BREAKING: Jaguars Request Panthers' Jonathan Cooley For DC Interview

Could the Jacksonville Jaguars hire former Rams assistant Jonathan Cooley as defensive coordinator?

Jul 31, 2022; Irvine, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive backs coach Jonathan Cooley during training camp at UC Irvine. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars are continuing to expand their list of defensive coordinator candidates, adding a fifth name to the mix on Tuesday.

"Jaguars requested to interview Panthers pass-game coordinator Jonathan Cooley for their defensive coordinator role," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on social media. "Cooley is from the Rams coaching tree and overlapped with new Jacksonville coach Liam Coen."

Cooley is the fifth name connected to the job following Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach and passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant, and Green Bay Packers linebackers coach Anthony Campanile.

New Jaguars head coach Liam Coen previously worked with Cooley while the two were assistants with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, a year in which Cooley served as a defensive assistant and quality control coach on Sean McVay's staff.

Cooley became the assistant secondary coach in 2021 before the Rams promoted him to defensive backs coach in 2022. In 2023, Cooley joined the Carolina Panthers are secondary/cornerbacks coach alongside defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Now, Cooley could have a chance at a big promotion.

Coen spoke to reporters on Monday about what he is looking for in the role, which is set to be arguably the most important hire the first-year head coach makes in 2025.

"I'm gonna be involved, but it's more the shared vision of the identity, the style of play. How do we continue to drive home the message of the style of play that we want to work with and play with that's within the meetings, like being in the meeting sometimes," Coen said.

"I'm going to be very involved, obviously, as we know, with the offense and Trevor and all that, but being just the presence felt, and doing more team meetings and doing them together so that, like we talked about this, where it's not Offense, Defense, Teams, it's here. So I'll be involved, but I'm not going to be overbearing. I want that guy to have autonomy. I want that guy to have confidence, to be able to go and do it, and feel like his personality and his moral compass is showing on the product."

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