Rising Up the Coaching Ranks: Former Chargers Safety a Hot SEC Defensive Coordinator

The Los Angeles Chargers will return for training camp and continue the mission of replacing one of the best defensive coordinators in franchise history this offseason after losing Jesse Minter to a head coaching vacancy with the Baltimore Ravens. Luckily for the Chargers, Minter had an heir apparent in his coaching tree and the Chargers hired former member of the coaching staff Chris O'Leary from his duties as defensive coordinator at Western Michigan.

There is somewhat of a pipeline developing from Jesse Minter's professional ties between the NFL and several college programs, most notably Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. O'Leary has deep ties to Jesse Minter after being a player at Indiana State while Minter was on the coaching staff. O'Leary later got his first coaching opportunity under Minter at Georgia State.

O'Leary forged his own path to Notre Dame while Minter went to the NFL. While at Notre Dame, O'Leary worked under defensive coordinator Clark Lea. Lea was hired by Vanderbilt as the new head coach following the 2020 season and O'Leary recommended Jesse Minter to Lea for the defensive coordinator position.

The rest of the Vanderbilt connection is history with Minter and O'Leary reuniting in 2024 in Los Angeles, eventually leading to present day. Vanderbilt has since bounced through several options following Jesse Minter's departure including Lea himself calling the defense in 2024.

Rising coach under a familiar tree

Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Steve Gregory works with his team against Georgia State. — Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Steve Gregory works with his team against Georgia State during the first quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Lea and the Commodores promoted former Chargers safety Steve Gregory to defensive coordinator in 2025 after he was hired as co-defensive coordinator in 2024 under Lea. Gregory is the latest connection to the Chargers to continue his ascension up the college coaching ranks.

Gregory joined the Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse following the 2006 draft and spent six years with the team. He is also not just a former Chargers player in terms of connections to the team and coaching staff, he was also a member of Mike McDaniel's 2022 Miami Dolphins staff as the safeties coach.

As a defensive coordinator, Gregory helped the Commodores defense make dramatic strides in his first season. Gregory turned the heat up in terms of pressure, blitzing and attacking downhill. Under Lea, the 2024 defense was very reminiscent of Jesse Minter's style of a defense focused on keeping a lid on the offense and limiting explosive plays. The 2025 Vanderbilt defense was much more aggressive, commonly attacking the line of scrimmage and utilizing the linebackers on the line of scrimmage much more frequently.

Vanderbilt's defense jumped from 126th in the nation in scoring defense to 50th in one season while also landing the 18th best rushing defense in the country. Gregory is looking to improve in his second season of play calling with added reinforcements from the transfer portal.

The SEC can be an intense proving ground for a young coach but Vanderbilt's coaching staff fully believes in Gregory and his abilities. “He's a genius. He's a savant with the game,” said Seth Payne, Vanderbilt's defensive line coach when asked about Gregory.

If the Chargers need to add a defensive coach in the future, assuming he continues improvement against SEC competition, expect to hear Steve Gregory as a potential fit given the ties to the current staff and the franchise.

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