Not long after being introduced as the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Liam Coem has gotten to work. To begin with, he retained special teams coach Heath Farwell and has now turned his attention to finding the right coordinators on both sides of the ball. The search is ongoing, but the Jags have already met with a handful of promising candidates.
In his introductory press conference, Coen said that he wanted to give his defensive coordinator autonomy. This makes sense when you take into account that he'll be mostly focused on the offense, so he'll need someone he can trust to get the most out of the other side of the ball.
On the other hand, the Jaguars head coach wants his players to be animals. He'll need the right defensive coordinator to make it happen. Who will it be? We'll know in the upcoming days. For the time being, here are the candidates Jacksonville has interviewed for the position.
Daronte Jones, Minnesota Vikings pass-game coordinator and defensive backs coach
There are many reasons the Minnesota Vikings didn't miss a beat in the post-Kirk Cousins era. Head coach Kevin O'Connell surely ranks at the top. Having Sam Darnold in the fold also helped. But getting to the playoffs in 2024 was a team effort, the Vikings might not have pulled it up without their top-notch assistants.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores certainly deserves praise, but so does pass-game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones. After all, the Minnesota secondary was among the best in the league. Former Jags cornerback Shaquill Griffin had a career year in 2024 while the Vikings got outstanding play from safety Cam Bynum, a potential target in free agency.
Griffin wasn't the only cornerback who excelled under Jones' tutelage. Byron Murphy played well enough to join the top-10 conversation, while veterans Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore remained effective. That's in part thanks to Jones' work.
Patrick Graham, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator
Patrick Graham has garnered consideration for head-coaching vacancies in recent years. In fact, he interviewed twice for the Jaguars' vacancy in this hiring cycle. He has yet to earn an opportunity, but it may be a matter of time before he does. Who couldn't he?
Graham has been a defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, the New York Giants, and the Las Vegas Raiders. Even though he routinely lacked top talent to work with, he put together solid units more often than not.
In Las Vegas, Graham got the best out of defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson and had him playing like a viable starter. Linebacker Robert Spillane has also had the best seasons of his career under his guidance. The same is true for defensive tackle Adam Butler.
The bottom line is that Graham can push the right buttons to untap his players' potential at all three levels of the defense. That could come in handy in Jacksonville.
Aubrey Pleasant, Los Angeles Rams assistant HC/defensive pass game coordinator
Heading into the 2024 season, Aubrey Pleasant got assistant head coach added to his responsibilities. At the time of the promotion, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay deserved the position because of his leadership skills and ability to influence people. Both are traits Liam Coen is surely looking for in his next defensive coordinator.
The Rams' defensive front is loaded with young talent, but their secondary also played well last season despite lacking game-changers. Pleasant helped get the most out of Akhello Witherspoon, Kamren Curl, and former Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams.
Anthony Campanile, Green Bay Packers linebackers coach/run game coordinator
You could make the case that Anthony Campanile isn't nearly as accomplished as other candidates, but the Green Bay Packers would surely want to do as much as they can to keep him around. Heck, he had a chance to be the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants last year but head coach Matt LaFleur managed to convince him to join his staff.
While Campanile wasn't leading the defense in 2024, he certainly played a part in the Packers ranking seventh against the run and third in rushing yards allowed per carry last year. This was the first time they gave up fewer than 100 yards in a game in 15 years.
Campanile's work should earn him a promotion anytime soon; maybe with the Jaguars.