LSU safeties coach Jake Olsen is expected to be hired by the Washington Commanders, according to multiple reports Friday, giving the Tigers a vacancy to fill on their defensive staff.
Olsen coached LSU’s safeties the past two seasons after returning with defensive coordinator Blake Baker from Missouri. Olsen was previously an analyst who worked with the LSU linebackers in 2021, when he overlapped for one year with new Commanders defensive coordinator Daronte Jones in Baton Rouge.
Olsen, a North Dakota native, has spent most of his coaching career in Louisiana. He had stints at Nicholls State, UL-Monroe and Northwestern State before coming to LSU for the first time. He then went to Missouri for two seasons as the linebackers coach and returned with Baker when LSU overhauled its defensive staff before the 2024 season.
Baker now has to address the opening before the start of spring practice March 24. Though listed as the secondary coach, Corey Raymond focused on cornerbacks the past two seasons.
The rest of LSU’s defensive staff has undergone a couple changes going into head coach Lane Kiffin’s first season. LSU hired a new interior defensive line coach in Sterling Lucas from South Carolina, and Chris Kiffin was named co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
At safety, LSU brought back potential starters in redshirt junior Tamarcus Cooley and junior Dashawn Spears. It also added Boise State senior Ty Benefield and Ohio State sophomore Faheem Delane last month as part of a top-ranked portal class. The Tigers have to replace first-team All-SEC selection AJ Haulcy and find a new starter at the Star position, a hybrid linebacker/safety role in Baker’s defense.