Ryan Nielsen (USA TODAY Sports)
The Jaguars announced the hiring of Ryan Nielsen as their new defensive coordinator on Monday.
Ryan Nielsen’s Background and Coaching History
Nielsen, formerly with the Atlanta Falcons, served as their defensive coordinator in the past season. Before that, he spent six seasons with the New Orleans Saints in various roles, including defensive line coach, assistant head coach, and co-defensive coordinator.
Nielsen steps in for Mike Caldwell, who head coach Doug Pederson fired the day after the 2023 season ended.
Excitement from Head Coach Doug Pederson
Expressing excitement about the new addition, Pederson stated, “We’re excited to welcome Ryan and have him lead our defense moving forward,” Pederson said in a statement. “Ryan is an outstanding football coach and his defenses with the Falcons and Saints were always fundamentally sound in both their physicality and concepts. His ability to teach and connect with players is exceptional, fostering lasting relationships built on trust and accountability. What I’ve most admired about Ryan’s defenses — and we saw this in London back in October — was their shared intensity and enthusiasm to get the job done and impact the game.”
Nielsen’s Impact with the Falcons
During Nielsen’s tenure with the Falcons, their defense significantly improved in various areas, finishing in the top 10 in the NFL for passing, third-down, and red-zone defense. Notably, Atlanta ranked third in third-down defense (33.8%) and fourth in red-zone defense (45.3%).
The Falcons’ sack total also doubled under Nielsen, going from 21 in 2022 to an impressive 42 last season. Additionally, they led the league in the highest percentage of man coverage in 2023 (63.8%), according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Nielsen’s Coaching Journey and Experience
Ryan Nielsen became available for hire after the Falcons’ head coach, Arthur Smith, was let go on January 8. Nielsen’s coaching journey began in 2002 as a volunteer assistant at USC, with subsequent stops at five other colleges before joining the Saints in 2017.
Jaguars’ Defensive Struggles in 2023
Mike Caldwell, hired by Pederson in 2022 as a first-time coordinator, showed initial improvement in some areas in his first season, but the Jaguars’ defense struggled in 2023. The team lost five of the final six games, conceding an average of 29.2 points and 146.8 rushing yards per game in those losses. The lone victory was a 26-0 shutout against Carolina, which ended the season with the worst record in the NFL.
This report used information from ESPN.
