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Nate Dreiling, Jordan Thomas, and More Top Defensive Position Coach Hires of 2025

Top Defensive Position Coach Hires, including Oklahoma LB coach Nate Dreiling and Boston College DL coach Jordan Thomas

Avatar photoMike Huesmann
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By Mike Huesmann

Following yesterday’s offensive position coach list, we move to the defensive side of the ball and throw in the special teams because we can’t forget about those guys. Reminder, one has to be solely a position coach and not a coordinator to make this list, they have their own, with special teams being the exception. Here are my favorite defensive position coach hirings so far.

Defensive Line:

Jordan Thomas, Boston College

It’s usually a good thing when you can hire a coach away from the NFL and that is what Bill O’Brien did here. Thomas spent last season with the Cleveland Browns on the defensive side of the ball with Jim Schwartz and Mike Vrabel, both of whom recommended him. Prior to the Browns, he was the DL coach for his alma mater, San Diego State, and Brady Hoke.

Linebackers:

Nate Dreiling, Oklahoma

The last calendar year has been a whirlwind for Dreiling, the likes of which few have ever faced. He’s had four employers in that time period. He was first the DC at New Mexico State under Jerry Kill. When Kill left. Dreiling took the DC job at Utah State, where he became interim head coach in July and led the Aggies to a 4-8 record. This offseason, he took the DC job with Arkansas State and Butch Jones for all of about three weeks before going to Oklahoma last week to coach LB’s. This doesn’t happen unless you’re sought after. Behind all the moves he is one of the top young minds in the game.

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Defensive Backs:

Nick Perry, Arkansas

Perry was a heck of a hire for Sam Pittman. He started his coaching career under Nick Saban, who he also played for at Alabama. After the Tide, Perry had two NFL coaching stops. The first with Atlanta, where he would coach on both sides of the ball, spending time as the assistant defensive backs and assistant wide receivers coach. He then moved to Seattle with Mike McDonald this past season. He now becomes an FBS on-field position coach, leading the DBs at Arkansas.

Special Teams:

Chad Lunsford, Auburn

There aren’t a ton of former FBS head coaches but Lunsford is one of them. The longtime Georgia Southern assistant and head there from 2018-2021 was hired by Hugh Freeze to lead the special teams for Auburn. Lunsford has spent the last few years at FAU under both Willie Taggart and Tom Herman. Lunsford ended 2024 as the interim head coach after Herman was fired. Good hire for Freeze, who’s grace period is now over.

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