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Ken Flajole

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Ken Flajole
Personal information
Born: (1954-10-04) October 4, 1954 (age 70)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Career information
High school:Seattle Prep (WA)
College:Pacific Lutheran
Career history
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Record at Pro Football Reference

Ken Flajole (born October 4, 1954) is a retired American football coach. He was the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams from 2009 to 2011. He won Super Bowl LII as the linebackers coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 as well as Super Bowl LVII in 2022 and Super Bowl LVIII in 2023 as the outside linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL).

Playing career

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An all-conference linebacker at Wenatchee Valley Community College and Pacific Lutheran University, Flajole earned a bachelor's degree in education from Pacific Lutheran in 1977.[1] In high school, he was an all-state linebacker at Seattle Prep.

Coaching career

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College

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Before entering the NFL as a defensive quality control assistant with Green Bay in 1998, Flajole spent 21 years coaching in the college ranks. He served as Nevada's co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach for two seasons from 1996 to 1997. His 1996 defense finished first in the conference in total defense, scoring defense and passing defense. Prior to his duties at Nevada, Flajole coached at seven other college programs, beginning with his alma mater, Pacific Lutheran, from 1977 to 1978, and then Washington in 1979. Other stops included Montana (1980–1985), UTEP (1986–1988), Missouri (1989–1993), Richmond (1994), and Hawaii (1995), holding defensive coordinator positions at Montana and Richmond.

NFL

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Flajole replaced Sal Sunseri as linebackers coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2003, bringing with him five years of NFL coaching experience. He spent three seasons as defensive backs coach and one as linebackers coach with the Seattle Seahawks from 1999–2002 and one as a defensive assistant with the Green Bay Packers in 1998, all under head coach Mike Holmgren. As defensive backs coach for Seattle in 1999, Flajole's secondary led the NFL with 30 interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. He spent the 2000 campaign as the Seahawks linebackers coach and returned to oversee the defensive backs in 2001 and 2002.

Flajole was the defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams from 2009 to 2011. He was hired by the New Orleans Saints in 2012,[2] but was fired (along with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, with whom he had also coached in St. Louis) on January 24, 2013.[3] The Browns hired him as their inside linebackers coach on February 7, 2013.[4] He was a member of the Browns' coaching staff from 2013–2015, until he was hired by new Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson as linebackers coach on January 20, 2016.[5] Flajole won his first Super Bowl ring when the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.[6]

Flajole was hired by the Kansas City Chiefs as their outside linebackers coach on April 2, 2021.[7][8] In 2022, Flajole won his second Super Bowl ring when the Chiefs defeated Flajole's former team Philadelphia Eagles 38–35 in Super Bowl LVII.[9] In 2023, Flajole won his third Super Bowl when the Chiefs defeated San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in Super Bowl LVIII.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Ken Flajole '77 steps into coaching job under Seahawks' Mike Holmgren". PLU. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Saints Make Three Additions to Coaching Staff". NewOrleansSaints.com. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  3. ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (January 24, 2013). "Steve Spagnuolo fired by New Orleans Saints". National Football League. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  4. ^ "Browns hire inside linebackers coach Ken Flajole, four others to complete staff", Akron Beacon Journal, February 7, 2013.
  5. ^ Berman, Zach (January 21, 2016). "Eagles retain seven coaches, add seven new ones". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  6. ^ Jones, Lindsay H. (February 4, 2018). "Eagles dethrone Tom Brady, Patriots for first Super Bowl title in stunner". USA TODAY. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  7. ^ Goldman, Charles (April 2, 2021). "Chiefs announce 8 changes to 2021 coaching staff". USAToday.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  8. ^ Dea, Micaela (June 4, 2021). "Chiefs' Flajole brings veteran experience to new role". News-Press NOW. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  9. ^ "Super Bowl LVII – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs – February 12th, 2023". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Maaddi, Rob (February 12, 2024). "Patrick Mahomes rallies the Chiefs to second straight Super Bowl title, 25–22 over 49ers in overtime". AP News. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
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