News - Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile Should Garner a Serious Look for Head Coach Jobs

As Breer notes, new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen took a bit of a gamble when he decided to hire Campanile to lead Jacksonville’s defense. The defensive coach took on run-game coordinator duties during his lone season with the Packers in 2024, but Campanile otherwise had only served as a linebackers coach at the NFL level (in stops with Green Bay and Miami). He also had a brief stint as co-defensive coordinator during his 2018 campaign at Boston College, but had otherwise never been responsible for running the entire defensive operation. Fortunately for Coen and the Jaguars, Campanile has run with the job. As Breer notes, Jacksonville’s defense has seen major improvements across the board in 2024, with the organization bumping their ranks in points allowed (27th to 11th), total defense (31st to 11th), and takeaways (32nd to 2nd). Breer adds that the Jaguars’ defense has also earned a reputation for their energetic play, a “sort of play-style and cohesion” that suitors would hope Campanile could bring to his next stop. “He’s been awesome,” edge rusher Josh Allen said of his DC (via Breer). “He lights us up every single day, every time he speaks. He speaks with confidence, he speaks with love that he has for the players and coaches. He makes my job a lot of fun.” It’s certainly not unprecedented for a coach to move from first-year coordinator to head coach. While Campanile is the potential candidate with the least amount of experience on Russini’s list, the reporter also included second-year coordinators like Anthony Weaver, Chris Shula, and Jeff Hafley. The Jaguars’ performance down the stretch and in the playoffs could go a long way in helping Campanile take another step in his career.