3 Observations on the Jaguars Hiring Anthony Campanile As DC

What do we make of the Jacksonville Jaguars hiring Anthony Campanile as defensive coordinator?

Green Bay Packers linebackers/running game coordinator Anthony Campanile is shown during the team’s mini camp Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen made the most important hire of his young career this week, tabbing Green Bay Packers linebackers/running game coordinator Anthony Campanile as his new defensive coordinator.

“Anthony Campanile represents exactly what we want to be as a defensive unit and football team,” Coen said in a statement. “He brings an aggressive defensive mindset and a system that is adaptable to our players and allows them to play fast and physical.”

So, what do we make of the hire and how it impacts the defense moving forward? We break it down below.

The reviews on Campanile are in

It certainly appears the Jaguars have hired a coach who players truly love going to battle for. The clips of Campanile from 'Hard Knocks' have made the rounds, but we have also spoken with people throughout the league to get an idea for what kind of reputation the Jaguars' newest coordinator have. And the verdict is that it is a good one.

Campanile was described by one league source as "an intense but loyal coach who always his player's backs. They have his, too." For all of the issues the Jaguars had with last year's defensive staff that seemed to struggle to connect with the modern athlete, it does not appear the Jaguars will have them again. Whether that leads to success is to be determined, obviously, but it is a good sign.

Campanile has strong influences

In terms of coaches Campanile has served under and learned from, the list is quite impressive. He has been an assistant on Don Brown's staff at Michigan, worked under Brian Flores in Miami and then worked on Vic Fangio's staff in Miami in 2023. Add in Jeff Hafley, and those are some impressive names and defensive minds to influence Campanile moving forward.

Exactly what kind of scheme Campanile is set to bring into Jacksonville is to be determined, but he does have plenty of past resources to call upon. Flores and Fangio are at the forefront of defensive advancement in the NFL and it can be only a positive that Campanile has been able to learn how to lead a defense from them.

Coen is taking a bold roll of the dice

When it came to some of the other head coaches hired this cycle, they went with defensive coordinators who are so experienced that they have actually been head coaches before -- Steve Wilks with the New York Jets, Matt Eberflus with the Dallas Cowboys, and Dennis Allen with the New Orleans Saints. Coen, however, is going with an opposite approach by hiring the up-and-coming Campanile. who has only been coaching in the NFL since 2020.

Make no mistake -- it is a bold roll of the dice by Coen for his first defensive coordinator hire. But it is also a hire in a coach who is largely seen as ready to take on such a job. And if Jeff Hafley had landed a head coach job anywhere this offseason, it is fair to assume Campanile would have been his defensive coordinator at that stop. It is a high-ceiling move, though it does buck tradition and come with its own risks.

Coen can also find experience in other spots on the staff. It would not be a shock to see a name like Ron Rivera connected to the Jaguars in some fashion, for example. It was not a requirement that he finds it at the defensive coordinator role by any means. This is also not a new trend for the Jaguars by any means, with Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson also hiring first-time defensive coordinators.

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