Jaguars Reportedly Tab Mike Caldwell as Doug Pederson's Defensive Coordinator
The Jacksonville Jaguars continue to round out their staff around new head coach Doug Pederson, this time reportedly making the first of three coordinator hires.
According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the Jaguars will hire Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers coach Mike Caldwell as defensive coordinator. Pederson and Caldwell were teammates with the Eagles in 1999 and were on the same Eagles staff from 2009-2012.
Selected in the third-round of the 1993 NFL Draft, Caldwell spent 10 years as a linebacker in the NFL and played for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and Carolina Panthers.
- Philadelphia Eagles (2008–2009): Defensive quality control coach
- Philadelphia Eagles (2010): Assistant linebackers coach
- Philadelphia Eagles (2011–2012): Linebackers coach
- Arizona Cardinals (2013–2014): Inside linebackers coach
- New York Jets (2015–2018): Assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019–2021): Inside linebackers coach
Caldwell got his first NFL job under Andy Reid in 2008, joining the Eagles as a defensive quality control coach. He was eventually promoted to assistant linebackers coach and then ultimately linebackers coach before Reid's staff was fired after the 2012 season.
Caldwell then followed Todd Bowles -- a member of the Eagles' 2012 staff -- to Arizona, where he would serve as inside linebacker coach for the next two seasons. He followed Bowles to New York when Bowles became head coach, joining the staff as assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach and serving in that role for all four of Bowles' seasons.
Caldwell has been Tampa Bay's inside linebackers coach for the last three seasons, leading the development of Devin White and helping Lavonte David have some of the best seasons of his career as the Tampa Bay linebacker group has surged.
Pederson said on 1010XL with Hays Carlyon that he was a fan of the Jaguars' defensive structure and he would look to keep it mostly intact. This would suggest a blitz-heavy, multiple defense that is mostly built out of the 3-4. This matches Bowles' defense to a tee, making Caldwell a logical hire for Pederson.
"That's obviously the big topic when it comes to the interview. As I look around the league and I even think about the staff that I worked with over -- and it evolved. It shaped itself over the five years there in Philadelphia," Pederson said about hiring a staff at his introductory press conference on Saturday. "At the end of the day, you find guys that you love coming to work with. And we all have the same common goal, to win games."
Pederson also reportedly selected former Cardinals and Broncos offensive coordinator and San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy as quarterbacks coach. The most popular name that has been associated with offensive coordinator is Press Taylor, who is expected to join Pederson's staff in some capacity.
"We work together, and we're in place, as I mentioned earlier, to help the player to become the best version of himself. And that's how you end up winning the game through one player at a time. Staff is important," Pederson said. "I love guys that are high energy guys because I'm going to be that way on the field, and guys that are great teachers and great communicators. It doesn't always have to be your best friend because there's some great coaches out there and there's some guys that -- it's just unfortunate, but there's only just so many spots on a coaching staff. You could fill them with a lot of good coaches.
"At the end of the day, I get the decision to make that choice, and through communication and, again, our process here, and that's who I want to surround myself with. It's an ongoing process now. Nothing is set. Nothing has been established. I'm going to be working on that here in the coming days."
