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Report: Jaguars to Hire Buccaneers LB Coach Mike Caldwell as DC
The Jacksonville Jaguars have zeroed in on Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell to become their next defensive coordinator, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The two sides are currently working on finalizing a contract, per Garafolo.
Caldwell spent the last three seasons as the Buccaneers' inside linebackers coach, playing a critical role in the development of Pro Bowl linebacker Devin White alongside long-time Bucs star linebacker Lavonte David.
Prior to his time with Tampa Bay, Caldwell coached inside linebackers for the New York Jets from 2015-18 while Todd Bowles, now the Bucs' defensive coordinator, was the Jets' head coach.
He also coached inside linebackers for the Arizona Cardinals (2013-14) under now-Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, as well as the linebacker unit as a whole for the Philadelphia Eagles (2011-12), following a promotion from assistant linebackers coach and quality control coach that gave his coaching career a kick-start in Philadelphia.
Caldwell played with new Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson with the Eagles in 1999 and coached alongside Pederson in Philadelphia from 2009-12.
This opportunity is Caldwell's first as a defensive coordinator. Despite Pederson's previous 4-3 defensive scheme as a head coach in Philadelphia, the Jaguars intend to maintain the 3-4 structure that was built in Jacksonville during the 2020 season. Caldwell can certainly help build upon the scheme in place as Tampa Bay has deployed an aggressive and disruptive 3-4 scheme since Bowles' arrival in 2019.
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