The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Defensive Passing Game Coordinator and Secondary
An accomplished defensive backs coach at the Power 5 level along with Notre Dame, Terry Joseph was named defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach at Texas on January 22, 2021.
Texas’ 2023 defensive backfield has been highlighted by standout Jahdae Barron, a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist who led the crew with 61 tackles (32 solo) while adding 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and a career-high six pass breakups. Terrance Brooks, Jerrin Thompson and Michael Taaffe lead the team with three interceptions a piece, while the Longhorns as a whole tallied 16 interceptions, the 10th-most in the nation.
The 2022 Longhorns featured a defensive backfield with a quartet of honorable mention All-Big 12 honorees in Barron, Thompson, Anthony Cook and Ryan Watts. Texas was 12th in the nation with three defensive touchdowns, two by Barron, and 34th in defensive passing efficiency at 123.64, while ranking 27th in scoring defense at 21.6 points per game.
In 2021, Joseph tutored honorable mention All-Big 12 honorees B.J. Foster and Cook, helping guide them to career years. Foster tallied a career-high three interceptions that ranked third in the conference, while also registering a career-high 47 tackles (26 solo). Cook recorded a career-best 46 tackles (27 solo), including three tackles for loss.
Joseph arrived in Austin after spending three seasons in South Bend, the last two as defensive passing game coordinator and all three as defensive backs coach. During that time, he helped the Fighting Irish post a 33-5 record, earn two College Football Playoff appearances, a pair of No. 5 rankings in the final polls (2018 & 2020) and a No. 11 ranking in 2019.
In 2020, the Irish ranked in the top 25 nationally in fumbles recovered (10/8th), third down conversion percentage defense (.314/12th), scoring defense (19.7/14th), tackles for loss (7.5/17th), rushing defense (113.0/16th) and total defense (343.6/25th). The defense had six straight games allowing fewer than 100 yards rushing en route to a 10-2 record, including a win over No. 1 Clemson, an undefeated regular season and appearances in the ACC Championship Game and College Football Playoff.
Under Joseph, sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton flourished and earned third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press, along with being named first-team All-ACC by both the AP and conference coaches, and was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award. He led Notre Dame with 63 tackles, including 51 solo stops, and recorded 4.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups and one interception. Members of the secondary made up four of the team’s top six tacklers and those four combined for 26 pass breakups. Joseph oversaw senior Shaun Crawford's transition from cornerback to safety and earning honorable mention All-ACC honors.
The previous season, Notre Dame’s defense ranked in the top five in passing yards allowed per game (168.5/3rd) and passing efficiency defense (110.15/5th), along with leading the nation in fumble recoveries and positioning in the top 20 in scoring defense (17.9/12th) and total defense (321.6/18th). The Irish were 11-2 for the season with a win over Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl.
Safety Alohi Gilman was on the watch lists of the Thorpe Award and Nagurski Trophy and led the defensive backs with 74 tackles and three forced fumbles, while Hamilton was named a freshman All-American by The Athletic after collecting four interceptions and six pass breakups. Cornerback Troy Pride, Jr., also had six pass breakups and went on to be selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, while Gilman followed two rounds later to the Los Angeles Chargers. Safety Jalen Elliott was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent.
Notre Dame posted another perfect regular season and appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2018, going 12-0 and then only falling to eventual champion No. 2 Clemson in the Cotton Bowl. The defense was ranked in the top 10 nationally in passing yards allowed per attempt (5.6/t-2nd), fewest touchdown passes allowed (10/3rd), pass efficiency defense (105.6/6th), fewest plays of at least 30 yards (17/t-10th) and fewest TDs allowed (28, t-10th).
Junior CB Julian Love was a consensus first-team All-American and finalist for the Thorpe Award after amassing 16 pass breakups and three fumble recoveries. He went on to be a fourth-round pick by the New York Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft. After Irish safeties failed to record an interception in 2017, a first for the program since 1964, Elliott and Gilman had four and two, respectively, in 2018.
Joseph went to Notre Dame following one season as the defensive backs coach at North Carolina. He tutored cornerback M.J. Stewart, who will participate in the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl. A two-time All-ACC honorable mention selection, Stewart registered 45 tackles, 12 pass breakups, 5.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in 2017.
Prior to joining the Tar Heels staff, Joseph served as the defensive backs coach at Texas A&M for three seasons (2014-16). He tutored an Aggies pass defense in 2015 that ranked fourth nationally in passing yards allowed per game and 18th in pass efficiency defense. Joseph was instrumental in the position switch of Brandon Williams in 2015. Williams, who converted from a running back to cornerback prior to the start of the 2015 season, ultimately developed into a third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. In 2016, Joseph mentored All-SEC strong safety Justin Evans who also was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award.
Previously, Joseph spent two seasons at Nebraska as its secondary coach (2012-13). Despite the loss of two returning starters, his 2012 secondary led the nation in opponent completion percentage (47.1 percent), ranked fourth in pass defense (168.2 yards allowed per game) and ninth in pass efficiency defense (105.32), while helping the Cornhuskers to a 10-win season. The 168.2 passing yards per game NU allowed was the second-fewest by a Husker defense since 1993, while the 47.1 completion percentage was the lowest for Nebraska since 2001.
Individually in 2012, Cornhusker safety Daimion Stafford earned first-team All-Big Ten honors under Joseph’s tutelage after leading the conference with four interceptions in league play. Stafford ranked second on the team with 96 tackles, and he forced two fumbles and recovered a pair of fumbles. Cornerback Ciante Evans earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from CBS and honorable-mention accolades from the league’s coaches. He totaled 56 tackles and ranked second on the team with eight pass breakups. Cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste led Nebraska with nine pass breakups and recorded a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown against Minnesota. Evans registered a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown against Idaho State. Senior safety P.J. Smith also earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors in 2012. The Cornhuskers’ three overall interception returns for touchdowns tied for its most since 2006, while the Huskers’ 13 interceptions in 2012 eclipsed its 2011 total.
Before coming to Nebraska, Joseph spent two seasons as the defensive backs coach at Tennessee, where he also served as the recruiting coordinator. Joseph helped the Volunteer defense rank among the nation’s top pass defenses in both 2010 and 2011. In 2011, UT finished 12th nationally in passing yards allowed with an average of just 177.8 yards per game. Joseph oversaw a young defensive backfield, including true freshman Brian Randolph, who earned SEC all-freshman honors.
In Joseph’s first season in Knoxville in 2010, he helped the Vols rank in the top 20 in the nation with 18 interceptions, and the group played a key role in a late-season run that earned Tennessee a trip to the Music City Bowl. Safety Janzen Jackson and cornerback Prentiss Waggner each earned second-team All-SEC honors. Waggner returned a school-record three interceptions for touchdowns.
Joseph joined the Tennessee staff after working under Derek Dooley for three seasons at Louisiana Tech from 2007-09, where he also served as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator. Joseph played a key role in a defensive turnaround at Louisiana Tech.
The highlight of Joseph’s stint at Louisiana Tech came in 2008, when the Bulldogs finished second in the Western Athletic Conference and earned their first bowl trip in seven seasons. Tech completed an 8-5 season with a 17-10 victory over Northern Illinois in the Independence Bowl.
Joseph also coordinated Tech’s recruiting efforts, and the 2009 class was ranked second in the WAC. He was ranked as one of the top five recruiters in a non-BCS conference by Rivals.com.
Joseph worked alongside former Nebraska and current Youngstown State head coach Bo Pelini as a defensive graduate assistant at LSU in 2006. During his one season in Baton Rouge, Joseph helped the Tiger defense rank third nationally in total defense. LSU finished the year with a Sugar Bowl victory over Notre Dame.
Joseph began his coaching career in the Louisiana high school ranks, working as an assistant coach at two New Orleans area schools. He worked at Archbishop Shaw from 1999-2002 and at Destrehan High School from 2003-05.
Joseph earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing/business administration from Northwestern State in 1996. He was a baseball standout at the school, and is one of only 12 players in Southland Conference history to earn first-team all-conference honors three straight seasons. Joseph, who was named the 1995 Southland Conference and Louisiana Player of the Year, twice earned Academic All-America honors (1993, 1995). He helped the Demons capture three straight SLC championships and held 10 different school records when his collegiate career ended.
Joseph was a 13th-round Major League Baseball Draft choice of the Chicago Cubs and played four seasons in the minor leagues with the Cubs and San Diego Padres.
Joseph comes from a football coaching family as his cousin Vance Joseph is the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, and another cousin, Mickey Joseph, is the wide receiver coach at LSU.
A native of New Orleans, Joseph’s family includes his wife, Amanda, and daughters Taylor and Lynleigh.
