Jaguars hiring Ryan Nielsen as new defensive coordinator, report
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars are filling their defensive coordinator position with Atlanta’s Ryan Nielsen, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Nielsen spent last year as the defensive coordinator with Atlanta. The Jaguars initially requested to interview Nielsen after firing Mike Caldwell, but the Falcons blocked the interview request. But that was nullified when Atlanta fired head coach Arthur Smith after the season.
Nielsen was in Atlanta for just one season and led a significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball. He was in New Orleans prior to that as the defensive line coach. Atlanta allowed 362.1 yards and 22.7 points per game in 2022. The yards average ranked 27th in the league and the points were 23rd. Under Nielsen, Atlanta improved to 321.1 yards allowed, a jump to the 11th-best in the NFL. Atlanta was 18th in points (21.9), one spot behind Jacksonville.
Nielsen takes over for Caldwell, whose two seasons running the defense were a mixed bag. Head coach Doug Pederson fired Caldwell and essentially the entire defensive staff just hours after his final press conference of the season. Jacksonville’s defense was ragged down the stretch, allowing nearly 30 points per game as the team imploded with a 1-5 finish. The lone win was a 26-0 victory over Carolina, which was the league’s worst team.
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