The Jacksonville Jaguars just completed their most successful season in nearly two decades. It didn't matter that they lost to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs; they showed that they're one of the hottest teams with head coach Liam Coen at the helm.
Now, the Jags must start preparing for the offseason. They may also need to brace for the possibility of losing some of the pieces that made the 2025 turnaround possible. Already, the Cleveland Browns requested an interview with offensive coordinator Grant Udinski for their head-coach opening, and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is beginning to draw interest.
Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile is getting interest from the Miami Dolphins
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the Miami Dolphins put in a request to interview Anthony Campanile. This isn't necessarily surprising when you take into account that he took one of the worst defenses in the NFL to one of the best in the span of one year.
This past season, Jacksonville ranked eighth in points surrendered and 11th in total yards. Similarly, Jacksonville registered 21 takeaways and allowed a league-best 3.9 yards per carry. With Campanile at the helm, cornerback Montaric Brown, defensive back Antonio Johnson, and linebacker Devin Lloyd had career years.
It's also worth noting that if Campanile leaves, he could bring in Brown and Lloyd with him, so not only would the Jags lose their defensive coordinator but could also be at risk of losing a pair of defensive mainstays.
Whereas his predecessor, Ryan Nielsen, rubbed players the wrong way with his arrogant demeanor, Campanile made an effort to connect with them on a personal level. The year before he became the Jaguars defensive coordinator, he was the linebackers coach and run defense coordinator with the Green Bay Packers.
The Dolphins, for their part, dismissed Mike McDaniel after the 2025 season ended. During his stint in Miami, he had a 35-33 record. Aside from Campanile, they alreadyinterviewed Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and held a meeting with Kevin Stefanski.
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The Jaguars need to be ready for losing Anthony Campanile (but it will be huge if he stays)
The truth is that the Miami opening isn't particularly enticing. They don't have an answer at quarterback and need to decide what to do with Tua Tagovailoa. On top of that, the Phins have an aging roster that is in need of upgrades. Having said that, there are only 32 head-coaching openings in the NFL, seven to 10 in any given year, so nobody should blame Anthony Campanile if he jumps at the chance.
Of course, it's not a given that Campanile will leave the Jaguars. While he certainly has the qualifications to take the next step in his coaching career, he does not appear to be Miami's top candidate for the vacancy. Sure, another team could come in calling, but there's an equal chance he'll stick around.
The Jaguars would surely love to keep Anthony Campanile. After the success they had in his first season on the job, they would be able to pick up where they left off.