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Jacksonville Jaguars complete interview with Patrick Graham for defensive coordinator job
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- Jacksonville Jaguars complete interview with Patrick Graham for defensive coordinator job
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is getting the ball rolling on interviewing candidates for expected vacant positions on his coaching staff.
Coen already confirmed that special teams coordinator Heath Farwell will return and noted his reasonings to local writers in a scrum not long after his introductory press conference Monday.
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INTRODUCING: Jacksonville Jaguars' Liam Coen calls job opportunity of a lifetime, taking challenge head-on
Now, he is turning his direction to the rest of the staff, apparently starting with the defensive coordinator position.
After interviewing Minnesota Vikings defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones for the position, Coen turned to former Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham later Monday evening.
The team announced they completed an in-person interview with Graham for the defensive coordinator position Monday night.
Graham, 45, was also interviewed this month for the team's previously vacant head coaching job.
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Who is Jaguars defensive coordinator hopeful Patrick Graham?
Sep 18, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham reacts in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Graham has an extensive coaching history in the NFL dating back to 2009 when he began as a coaching assistant with the New England Patriots .
Graham didn't take long to move up the ranks, changing positions multiple times including to defensive assistant (2010), linebackers coach (2011), defensive line coach (2012-13) and back to linebackers coach (2014-15) before moving on from New England .
Graham continued his career with the New York Giants as the team's defensive line coach (2016) before moving on to the Green Bay Packers as a linebackers coach and run game coordinator (2018) before finally becoming a defensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins in 2019.
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Graham left his gig with the Dolphins to become the defensive coordinator under then-head coach Joe Judge for two years (2020-21). He became the Raiders' DC in 2022.
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 Khan confirmed Monday that the Hall of Fame left tackle will be given some role with the team after they speak to the league about logistics.
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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 interview Patrick Graham for defensive coordinator
