Former Atlanta Falcons Assistant Coach Lands In College Football

LUBBOCK – Former Atlanta Falcons outside linebackers coach Jacquies Smith has taken on a new position in the college ranks, according to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel. In a post on social media, Thamel reported that Texas Tech “is finalizing a deal to make Jacquies Smith the new OLB coach.”

Smith, 35, reportedly brings “significant recruiting experience in college from his time at Texas as an assistant edge coach.” He coached the Longhorns in 2023 before making the jump to the NFL, joining Raheem Morris’ staff in 2024. Smith had just one collegiate stop before Austin, with a three-year stint with Louisiana (2019-22) as defensive quality control coach.

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He played college football at Missouri from 2008 to 2011, before playing five seasons in the NFL. Smith made stops with the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, and Oakland Raiders. He appeared in 37 games (18 starts), recording 43 career tackles and 13.5 sacks.

As a member of the Falcons’ staff, the Atlanta defense broke the franchise record for sacks in a season. He helped James Pearce Jr. finish third in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year vote, and fellow first-round pick Jalon Walker put together a strong season of his own.

In his place, the Falcons have elevated John Timu from assistant defensive line coach under Nate Ollie to outside linebackers coach. That elevation was announced earlier this week.

Timu has spent the last two seasons (2024-25) as a defensive assistant for the Falcons, working closely with the team’s defensive line under Ollie in 2025. Last season, he helped his unit set a franchise record for sacks in a single season (57), including 8.5 from second-year defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus, a total that ranked first among NFC interior defensive linemen.

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Before Atlanta, Timu spent three seasons (2021-23) with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he served as assistant defensive line coach (2023), defensive assistant (2022), and Coaching Fellow (2021). He also spent two seasons (2019-20) as a graduate assistant at the University of Washington, his alma mater.

As a player, Timu played three seasons in the NFL (2015-17), all with the Chicago Bears. The former inside linebacker appeared in 29 games, recording 59 tackles and two tackles for loss.