Indian American Sean Desai Named Defensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have named Indian American Sean Desai as their next defensive coordinator, the team announced this week. He replaces Jonathan Gannon, who left this offseason to become head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

Desai, 39, was associate head coach and defensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks this past season. Before that, he was defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, “working with the defensive backs/linebackers/special teams,” according to an Eagles press release. He was named Bears’ safeties coach in 2019 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021. He was the first Indian American coordinator in NFL history. This will be his 11th season as a coach in the NFL.

“Desai inherits one of the league’s top defensive units from last season,” The Athletic noted. Pete Carroll, head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks told The Athletic that Desai is “really, really a brilliant football guy,” adding that he has the characteristics to be a successful defensive coordinator. He said the information Desai holds, and “his access to information is really special. He helped us a ton getting going and making a year’s transition.”

Before joining the Bears, Desai was the running backs coach/special teams coordinator at Boston College. In the 2012 season, Desai also coached Boston College running back Andre Williams, who went on to win the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back a year later.

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Before his time at Boston College, Desai was the assistant director of football operations at the University of Miami in 2011 after spending five seasons at Temple (2006-10) as a defensive and special teams coach. At Temple, Desai also served as an adjunct professor in 2009 and 2010, teaching in the master’s and doctoral programs in education administration. He earned the nickname “Doc,” because of his doctorate in educational administration, with an emphasis on higher education. In 2011, Desai joined the University of Miami as the assistant director of football operations.

Desai received his undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science, with a minor in biology, from Boston University in 2004. Desai earned a master’s degree in higher and postsecondary education from Columbia University in 2005.