Georgia Tech special-teams coordinator Jason Semore, whose work strongly impacted the Yellow Jackets last season, accepted an offer to become defensive coordinator at Marshall. Semore’s agent George Holley confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that Semore signed an offer sheet from Marshall.
Semore’s replacement will be the seventh on-field coaching hire that coach Brent Key will make this offseason, though the first for a coach who has left the staff for a job elsewhere. Only defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker, defensive backs coach Travares Tillman and quarterbacks coach/co-offensive coordinator Chris Weinke remain on the coaching staff.
Hired last offseason to coach linebackers, Semore helped Charlie Thomas and Ayinde Eley develop into first-time selections to the All-ACC team. It was the first time since 1991 that Tech placed two linebackers on the All-ACC team in the same season.
Semore also was assigned to be the special-teams coordinator by Key in one of his first acts as interim coach following the firing of coach Geoff Collins four games into the season. Semore’s most immediate task was to fix the team’s punting unit. After the Jackets had had four punts blocked in the first four games of the season, Semore led the installation of a completely new punt-protection scheme amid the coaching transition and the quick pace of a game week. Tech did not allow a blocked punt for the remainder of the season.
Days after the change, Key made his respect for Semore clear when he described him as “a ball coach. And I can’t give him any higher compliment than that.”
In December, Semore was named a finalist for the FBS linebackers coach of the year by FootballScoop. In remaking the staff after being named full-time coach, Key made Semore special-teams coordinator and coach for nickel backs and safeties.
The Marshall position is the most prominent job in Semore’s career. He originally came to Tech in 2019 with Collins as a defensive analyst, then left before the 2021 season to be defensive coordinator at Valdosta State and helped lead the Blazers to the Division II national championship game. Collins brought him back to coach the linebackers in 2022.
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