Former Michigan Assistant Emerges As Top Target For Georgia Tech's Linebackers Coach

Georgia Tech has remade its defensive coaching staff this offseason, and Michigan assistant Brian Jean-Mary is the Yellow Jackets' top target for the linebackers coaching position

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) Michigan Wolverines defensive run game coordinator/linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary heads on to the field for the game against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech might be closing in on a new linebackers coach.

According to On3 Sports reporter Pete Nakos, Georgia Tech's top target for the open linebackers coaching position is former Michigan/Tennessee assistant Brian Jean-Mary. Jean-Mary was the defensive run game coordinator at Michigan in 2025.

Former Michigan assistant Brian Jean-Mary has emerged as a top target for Georgia Tech's linebackers coach, sources tell @Kelly_Quinlan and I for @On3.

Was the defensive run game coordinator at Michigan in 2025. Was previously at Tennessee. https://t.co/JxgEjTNWyP pic.twitter.com/tOq9sPOoPT

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) January 18, 2026

Georgia Tech has remade its defensive staff after having one of the worst in the ACC. Jason Semore has been brought in as the defensive coordinator and Vinnie Sunseri has been named the safeties coach. Jean-Mary has a lot of experience and Georgia Tech's linebackers should benefit from this hire.

What does he bring to Georgia Tech?

Jean-Mary is a 24-year coaching veteran with expertise on the defensive side of the ball and experience as an assistant head coach, having spent 10 seasons on the defensive staffs of Charlie Strong. He has coached in 20 bowl games and been part of four conference championship-winning teams during his career. An ace recruiter, Jean-Mary has helped produce top-15 signing classes at Texas (three), U-M, Tennessee (two), and Georgia Tech (one), along with a top-30 class at Louisville.

Jean-Mary has helped 10 players hear their names called in the NFL Draft: Louisville defensive backs Calvin Pryor (2014, first round) and Johnny Patrick (2011, third round), Louisville defensive ends Marcus Smith (2014, first round), Lorenzo Mauldin (2015, third round), Greg Scruggs (2012, seventh round), Michigan linebacker Cameron McGrone (2021, fifth round), Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks (2015, third round), Louisville linebackers Preston Brown (2014, third round) and Deiontrez Mount (2015, sixth round), and Georgia Tech linebackers Gerris Wilkinson (2005, third round) and Philip Wheeler (2008, third round).

In 2024, Jean-Mary led a linebacker group that was part of the NCAA's No. 10-ranked unit in total defense. The rushing defense (fifth) kept eight teams under 100 yards. Ernest Hausmann (89 tackles, 54 solo) and Jaishawn Barham (66, 40) set new career highs and finished as the defense's leading tacklers, and Hausmann was honorable mention All-Big Ten. Jimmy Rolder (26 tackles, 1.5 for loss) also had his most productive season as a Wolverine.

During his first stint in Ann Arbor, Jean-Mary helped Josh Ross (53 tackles), Michael Barrett (44), and McGrone (26) lead the linebacker unit; Ross set a high in solo tackles despite a six-game season. Barrett was All-Big Ten honorable mention in his first year as a starter while linebackers combined for 8.5 of the team's 24 tackles for loss.

At Tennessee, Jean-Mary helped the Volunteers rank top-10 in tackles for loss in all three seasons and top-10 in sacks once. Twice, the defense was top-20 in rushing defense and red zone defense. Linebacker Jeremy Banks totaled 128 tackles in Jean-Mary's first season, the most by a UT linebacker since 2012. The defense doubled its TFL output (108) from the year before. In 2022, the Volunteers won 11 games including the Orange Bowl.

Over three seasons as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at USF (2017-19), Jean-Mary helped the Bulls' defense become one of the nation's best at forcing turnovers, defending the pass, and getting to the quarterback. USF collected 69 turnovers across three seasons (24, 21, 24) and ranked top-30 in turnovers twice. The Bulls ranked top-five in tackles for loss twice and in red zone defense once. In his first year, the Bulls led the American Conference in total defense, improving from 120th to 37th from the year before, and scoring defense, improving from 92nd to 41st. Defensive tackle Deadrin Senat was one of five all-conference defenders before being drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

At Texas, Jean-Mary developed four All-Big 12 linebackers and an All-American in Hicks (2014). UT averaged more than three sacks per game and ranked top-12 nationally in sacks in all three seasons he was on staff, including two top-five campaigns. Texas was top-25 nationally in six categories in 2014 and led the nation in fumble recoveries, finishing 11th the following years.

Before Texas, Jean-Mary worked as assistant head coach/linebackers coach at Louisville where the Cardinals won 37 games and two Big East Championships (2011, '12) across four seasons (2010-14). UL won three bowl games including the 2013 Sugar Bowl over No. 4 Florida. Louisville's .885 win percentage (23-3) was the fourth-best in the nation across the 2012-13 seasons. Louisville posted back-to-back 7-6 seasons in 2010-11 and won a share of the 2011 Big East Title. The defense was top-20 in five categories in both seasons, including top-10 marks in pass defense and sacks per game in 2010, and rushing defense in 2011.

The Cardinals went 11-2 in 2012 to finish 13th in the BCS Standings with top-25 marks in passing defense and total defense. In 2013, the unit was among the nation's best, leading the country in total defense, rushing defense, sacks per game, first downs allowed, and third-down defense with five other top-10 rankings.

Jean-Mary spent six seasons coaching linebackers at Georgia Tech from 2004-09, guiding the defense to rank top-30 in rushing, scoring, and total defense in five of his six years on staff. The Yellow Jackets led the nation in sacks and ranked second in tackles for loss in 2007 and finished top-20 in both categories in 2008. In 2009, Georgia Tech went 11-3 with an ACC Championship and made the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl.

Jean-Mary got started as a graduate assistant on the strength and conditioning staff at Louisville in 2000 before spending two seasons under Lou Holtz at South Carolina as a defensive graduate assistant coach (2001-02). He then got his first full-time coaching job at North Alabama (2003), a highly successful NCAA Division II program, where he helped the Lions go 13-2, win the Gulf South Conference Championship, and clinch a berth in the semifinals of the 2003 NCAA Division II playoffs while allowing 14.1 points per game (sixth nationally).