Last Updated: Jan. 8, 2025
Twitter: @PhelpsDLCoach
Jeff Phelps joined Ohio football in January 2025 as the Pass Rush Specialist/Defensive Ends Coach.
Phelps comes to Ohio by way of Wyoming, where he was the defensive tackles coach for the 2024 season. He spent the season prior overseeing North Dakota State’s defensive tackles as well as their field block team. Under his guidance, a blocked field goal earned the Bison a spot in the FCS semifinals. Notably, Phelps helped mentor Eli Mostaert to All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors last season.
Prior to his stint at NDSU, Phelps spent 2020 to 2022 coaching the defensive line at Mississippi State. Phelps served as Washington State’s defensive line coach from 2017 to 2019, mentoring defensive lineman Will Rodgers III. In 2019, Rodgers racked up 25 total pressures per Pro Football Focus, which ranked sixth in the PAC-12 among defensive interior linemen. Rodgers tied for the league lead in QB hits by a defensive interior lineman with five on the season and led WSU in sacks (4). The 2027 Cougar defense led the Pac-12 with 38.0 sacks, the ninth-most in Washington State single-season history, and finished second in the league with 88.0 tackles for loss. Phelps also mentored defensive lineman Hercules Mata'afa, who garnered Consensus All-America honors and was named the 2017 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year.
Phelps spent six seasons as Minnesota’s defensive line coach (2011-16). During his final season there, the Gophers’ defense ranked 12th in the nation in tackles for loss, 14th in rushing yards allowed and 22nd in sacks. During his six seasons in Minneapolis, Phelps was a part of five bowl teams and coached four players who earned All-Big Ten honors, including 2013 third-team All-American Ra’Shede Hagemen, who was a 2014 second-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons.
Prior to Minnesota, Phelps coached for five seasons at Northern Illinois (2006-10). There, he helped develop two-time MAC MVP, 2008 MAC Defensive Player of the Year and 16th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Larry English.
Phelps was an All-MAC outside linebacker for Ball State, where he graduated in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ball State in 1999 before moving on to DePauw as a linebackers and running backs coach (2000-2002) and Hillsdale as a defensive line coach (2003-2005).
