Derrick LeBlanc (luh-BLON) enters his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025 as assistant defensive line coach. LeBlanc brings 25 years of coaching experience to Jacksonville, including 21 years at the collegiate level, primarily with the defensive line.
LeBlanc most recently spent two seasons as defensive line coach with the Arizona Cardinals (2023-24). Under LeBlanc's leadership, the Cardinals' 7.5 sack percentage ranked fourth in the NFL in 2024. Arizona's 41.0 sacks ranked eighth in the NFC and 13th in the NFL in 2024, with three defensive linemen setting single-season career-highs (Dante Stills, 4.5; L.J. Collier, 3.5; and Naquan Jones, 3.0).
As assistant defensive line coach for Miami in 2022, LeBlanc assisted a defensive line that helped the Dolphins finish fourth in rushing defense (103.0 rushing yards allowed per game), the team's best ranking since 2011 (third). LeBlanc helped DT Christian Wilkins and DT Zach Sieler to record breaking seasons. Wilkins totaled 98 tackles, the most by any NFL defensive lineman since 1994 and the highest total in team history. He also posted a career-high 16 tackles for loss. Sieler established a career-high 70 tackles, putting him and Wilkins in the top five in the NFL among defensive tackles.
Prior to coaching in the NFL, LeBlanc spent one season (2020) at the University of Arkansas following three seasons (2017-19) at the University of Kentucky. In 2020, LeBlanc served as defensive line coach at Arkansas where DT Jonathan Marshall became the Razorbacks only selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. During his tenure at Kentucky (2017-19), the Wildcats went to three consecutive bowl games. In 2018, Kentucky had their best finish in 41 years with 10 wins, and the Wildcats ranked fourth in the SEC in yards allowed per game (337.9). Kentucky held six opponents under 100 rushing yards for the first time since 1949.
Prior to Kentucky, LeBlanc spent one season as defensive line coach at North Texas (2016) and helped a defense that allowed 8.6 points per game less than they did the previous year. LeBlanc spent the 2015 season as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach at Pearl River Community College following two seasons (2013-14) as the defensive line coach at Southern Mississippi where he coached future pros DT Khyri Thornton and DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Thorton was named second-team All-Conference USA in 2013 and was drafted by Green Bay Packers in the third-round of 2014 NFL Draft. Nunez-Roches was a First-Team All-Conference USA selection in 2014 and was drafted by Kansas City in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
LeBlanc served as defensive line coach at Wyoming in 2012 where he mentored future NFL DT Mike Purcell, who earned First-Team All-Mountain West Conference honors. He was an assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at LSU (2008-11) where the team won the SEC Championship in his final season and made an appearance in the BCS National Championship game.
He coached the defensive line at Missouri State (2006-07) and Arkansas Tech (2005) after spending four seasons (2001-04) at Henderson State (2001-04) where he also served as the team's strength and conditioning coordinator. While at Henderson State, LeBlanc got his first coaching experience in the NFL with the Chicago Bears in 2004 as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
LeBlanc began his coaching career as an offensive line/defensive line coach at Breaux Bridge (LA) High School in his hometown, and started collegiately as a graduate assistant at LSU in 2000. He played four seasons (1992-96) as both an offensive and defensive lineman at Northwestern State where he earned Southland Conference All-Academic team honors as a junior and senior.
LeBlanc graduated from Northwestern State with a degree in business administration and earned a master's degree in sports administration from LSU. He and his wife, Niema, have two sons, Dayton and Derrick, and a daughter, Kennedy.
