Jaguars Hire Former Packers Assistant As New Defensive Coordinator Under Liam Coen

The Jacksonville Jaguars are adding to their coaching staff under new head coach Liam Coen.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that the Jaguars have agreed to terms with Anthony Campanile to become their next defensive coordinator.

The #Jaguars agreed to terms with Anthony Campanile as their defensive coordinator, sources tell The Insiders.

It’s the first NFL DC job for Campanile, who most recently was Green Bay’s linebackers coach/running game coordinator. Now he joins Liam Coe in Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/nG9kwj2P0Z
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2025

Campanile interviewed with the Jaguars on Tuesday. Jacksonville also conducted interviews for their defensive coordinator vacancy with Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator and assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones.

Campanile takes over for former Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, who was fired earlier in January after two seasons with the team.

Campanile is set to join the Jaguars' coaching staff after most recently working as the Green Bay Packers linebackers coach and running game coordinator. Campanile, a former linebacker at Rutgers, began his coaching career as a student assistant for his alma mater before turning to the high school level. He coached at either the high school or collegiate level from 2005 to '19, before joining the Miami Dolphins as their linebackers coach in 2020. He spent four seasons with the Dolphins before heading to the Packers for the 2024 season.

This will be Campanile's first time working as a defensive coordinator at the NFL level. He previously was a co-defensive coordinator at Boston College in 2018, and served as both an offensive and defensive coordinator at the high school level.

Campanile will be tasked with improving a Jaguars defense that finished 31st in the NFL in total yards allowed per game, last in pass defense, and bottom-five in scoring defense. The Jaguars do have talented pieces defensively in rushers Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, but will need Campanile to utilize a better scheme and bring in a influx of talent to see that defense improve.