- Became an NFL head coach when he was hired by the Cardinals on February 14, 2023. Gannon came to Arizona after spending the past two seasons (2021-22) as the defensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles where he helped them advance to Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium.
- Gannon has 16 years of experience in the NFL with the Cardinals (2023), Eagles (2021-22), Colts (2018-20), Vikings (2014-17), Titans (2012-13), Rams (2009-11) and Falcons (2007).
- Led the Cardinals to three wins vs. teams that made the postseason in 2023, including two on the East Coast in the month of December in hostile environments (Pittsburgh and Philadelphia).
- Under Gannon, the Cardinals also had a historic season when it came to protecting the football in 2023. Arizona had eight games in which it committed zero turnovers last season, the most such outings in a single season in franchise history.
- In each of Gannon's two seasons (2021-22) as defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, the Eagles boasted a top-10 defense, ranking 2nd in total defense in 2022 (301.5 ypg) and 10th in the NFL in 2021 (328.8 ypg). In 2022 the Eagles also featured the NFL's top-ranked pass defense (179.8 ypg) and the league's 8th ranked scoring defense (20.2 ppg).
- Between 2021-22, the Eagles defense led the NFL with 99 sacks, ranked 3rd in total defense (315.1 ypg), 3rd in pass defense (200.4 ypg), 6th in tackles for loss (168), tied for 4th in total return TDs (7) and interception return TDs (4) and tied for 10th in interceptions (29).
- In 2022, the Eagles easily led the NFL with a franchise single-season record 70 sacks in the regular season. Philadelphia became the first team ever to have four different players with 10.0+ sacks in a single season.
Jonathan Gannon was named Arizona's head coach on February 14, 2023 when he signed a five-year contract. The 41-year old Gannon joined the Cardinals after spending two seasons (2021-22) as the defensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles. A Cleveland, OH native, Gannon has 16 years of experience in the NFL with the Cardinals (2023), Eagles (2021-22), Colts (2018-20), Vikings (2014-17), Titans (2012-13), Rams (2009-11) and Falcons (2007).
ARIZONA: In his first season with Arizona in 2023, Gannon led the NFL's third-youngest team that relied heavily on rookies but was also highly competitive. Despite playing the league's second-toughest schedule with eight games vs. playoff teams, the Cardinals held a lead in 14-of-17 games played.
Gannon's debut NFL season saw him help to develop the Cardinals rookie class, which led the NFL in combined starts (64) and combined snaps on offense and defense (4,654) in 2023. The Cardinals were the only team in the NFL to have rookies combine for 2,000+ snaps on offense and 2,000+ snaps on defense last season.
He also presided over one of the NFL's best rushing attacks in 2023. Arizona ranked 4th in the NFL in rushing yards (2,365) and 2nd in rushing average (5.02) while leading the league with four games of 200+ rushing yards. The 2023 season marked just the second time since 1970 - and first time in 44 years - the Cards finished a year ranked in the top-5 in the NFL in rushing yards (3rd in 1979).
Following the return of QB Kyler Murray, who missed the first nine games recovering from his knee injury suffered in 2022, Arizona's offense averaged 22.4 points per game and 362.8 yards per game in the final eight games of the season. In that stretch, the Cardinals featured the NFL's 9th ranked offense.
PHILADELPHIA: Prior to being hired in Arizona, Gannon spent two seasons (2021-22) as the defensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles. Under his direction, the Eagles boasted a top-10 defense in each season, ranking 2nd in total defense in 2022 (301.5 ypg) and 10th in the NFL in 2021 (328.8 ypg). In 2022 the Eagles also featured the NFL's top-ranked pass defense (179.8 ypg) and the league's 8th ranked scoring defense (20.2 ppg).
Philadelphia advanced to Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium after beating San Francisco in the NFC Championship and won the NFC East in 2022. The Eagles qualified for the postseason in both years Gannon was the defensive coordinator.
In 2022, the Eagles easily led the NFL with a franchise single-season record 70 sacks in the regular season. No other team in the NFL had more than 55. Philadelphia's 70 sacks in 2022 were the most by any team in a single season since the 1989 Minnesota Vikings (71). Combined with their eight sacks in the postseason, the Eagles 78 total sacks in 2022 were the third-most in NFL history behind only the 1984 (82 sacks) and 1985 Chicago Bears (80 sacks). Philadelphia also tied for 4th in the NFL in both total takeaways (27) and INTs during the regular season.
In his two seasons as defensive coordinator with Philadelphia, four different Eagles players combined for five Pro Bowl selections: Darius Slay (2), Haason Reddick (1), Javon Hargrave (1) and Josh Sweat (1). Reddick, Hargrave and Sweat all earned their first career Pro Bowl selections playing in Gannon's defense. Reddick and CB James Bradberry were each named second-team All-Pro in 2022.
Under Gannon's tutelage, Reddick ranked 2nd in the NFL with a career-high 16.0 sacks in 2022. He also led the NFL with five strip-sacks and tied for the NFL lead with five forced fumbles. At age 34, Graham had double-digit sacks for the first time in his career in 2022. He became the oldest player with 11.0+ sacks since Julius Peppers (37) and Terrell Suggs (35) in 2017.
Another player who had a career year under Gannon in 2022 was LB T.J. Edwards, who finished the regular season with 159 tackles, 2.0 sacks, seven passes defensed, 10 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. His 159 tackles were a career high and also were the highest single-season total for an Eagles defender since Byron Evans (175) in 1992.
Following three seasons in New Orleans, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson established a career high and tied for the NFL lead with six INTs in his first season with the Eagles in 2022. Playing in Gannon's defense, Gardner-Johnson had more INTs in 2022 (6) than he had in his first three NFL seasons combined (5). Bradberry (3 INTs, 17 PD) and Slay (3 INTs, 14 PD) finished the 2022 season as the only cornerback tandem in the NFL each with 14+ passes defensed and 3+ interceptions. Bradberry's 17 passes defensed ranked 3rd in the NFL.
Philadelphia (7 points allowed vs. NYG; 7 points allowed vs. SF) became the first team to allow seven points or fewer in multiple postseason games since the 2010 Baltimore Ravens (3 times). Prior to 2022, the last time Philadelphia gave up seven points or fewer in consecutive postseason games was during the 1948 and 1949 NFL Championships.
In his first season with the Eagles in 2021, Gannon directed the NFL's 10th-ranked defense (328.8 ypg). Philadelphia had the 2nd-most defensive TDs (5), allowed the 5th-fewest explosive plays (117) in the league and finished 9th in opponent rushing yards per game (107.9) and opponent three-and-out percentage (33.1%). Slay led the team with five takeaways and had an NFL-best three defensive TDs that season.
OTHER NFL EXPERIENCE: Gannon has 16 years of experience in the NFL. Prior to working with the Cardinals and Eagles, he was the defensive backs/cornerbacks coach with the Indianapolis Colts (2018-20) and the assistant defensive backs/quality control coach with the Minnesota Vikings (2014-17) after working as a defensive assistant with the Tennessee Titans (2012-13). He spent three seasons (2009-11) as a scout with the St. Louis Rams after beginning his NFL coaching career as a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.
During his three seasons with Indianapolis (2018-20), Gannon oversaw a secondary that helped the Colts rank 6th in the NFL in INTs (45, tied), 9th in scoring defense (22.5 ppg) and 10th in total defense (339.5 ypg) and red zone defense (55.9%, tied) during that span.
In Gannon's final season with Indianapolis in 2020, the Colts defense had the 5th-most takeaways (25) in the NFL and ranked 7th in INTs (15, tied), 8th in total yards allowed per game (332.1) and 10th in points allowed per game (22.6, tied). CB Kenny Moore (79 tackles, 13 PD, 4 INTs and 2.0 sacks) was the only defensive back in the NFL in 2020 with at least four INTs and 2.0 sacks that season.
In 2019, the Colts had the 7th-most INTs (15) and 10th-most takeaways (23, tied) in the NFL. The previous year, Gannon assisted a defense that amassed the 9th-most INTs (15, tied) in the league and ranked 10th in takeaways (26, tied) and points allowed per game (21.5).
As an assistant with the Vikings for four seasons (2014-17), Gannon helped the Vikings defense rank 2nd in the NFL in redzone defense (48.6%), 3rd in total defense (319.9 ypg), scoring defense (18.8 ppg), passing defense (214.6 ypg) and third-down defense (35.1%). CB Xavier Rhodes (2016-17) and S Harrison Smith (2015-17) were selected to multiple Pro Bowls during Gannon's tenure in Minnesota.
Gannon got his start in the NFL with the Falcons as a defensive assistant under head coach Bobby Petrino who was his head coach while he was a student at Louisville.
LOUISVILLE: Gannon played collegiately as a safety at Louisville and appeared in nine games as a redshirt freshman in 2002 before suffering a career-ending hip injury in his first career start at Cincinnati. As a true freshman in 2001, he was named the Cardinals defensive scout team player of the year. Following the injury, he worked as a student assistant at Louisville for three seasons (2003-05) and one season as a graduate assistant (2006) under Petrino.
PERSONAL: Gannon attended Saint Ignatius (Cleveland, OH) High School where he was an All-State defensive back and a standout in basketball and track & field. As a senior in 2001, he helped lead the basketball team to the school's first state championship and starred in the long jump and 110-meter hurdles, helping Saint Ignatius to their first track & field state championship that same year. Gannon was inducted into the Saint Ignatius Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
He and his wife, Gina, have three children – Rocco, Lola and Angelo.
