Former Michigan State football coach Brandon Jordan heading back to Big Ten

Former Michigan State football defensive coach Brandon Jordan is headed back to the Big Ten as he was hired by Ohio State.

Do you remember the name Brandon Jordan? He was a Michigan State football coach for a short one year stint, but he had a huge impact in East Lansing while he was here.

In 2022, Mel Tucker hired Jordan as a pass rush specialist. This was a home run hire by Tucker as Jordan had a ton of experience coaching the best pass rushers in the NFL. However, his time at Michigan State didn’t last long as he took the same coaching position with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL in 2023.

After one season in Seattle, Jordan is once again on the move and is heading back to the Big Ten.

It’s a Go! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Ku6dLSD7B4

— Coach Brandon Jordan (@CoachBTJordan) February 22, 2024

Brandon Jordan to join Ohio State’s coaching staff

Brandon Jordan announced on Thursday that he will be joining the Ohio State coaching staff. He is ditching his former pass rush specialist title and will become the Buckeyes’ defensive program assistant.

I wish Jordan nothing but the best, but it does hurt to see him make the move to Ohio State. Jordan is one of the best coaches in the country at working with defensive players rushing the quarterback. That’s why hundreds of NFL players worked with him one-on-one in the past. We saw the fast impact he can have in East Lansing, so it’s unfortunate that he will now bring his experience to another Big Ten school.

Brandon Jordan’s Michigan State tenure

As mentioned, Jordan spent one season with Michigan State football in 2022. The season itself wasn’t the best, but his impact was felt in a big way. The defensive unit saw an immediate improvement rushing the quarterback, most notably with Jacoby Windmon. He had one of the best seasons of any Spartan in 2022, finishing with 49 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one interception and a whopping six forced fumbles. Those six fumbles led the entire country in 2022. Windmon did all this in just eight games, thanks in large part to Jordan’s teaching.

Jordan also had a huge impact in recruiting as well. Three of the top six recruits from the Spartan’s 2023 class play on the defensive line. This includes the top two players in the class, Bai Jobe and Andrew Depaepe. Jordan’s presence in East Lansing was a huge reason each of these guys chose to commit to Michigan State.

As I mentioned, I wish nothing but the best for Brandon at Ohio State and throughout his career. It’s unfortunate he’s now at a conference rival, but he had a huge impact at Michigan State.