Jason Semore Hired as USM’s Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss football coach Charles Huff announced Friday the hiring of Jason Semore as defensive coordinator/linebacker coach for the 2025 season.

Semore comes to Hattiesburg after spending the last two seasons at Marshall holding the same position.

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.