Grading The New Defensive Coordinator Hire For The Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech football is entering a new defensive era. Georgia Tech lost defensive coordinator Blake Gideon, who took a high defensive role with the Texas Longhorns. The biggest question was who would replace Gideon. Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets hired Jason Semore to fill the vacant role. Seymour comes in with nearly 20 years of coaching experience. He most recently served as the defensive coordinator for Southern Miss.

Southern Miss was really good in several areas, including creating turnovers, where they ranked tied-3rd in the nation with 29 takeaways, including 23 interceptions. The Golden Eagles were also ranked in the top 50 in the nation with 29 sacks this season and averaged 2.23 per game. He specializes in areas that the Yellow Jackets have struggled with, which is turnovers and sacks this past season.

Here is a little bit more on what he has done in his career via our own Jackson Caudell

“In his first season back with the Yellow Jackets, Semore groomed All-ACC linebackers Ayinde Eley and Charlie Thomas, who both ranked in the top 25 nationally in total tackles. Eley also ranked third nationally in fumbles forced, and Thomas ranked 22nd nationally in fumble recoveries. For his efforts coaching the position, Semore was named among FootballScoop’s Linebackers Coaches of the Year.

In his first season at Marshall, the Herd defense saw themselves in the top 25 nationally in several categories, including No. 9 in red zone defense (.740), No. 19 in opponent’s 3rd down conversions (.324), No. 20 in sacks (2.69) and No. 23 in tackles for loss (6.7).

During the 2024 regular season, Semore helped the Thundering Herd capture the Sun Belt Conference championship by presenting an attacking defense that saw them rank No. 11 nationally in 3rd down conversions allowed (.316). They also ranked No. 22 in sacks (2.77), No. 26 in tackles for loss (6.8), and No. 34 in turnovers gained (20). He helped oversee the league’s Player of the Year in defensive lineman Mike Green, while Marshall enjoyed three defensive first-team all-conference performers and four overall on the three-team selections.”

Before his time with the Thundering Herd, he paid his dues with the Yellow Jackets.

Semore first joined the Yellow Jackets staff as a defensive analyst in 2019 and 2020, assisting a defensive unit in transition and helping to coach scheme and detail work behind the scenes. He then came back as linebackers coach in 2022, where he was instrumental in developing standout players and boosting the team’s physicality at the second level. Here are some of the numbers he put together as a defensive analyst per his Southern Miss bio.

“In Semore’s two seasons as a defensive analyst at Georgia Tech, the Jackets ranked among the nation’s top 40 in pass defense (207.7 ypg) and top 25 in red-zone defense (.774) in 2019 and ranked No. 2 nationally in fumble recoveries (12 in 10 games) and No. 25 in total takeaways (18 in 10 games) in 2020. In his lone season at Temple, the Owls ranked among the top four teams nationally in defensive touchdowns (No. 1 – 8), forced turnovers (No. 3 – 31), fumble recoveries (No. 3 – 13) and interceptions (No. 4 – 18).”

Semore also served time at Temple, Oklahoma State, Montana, Tulsa, and Colorado School of Mines. Overall, it is a very good hire for the Yellow Jackets to replace their vacancy and move in a different direction next fall. It won’t be easy as the Yellow Jackets replace a good bit of their roster. To take the next step in 2026, Georgia Tech needs its defense to be better and more consistent. They must improve against the run and get more pressure on the quarterback. They certainly have the talent and the players; now they need a scheme and system that fits them.

Overall Grade: B+

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