Jason Semore - Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Jason Semore

Title:
Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers

Jason Semore joins Memphis as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coaches after one season at Southern Miss.

During the 2025 season, Semore completely turned the Golden Eagles defense around, helping them to become a 7-5 bowl eligible team after going 1-11 the previous season. The team's 21 interceptions ranked first in the country while the 26 total turnovers created put Southern Miss top four in all of Division I. Boasting a 1.00 turnover margin, the Golden Eagles held opponents to under 28 points per game, a more than 10-point difference from the year prior.

A 2025 FootballScoop Coach of the Year finalist, Semore saw five of his guys be named to Sun Belt postseason honors with linebacker Chris Jones being named to the first team and linebacker Michael Montgomery being honored as a third-team selection.

The league's leading tackler, Jones, ranked seventh nationally in total tackles, averaging 10.7 per contest. Jones was the first Golden Eagle to record 100-plus tackles in a season since D'Nerius Antoine in 2015 and produced the most since Gerald McRath registered 137 in 2008.

As for Montgomery, he finished second on the team in tackles, as well as No. 3 in the Sun Belt and No. 16 nationally in tackles at 9.2 per contest. His tackle total also included 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He picked off two passes and forced a fumble, while also adding two pass breakups.

During the 2024 regular season, Semore helped the Thundering Herd capture the Sun Belt Conference championship by presenting an attacking defense that saw them rank No. 11 nationally in 3rd down conversions allowed (.316). They also ranked No. 22 in sacks (2.77), No. 26 in tackles for loss (6.8) and No. 34 in turnovers gained (20).

He helped oversee the league’s Player of the Year in defensive lineman Mike Green, while Marshall enjoyed three defensive first-team all-conference performers and four overall on the three-team selections.

In his first season at Marshall, the Herd defense saw themselves in the top 25 nationally in several categories, including No. 9 in red zone defense (.740), No. 19 in opponent’s 3rd down conversions (.324), No. 20 in sacks (2.69) and No. 23 in tackles for loss (6.7).

Semore got his opportunity at Marshall after enjoying a one-year stint back at Georgia Tech as linebackers coach, after previously having served there as a defensive analyst.

In his first season back with the Yellow Jackets, Semore groomed All-ACC linebackers Ayinde Eley and Charlie Thomas, who both ranked in the top 25 nationally in total tackles. Eley also ranked third nationally in fumbles forced and Thomas ranked 22nd nationally in fumble recoveries. For his efforts coaching the position, Semore was named among FootballScoop’s Linebackers Coaches of the Year.

Semore was a defensive analyst at Georgia Tech for two seasons before helping lead Valdosta State to the 2021 NCAA Division II national championship game as defensive coordinator in 2021. In Semore’s lone season at the helm of VSU’s defense, the Blazers ranked among the top 20 nationally in defensive touchdowns (No. 7 – 4), pass defense (No. 15 – 160.0 ypg), red-zone defense (No. 15 – .673) and fumble recoveries (No. 16 – 12). Valdosta State ranked among the top two in the Gulf South Conference – one of Division II’s most competitive leagues – in 10 different defensive statistical categories, including scoring defense (No. 2 – 22.7 ppg), en route to a 12-2 overall record and national runner-up finish.

A 15-year coaching veteran at the collegiate level, Semore has had successful stints as a defensive coordinator at Valdosta State (2021), Montana (2016-17) and Colorado School of Mines (2014), as well as serving as the co-defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Adams State (2008-09).

In addition to his experience as a defensive coordinator, Semore’s collegiate coaching career also includes five years as a defensive analyst at Tech (2019-20), Temple (2018) and Oklahoma State (2012-13), a season as secondary coach and special teams coordinator before being promoted to defensive coordinator at Montana (2015), two seasons as outside linebackers coach at Tulsa (2010-11) and a season as secondary coach at Colorado School of Mines (2007). He began his coaching career as defensive coordinator at Round Valley H.S. in Springerville, Ariz.

In Semore’s two seasons as a defensive analyst at Georgia Tech, the Jackets ranked among the nation’s top 40 in pass defense (207.7 ypg) and top 25 in red-zone defense (.774) in 2019 and ranked No. 2 nationally in fumble recoveries (12 in 10 games) and No. 25 in total takeaways (18 in 10 games) in 2020. In his lone season at Temple, the Owls ranked among the top four teams nationally in defensive touchdowns (No. 1 – 8), forced turnovers (No. 3 – 31), fumble recoveries (No. 3 – 13) and interceptions (No. 4 – 18).

Prior to joining Temple, Semore helped lead Montana to three-straight winning seasons and produced the Big Sky Conference’s top-ranked defense as the Grizzlies’ defensive coordinator in 2016 (349.0 ypg).

Other career highlights include a 10-2 season as defensive coordinator at Colorado School of Mines, bowl appearances in each of his four seasons at Oklahoma State and Tulsa and leading Arizona’s Class 3A in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense in his lone season at Round Valley H.S.

Semore played at Adams State, where he was a linebacker from 2001-05 and earned a bachelor’s degree in history, government and philosophy in 2005. He also has two master’s degrees from the University of Phoenix (2007 – criminal justice) and the University of Tulsa (2012 – educational methods).

Semore, and wife, Jessy, who were married in 2019, have three daughters, Paityn, Palmer and Rose, and a son, Decker.