John Pease, the Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive line coach for the team's first six seasons, has been promoted by head coach Tom Coughlin to serve as the Jaguars' assistant head coach. A 15-year veteran as an NFL coach, Pease is entering his 32nd year of coaching and is one of just six Jaguars assistants who has been on the coaching staff for all six seasons.
"John Pease has been an important part of our continuity and our success," Coughlin said. "His wealth of knowledge and experience both here and in other programs has benefited us, and in particular the players he has coached. His role on the staff will be much broader, and I will lean on him for support in specific areas."
Pease's expanded duties will include coordination of the team's offseason strength and conditioning program, as well as assisting Coughlin in the organization and logistics of the April minicamp and the June pre-camp. He will have additional administrative assignments involving scheduling and training camp.
The 56-year-old Pease joined the Jaguars as defensive line coach on January 12, 1995 after nine seasons as the New Orleans Saints' defensive line coach. His coaching career also includes three seasons in the United States Football League and 13 years of coaching at the college level.
Pease began his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Utah in 1968-69. In 1970 Pease became a full-time coach at Fullerton College, followed by stops at Long Beach State, Utah and Washington. From 1983 to '85 he served on the staff of the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars along with Dom Capers under head coach Jim Mora. The Stars won the USFL championship in 1984 and '85, and the next year Mora became head coach of the Saints. Pease joined the Saints staff that year and spent the next nine seasons in New Orleans. In three of Pease's last five seasons there, the Saints advanced to the playoffs.
A junior college player and a graduate of the University of Utah, Pease was an All-Western Athletic Conference wingback and was on the training camp roster of the Los Angeles Rams after completing his college playing career. He was twice named Junior College All-America for Fullerton Junior College. In 1999 he was inducted into the California Community College Football Coaches Hall of Fame.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pease served in the military in Puerto Rico and also coached high school football prior to coaching at the collegiate level.
