official website during a one-on-one interview when asked why he chose the Jaguars. "My relationship with Liam. You know, that was awesome. The whole interview process was awesome."
Campanile continued, "The other thing is it's a tough city. There's tough people here, and we're gonna have a tough defense. So to me, that was an important part of it, the following of the fans. So just super excited for the whole thing."
This will be Campanile's first time holding the position. He's aware that expectations are high and will need to earn his players' trust if he wants to steer the ship in the right direction.
"I just think, the old adage, talk is cheap. That definitely applies here and applies in football. It's what you do every day. It's not what you say. And giving the guys every ounce of effort you have every day, investing in their success, and knowing that you're creating a culture of people that care about each other and love each other," Campanile said.
"Going to play hard for each other and going to finish every rep for each other. I think that's how you earn the trust, doing your job on my end, being accountable on my end, and understanding that it's a team, everybody doing it together. So they're going to get my best effort. They're going to get the best effort at all these coaches."
With the Packers, Campanile oversaw a group that ranked seventh in rushing yards surrendered and 10th in rushing touchdowns surrendered last year. In Jacksonville, he'll be tasked to oversee a defensive turnaround. Below is his full exchange with Shadrick.
Anthony Campanile is the right man to turn the Jaguars defense around
Anthony Campanile has had success everywhere he's been because of his passionate, no-nonsense approach. This will come in handy in Jacksonville, where Ryan Nielsen rubbed players the wrong way last year with his arrogant demeanor. Of course, the team's brass will also need to give him a hand.
If the Jacksonville Jaguars want their defensive coordinator to have success right away, they'll need to find a cornerback opposite Tyson Campbell, bolster the safety room, and beef up the defensive trenches.
The bottom line is that Campanile faces an uphill battle, but has had enough success in the past to make you think that he'll turn the defense around.