Jimmy Brumbaugh
Position: Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach
Age: 43
Salary: $650,000/year
Track Record:
2019 — Colorado, DL Coach
2017-18 — Maryland, Co-Defensive Coordinator/DL Coach
2013-16 — Kentucky, DL Coach
2012 — East Mississippi Community College, DL Coach/Strength and Conditioning
2011 — Syracuse, DTs Coach
2010 — Syracuse, DL Coach
2008-09 — Louisiana Tech, DL Coach
2006-07 — LSU, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
2005 — Chattanooga, DL Coach
Bio:
A solid blend of experience and youth, Jimmy Brumbaugh brings several years of expertise to Tennessee’s defensive line while also being relatively young still at 43 years of age. He has a track record of being a strong developer of talent and has produced several all-conference defensive linemen in his coaching career.
Brumbaugh served as Colorado’s defensive line coach in 2019, joining Mel Tucker’s staff when he was hired as the Buffaloes’ head coach. Prior to that, he was a co-defensive coordinator at Maryland as well as their defensive line coach for two seasons. He’s also coached defensive lines at Kentucky, Syracuse, and Louisiana Tech.
The veteran position coach is credited with having developed several future NFL draft picks along the defensive line. At Kentucky, he coached Bud Dupree and helped turn him into a first-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also coached Za’Darius Smith at UK, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.
All in all, four of Brumbaugh’s defensive linemen earned All-SEC honors while at Kentucky.
While at Syracuse, Brumbaugh coached Chandler Jones to All-Big East honors, and Jones was taken No. 21 overall in the first round by the New England Patriots in the 2012 NFL Draft.
At Colorado, Brumbaugh helped develop Mustafa Johnson into an All-Pac 12 honorable mention in 2019, earning 57 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks.
In his one season at East Mississippi Community College, Brumbaugh coached the defensive line and was the strength and conditioning coordinator. Six of the defensive linemen he coached in just that one season signed Division I scholarships, including Za’Darius Smith, who he would end up coaching at Kentucky.
Brumbaugh coached under Les Miles at LSU as a strength and conditioning coach from 2006-07. There, he helped the Tigers win a national title.
In total, Brumbaugh has helped coach 12 NFL Draft selections, including five players taken in the first round of the draft.
Brumbaugh has served as a co-defensive coordinator before, doing so at Maryland for two seasons. The Terrapins’ defense showed substantial improvement from Brumbaugh’s first to his second season as co-defensive coordinator, jumping from 120th nationally in scoring defense in 2017 (37.1 PPG) to 78th in 2018 (28.7 PPG).
As a player, Brumbaugh was a starting defensive lineman at Auburn. The Gainesville, Florida native played for the Tigers from 1995-99 and started 44 games, recording 291 tackles and 15 sacks. He was a Freshman All-SEC selection in 1995 and was voted a Second Team All-SEC lineman in 1996 and a First Team All-SEC performer in 1997.
