With Ryan Nielson, two former Saints assistants reconnect
The Jacksonville Jaguars have appointed Ryan Nielsen, a former defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, as their new defensive coordinator. Additionally, Jacksonville’s defensive coaching staff appears to be quite familiar; Nielsen has reconnected with two former Saints teammates without delay.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Jaguars have hired Kris Richard. Most recently, Richard served as the Saints’ secondary coach in 2022 and co-defensive coordinator with Nielsen. Prior to that, he worked as the Cowboys’ defensive passing game coordinator and the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator. In 2023, he did not coach.
Cory Robinson was most recently appointed by Nielsen to the defensive staff. Previously, Robinson worked as an assistant defensive backs coach for both Richard and Nielsen while on the 2021–2022 Saints staff. Most recently, he was an analyst for the Tennessee Volunteers. Given all these coaching connections and their bottom-8 performance in both passing yards allowed and touchdown passes yielded in 2023, the Jaguars now appear like a potential bidder, especially with rumors circulating that Saints standout cornerback Marshon Lattimore might be traded this offseason.
