A former South Carolina Gamecock is on the move in the professional coaching world.
According to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Arizona Cardinals are hiring Rod Wilson to be the team’s new inside linebackers coach. The Cardinals’ current linebackers coach, Cristian Garcia, will move to safeties. The move is expected to be the final major move for new head coach Mike LaFleur in Arizona.
Wilson had spent the last four years and seven of the last nine in various roles with the Kansas City Chiefs. He won three Super Bowl rings with Kansas City, one as a special teams assistant and two more as a defensive assistant. Most recently, he was the team’s outside linebackers coach.
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Wilson was a former starter for the South Carolina defense and also spent some time coaching with his alma mater.
To start his playing career under head coach Lou Holtz, Wilson was on the offensive side of the ball. A high school quarterback, he transitioned to the wide receiver position before moving to defense. Splitting time between the safety, linebacker, and hybrid “spur” positions, Wilson became a team captain. During his final season in garnet and black, he earned some All-SEC recognition and led the team in total tackles.
Following graduation, he enjoyed a six-year career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He got into coaching shortly thereafter, getting his first collegiate coaching opportunity at Charleston Southern.
Following three years at CSU and his first stint with the Chiefs, Wilson spent the 2020 season coaching linebackers at South Carolina under head coach Will Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson. He helped guide Ernest Jones to an All-SEC campaign that season, ahead of third-round NFL Draft selection.