Eagles announce Temple defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot as their new linebackers coach

Eliot replaces former linebackers coach Nick Rallis, who left Philadelphia to become Jonathan Gannon’s defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals.

D.J. Eliot is leaving Temple's football program after one season to become the Eagles' new linebackers coach.Read moreTYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer

by Javon Edmonds and EJ Smith

Published March 9, 2023, 4:02 p.m. ET

The Eagles hired Temple defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot as their next linebackers coach Thursday, filling one of the few assistant coaching vacancies the team has remaining.

Eliot, 46, is leaving the Owls after just one season calling the defense and has worked as a college assistant for the duration of his coaching career. He’ll replace Nick Rallis, who joined Jonathan Gannon’s newly formed staff with the Arizona Cardinals as their next defensive coordinator. The Eagles, who have long limited their investment in the linebacker positions, got quality play from T.J. Edwards during Rallis’ two-year tenure.

Eliot is the first defensive assistant hired since the team announced Sean Desai as its new defensive coordinator last week. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and Desai will still need to find a defensive backs coach to replace Dennard Wilson, who was passed over for the defensive coordinator job. Wilson and the team agreed to part ways and the assistant found a job with the Baltimore Ravens in short order.

The Eagles reportedly considered former Detroit Lions coach and Patriots coordinator Matt Patricia to coach linebackers before choosing Eliot. Patricia had notable run-ins with current Eagles captain Darius Slay during their shared time in Detroit. The veteran cornerback has said in the past that he lost all respect for Patricia because of their rocky relationship.

Before Eliot’s time with Temple, he spent one season as the defensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2019. He’s held assistant coaching roles with Colorado, Kentucky, Florida St., Rice, Tulsa, and Texas State during his career, which started as a graduate assistant for Wyoming in 1999. He overlapped with Eagles special-teamer and edge rusher Kyron Johnson during his time with the Jayhawks.

In his lone season at Temple, the Owls pass defense ranked second in the American Athletic Conference at 198.6 yards allowed per game. Temple also led the conference in sacks with 38, edging Cincinnati by three sacks even though the Bearcats played one more game.

As for Temple, the move makes it the fourth change to its coaching staff this offseason.