Eagles Defensive Assistant Leaving For College Job

After three seasons with the Eagles, Tyler Yelk is leaving to become the safeties coach at Nebraska.

NovaCare Complex practice bubble | John McMullen/Eagles SI

Eagles defensive assistant Tyler Yelk is leaving the organization after three seasons to join the University of Nebraska as the safeties coach, an NFL source confirmed to Eagles On SI.

Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports was the first to report the coaching move.

Yelk was a college teammate with Nebraska defensive coordinator Rob Aurich at Minnesota-Duluth, where Yelk was an All-American defensive back and finished as the school’s all-time leading tackler.

Yelk arrived to the Eagles as assistant to the head coach in 2023 and was promoted to head coach quality control for Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX-winning season in 2024 before being promoted again to defensive assistant last season.

Before landing on Nick Sirianni’s staff, Yelk had coached the safeties at Idaho. 

Other stints included mentoring the safeties and nickel backs at Temple for three seasons where Yelk became familiar with Philadelphia. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule is a former coach of the Owls but he and Yelk never crossed paths on North Broad Street.

Yelk also had coaching stints at Northern Illinois (safeties), South Dakota (co-defensive coordinator and safeties), Western Illinois (defensive backs, special teams, and co-DC), and UMD (defensive backs/special teams), his alma mater.

Significant Turnover

Eagles secondary coach Christian Parker chats up DeVonta Smith at practice. | John McMullen/Eagles On SI

Earlier this offseason, the Eagles lost defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Christian Parker when division-rival Dallas named him its new defensive coordinator.

The Eagles replaced Parker by promoting former safeties coach Joe Kasper to the role of defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator. 

Meanwhile, the head of the defensive staff, Vic Fangio contemplated retirement but is expected to return for the 2026 season, after extensive lobbying by the team.

The offensive staff has seen even more turnover with Sean Mannion taking over as offensive coordinator, Josh Grizzard as passing game coordinator and Ryan Mahaffey as run game coordinator/tight ends.

The Eagles are expected to move on from 2025 passing game coordinator Parks Frazier, long-time tight ends coach Jason Michael, and quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler, while offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland announced his decision to leave Philadelphia after 13 seasons.

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