March 22, 2023   3 MIN READ

Veteran Addition To Staff

Report: Birds Hire Another DB Coach

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The Eagles are reportedly bringing in another defensive backs coach to help replace the loss of Dennard Wilson, another coach with Temple ties.

The team is hiring Taver Johnson, a well-traveled secondary coach who most recently had been coaching at Eastern Michigan, according to on3.com.

The 50-year-old Johnson, who has nearly 30 years of coaching experience at the college and NFL levels, joins D.K. McDonald – last year’s assistant defensive backs coach – and newcomer Ronell Williams, recently added a nickelbacks coach, to coach Eagles defensive backs.

Johnson’s position with the Eagles, in terms of assistant coach or position coach, is unclear by the report.

Taver Johnson

GETTY IMAGES: Taver Johnson, former Arkansas assistant HC, is another veteran defensive coach joining the Birds’ staff.

The Eagles are trying to fill a void left by Wilson, the team’s former defensive backs coach and pass defense coordinator who “parted ways” mutually with the organization in February and joined the Baltimore Ravens after the team hired Sean Desai over him as its new defensive coordinator.

Johnson, who was Temple’s defensive coordinator in 2017, is the second former Owls defensive coordinator to join the coaching staff this season, along with new linebackers coach D.J. Eliot.

Johnson last year coached safeties and served as pass defense coordinator for Eastern Michigan, which went 9-4 with a bowl win over San Jose State. Before there, he was with the Raiders for three years, serving as an offensive assistant in 2021 and as assistant defensive backs coach from 2019-2020.

Among his other coaching stops and positions are: Purdue defensive backs coach (2014-2016), Arkansas assistant head coach/defensive backs coach (2012-2013), Ohio State defensive backs coach (2007-2011), Miami (Ohio) defensive coordinator (2005-2006) and Cleveland Browns assistant special teams coach (2004).

Many of the defensive backs he coached at Ohio State made the NFL, including former Eagles safeties Malcom Jenkins and Kurt Coleman, and Super Bowl champion cornerback Bradley Roby.

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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About The Author

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Geoff Mosher is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience covering the Eagles, the NFL and other college and pro sports across several different multimedia platforms. He is co-host of the acclaimed Inside the Birds podcast, the leading podcast for intel on the Philadelphia Eagles, and co-host on 97.3 ESPN's drive-time show. He has also hosted on Philadelphia's sports-talk station, 94.1 WIP and 97.5 The Fanatic. Geoff was the lead Eagles Insider from 2012-2015 for NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he wrote for the website and appeared daily on the station's TV shows, including Quick Slants, Philly Sports Talk, Eagles Pregame/Postgame Live and Eagles Extra. Prior to joining NBC Sports, Geoff worked the Eagles beat from 2005-2012 for the Wilmington News Journal, where he broke several major news stories and also won an Associated Press Sports Editors award under the category of Breaking News for his coverage of the sudden death of Phillies play by play broadcaster Harry Kalas. Geoff has appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, FOX29, 6ABC and has conducted interviews for Sirius/XM NFL radio and countless other radio stations across the country.

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