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Jacksonville Jaguars, Liam Coen begin coordinator search with Vikings' Daronte Jones
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- Jacksonville Jaguars, Liam Coen begin coordinator search with Vikings' Daronte Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is taking no time to get started on filling out his coaching staff.
The newest Jags head coach will be officially introduced at 3:30 p.m.
According to a report from NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, the Jaguars interviewed Minnesota Vikings defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones for the team's defensive coordinator position.
Pelissero also reported over the weekend that Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is a "top candidate" for Jacksonville's defensive coordinator role.
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COEN TALKS: Liam Coen ready for 'opportunity of a lifetime' as new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach
The Jaguars interviewed Graham hours before they met with Coen in person last week. Graham interviewed virtually for the team's head coaching job Jan. 11 before meeting with him for an in-person interview Jan. 23.
Jones, 46, has been with the Vikings since 2022 after re-joining the franchise as the team's defensive backs coach. He was promoted to defensive pass game coordinator in 2023.
Jones was originally the Vikings' defensive backs coach in 2020 before becoming the defensive coordinator at LSU in 2021.
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Who is Daronte Jones, Jaguars defensive coordinator candidate?
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jones grew up in Maryland and attended Temple and Morgan State University during his collegiate football career. Jones played at Temple for one season as a corner before transferring to Morgan State.
Jones was forced to end his playing career after his second season at the latter due to injuries that led to nerve damage.
Jones began his coaching career at Lenoir-Rhyne in 2001 as a graduate assistant before moving on to various colleges and high schools from 2002-04 before returning to the big state with Bowie State as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator (2005-09).
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Jones jumped around again in 2010 as a graduate assistant at UCLA before moving to Canada to coach the Montreal Alouettes' defensive backs in 2011.
Jones bounced around to Hawaii (2012-14) and Wisconsin (2015) before finally leaping to the NFL as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins (2016-17) and cornerbacks coach with the Cincinnati Bengals (2018-19) before joining the Vikings in 2020.
Where are the Jaguars in their coach-hiring process?
Jacksonville is still in the early days of hiring a coaching staff for Coen.
Jaguars Hall of Famer and the franchise's first draft pick, left tackle Tony Boselli has worked closely with owner Shad Khan during the team's coaching search.
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan laughs with hall-of-fame and former offensive tackle, Tony Boselli, during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars edged the Colts on a field goal 37-34. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Boselli has not been officially given a title with the franchise but is expected to take on some role within the organization.
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Boselli went on 1010XL's The Drill Monday morning and commented on the team's search and where they'll go from here, noting first that the team "got the guy we wanted" about Coen's hiring.
When asked about when the team will make a move on the general manager position, Boselli said hiring a GM is not the focus at this point, mentioning that the team wants to focus on Coen.
The implication is that Jacksonville will want to move on the team's assistant coaches primarily before turning their attention to who the next GM could be. Currently, Ethan Waugh is the team's interim GM.
When can Jaguars' Lian Coen hire defensive, offensive coordinators?
The Jaguars are required by NFL rules to interview at least two external minority candidates for coordinator positions.
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The Rooney Rule applies to all major coaching and front-office positions including head coach and general manager.
Once the rule is satisfied, the Jaguars can hire their coordinator.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars coordinator search: Who is Daronte Jones?
