Bob Babich
Most recent role: Defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2015)
The connection: No significant one
Pros: Babich has had a lengthy career – coaching both sides of the ball collegiately before moving on to the NFL and carving out a niche on the defensive side. He worked under Lovie Smith, who was the defensive coordinator in St. Louis at the time, with the Rams in 2003 as a linebackers coach. He then went with Smith to Chicago and stayed there until 2012 in various roles including assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He then added three years of NFL defensive coordinator experience in Jacksonville from 2013-15. Butch Jones went with the older coach with NFL experience when hiring Mike DeBord, so perhaps that’s a route he’d want to go on the defensive side of the ball too.
Cons/Questions: His defenses in Jacksonville were among the worst in the NFL the lats three years and he got fired this offseason. We’re not sure that UT or Babich have legitimate interest at this point, but we use him as somebody a little more in the DeBord mold that might be a touch off the radar that Jones could consider. We do know Jones loves NFL experience and ties and wants somebody who can take the defense to the next level, so keep an eye out for some NFL names, especially during this silly season of coaching changes around the league.
