Report: Baylor hiring Western Kentucky's Jamar Chaney as ILB coach

The Baylor Bears are expected to hire a coach who spent some time with the Florida Gators and Mississippi State Bulldogs at one point in his career. The Bears are hiring Western Kentucky’s Jamar Chaney as their inside linebackers coach, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

Chaney was hired as Western Kentucky’s outside linebackers coach in March of 2023. He also worked at Florida, where he was their recruiting coordinator and a defensive analyst. Chaney helped guide the Gators to a massive win over the 7th ranked Utah Utes at the start of the season. He also worked at Florida in 2019 as their assistant director of player personnel.

In between his different stints with the Gators, Chaney also worked as a defensive senior analyst for his alma mater, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Before joining the college coaching ranks, he spent time as a high school head coach for St. Lucie West Centennial High School. There, he guided them to an 11-8-1 record, taking the program to their first playoff appearance in seven years.

In his college playing days, Chaney suited up for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. During his four seasons there, he established himself as one of the better tacklers in program history, racking up 286 tackles and six sacks in 49 games. He earned All-SEC honors in 2007 after he led the Bulldogs with 89 tackles. As a true freshman in Starkville, he played in all 11 games, tallying 31 tackles on the season. Chaney finished 2006 with 66 total tackles.

In his season opener in 2008, he suffered a season-ending injury on the next to last snap of the game, breaking his fibula and tearing ligaments in his ankle. Later, he received a medical redshirt for that season to regain one more year of eligibility.

Heading into the 2010 NFL Draft, he was selected to play in the 2010 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Chaney finished with eight tackles and recovered a fumble, earning Defensive Player of the Game honors for the South team.

Chaney would go on to be selected in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for a number of other teams in the National Football League: the Atlanta Falcons, the Denver Broncos, and the Oakland Raiders. During his career in the NFL, he finished with 163 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and three interceptions.