What to know about the NY Jets’ new assistant DL coach

The New York Jets pulled from the college ranks to hire their new assistant defensive line coach for the 2023 season.

03/23/2023

NY Jets, Shaq Wilson, South Carolina, DL Coach — Shaq Wilson, South Carolina, New York Jets, Getty Images

The New York Jets have hired South Carolina’s Shaq Wilson to be their new defensive line assistant coach

After losing Greg Scruggs to Wisconsin, the New York Jets didn’t take long to find their new defensive line assistant coach. ESPN’s Rich Cimini has reported that the team will be hiring South Carolina’s Shaq Wilson to fill the coaching vacancy.

Staff addition: #Jets have hired Shaq Wilson as their new assistant DL coach, per source. Comes from @GamecockFB, where he was a defensive analyst. Replaces Greg Scruggs, who went to @BadgerFootball.

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 21, 2023

Wilson was a defensive analyst at South Carolina, but he had been with the university for years, even as a player.

In 2008, Wilson signed with South Carolina as a three-star prospect out of First Coast High School in Florida. Wilson spent five years playing linebacker for the Gamecocks, eventually being named a team captain in his senior year in 2012.

Following his playing career, Wilson remained with the Gamecocks as a graduate assistant. He was given the defensive quality control coordinator position in 2014, before being promoted to assistant director of recruiting in 2016. In 2017, Wilson became assistant director of player personnel.

Wilson left the Gamecocks for a three-year stint with the Tennessee Volunteers, where he would become the assistant director of football sports performance, before returning to South Carolina as a defensive analyst.

Thankful For It All 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/U4czLyXFuC

— Shaq Wilson (@Shaq_Wilson) March 22, 2023

For the Jets, I think the hiring of Wilson is quite shrewd. Having an assistant coach with ties to recruiting, player personnel, and sports performance can help give the team an extra set of eyes where it matters most.

On top of that, it’s impossible not to root for a guy who’s truly put in the work to get to where he is now. That type of hunger doesn’t just fuel the competitive drive for players, but it can create excellent coaches as well.