Jon Hoke returns to Chicago for the 2024 season as the defensive passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach. He has 43 years of coaching experience, including 19 seasons in the NFL.
During the 2023 season, Hoke was influential in the development of cornerback Tyrique Stevenson who started all 16 games games he has appeared in recording 84 tackles (63 solo) four interceptions, 16 passes defensed, one tackle for loss and two forced fumbles in his rookie season. Stevenson was anmed NFC defensive Player of the Week for his Week 17 perfomance against the Atlanta Falcons logging five total tackles (four solo), four passes defensed and two interceptions returned for seven yards. Veteran defensive back, Jaylon Johnson was named to his first career Pro Bowl, logging 36 tackles (31 solo), four interceptions, 10 passes defensed, one tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one defensive touchdown in 14 games (14 starts). From Weeks 12-15, Johnson allowed only 27 yards, caught two interceptions, forced four incompletions, and held opposing quarterbacks to a 9.7 passer rating while being the primary defender. Through the first 14 Weeks, he limited opposing quarterbacks to a 26.2 passer rating when targeted in single coverage, the lowest figure among all cornerbacks in 2023.
Hoke spent the previous two seasons (2021-22) with the Falcons as their secondary coach. During his first season in Atlanta in 2021, Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell limited opponents to 29 receptions for 200 yards on 66 targets and a tallied career-high three touchdowns. Terrell held opposing passers to a 47.5 passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus, marking the lowest passer rating by a cornerback that played at least 50 percent of coverage snaps last season. Terrell, in his second season, was named second-team AP All-Pro in 2021.
Prior to joining the Falcons, Hoke spent two seasons (2019-20) as Maryland's defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Before working with the Terrapins, he served as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three seasons (2016-18).
In 2018, third year safety Andrew Adams was near the top of the NFL leaders in interceptions with four, while six different Buccaneers tallied a pick. The year prior, Brent Grimes led the team with 11 passes defensed and tied for the team lead in interceptions, with three.
Hoke also helped oversee the development of rookie safety Justin Evans, who tied for the team lead with three interceptions, tied for the third-most amongst NFL rookies. Evans started the final 11 games he played in the season.
In Hoke's first season with Tampa Bay (2016), he helped coach a secondary that was responsible for 14 of the Buccaneers' 17 interceptions on the season. Grimes, who was named a Pro Bowl alternate in his first season with Tampa Bay, tied for the team lead in interceptions, with four, while leading the NFL in passes defensed, with 24. Tampa Bay's three safeties (Chris Conte, Bradley McDouglad and Keith Tandy) combined for 207 tackles, 23 passes defensed and eight interceptions. Hoke also assisted in the development of rookie cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who started all 16 games for the Buccaneers, recording nine passes defensed and one interception.
Hoke joined Tampa Bay after spending 2015 as South Carolina's co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach. Before returning to the college ranks, Hoke spent six seasons on the Chicago Bears' coaching staff (2009-14), working as the team's defensive backs coach.
Under Hoke's tutelage, cornerbacks Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman earned four Pro Bowl selections, with Tillman being named first-team All-Pro (2012) and Jennings being named second-team All-Pro (2012). During Hoke's six seasons, Chicago tied for the fourth-most interceptions in the NFL (111) and led the NFL in interceptions returned for touchdowns, with 20.
In 2012, Tillman and Jennings were both named Pro Bowl starters, the first cornerback tandem to do so since 1988 (Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield, Cleveland Browns). Jennings led the NFL with nine interceptions, tied for the second-most in Bears history while Tillman led the NFL with a career-best 10 forced fumbles. Hoke also helped guide safety Chris Harris to a second-team All-Pro selection (2010).
Prior to his time in Chicago, Hoke worked as the defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans for seven seasons (2002-08). During his time with the Texans, the defensive backs accounted for 82.8 percent (72 of 87) of the teams' interceptions.
Hoke began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Dayton in the fall of 1982. He spent the spring of 1983 as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State University before securing his first full time position at Bowling Green in 1983 as the Falcons secondary/special teams coach. He spent four seasons in Bowling Green before moving to San Diego to serve as the defensive backs/special teams coach at SDSU from 1987-88. He then spent the next five years as the defensive backs coach at Kent State University (1989-93), adding the title of defensive coordinator in his final season with the Golden Flashes. He then mentored the defensive backs at the University of Missouri for five seasons (1994-98) before joining the University of Florida's coaching staff in Gainsville in 1999.
Hoke spent three seasons (1999-2001) as the Gators defensive coordinator/secondary coach adding the title of assistant head coach in his final two years. In his last season with the Gators, Florida's defense ranked first in the SEC in total defense, scoring defense, pass efficiency defense, and was second in rushing defense.
A four-year letterman at Ball State (1976-79), Hoke garnered all-MAC honors as a defensive back. During his playing career, the Cardinals earned league titles in both 1976 and 1978. Hoke logged a brief stint in the NFL as a player, seeing action in 11 games for the Chicago Bears in 1980 and recording seven tackles.
A native of Kettering, Ohio, Hoke and his wife, Jody, have four children: Mallory, Kyle and twins Kendall and Carly.
