John Pagano

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = John Pagano

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_team = Washington Commanders

| position = Senior defensive assistant

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|3|30|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Boulder, Colorado, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = Fairview (Boulder)

| college = Colorado Mesa (1985–1988)

| pastcoaching =

Mesa State (1989)
Assistant coach
UNLV (1990–1991)
Graduate assistant
Overland HS (CO) (1992–1993)
Assistant coach
Louisiana Tech (1994)
Graduate assistant
Ole Miss (1995)
Graduate assistant
New Orleans Saints ({{nfly|1996|1997}})
Defensive assistant
Indianapolis Colts ({{nfly|1998|2001}})
Defensive assistant
San Diego Chargers ({{nfly|2002}})
Defensive assistant & defensive quality control coach
San Diego Chargers ({{nfly|2003}})
Assistant linebackers coach
San Diego Chargers ({{nfly|2004}})
Outside linebackers coach
San Diego Chargers ({{nfly|2005|2011}})
Linebackers coach
San Diego Chargers ({{nfly|2012|2016}})
Defensive coordinator
Oakland Raiders ({{nfly|2017}})
Assistant head coach & defense
Oakland Raiders (2017)
Defensive coordinator
Houston Texans ({{nfly|2018|2019}})
Senior defensive assistant & outside linebackers coach
Denver Broncos ({{nfly|2020|2021}})
Outside linebackers coach
Washington Commanders ({{NFL Year|2024}}–present)
Senior defensive assistant

| highlights =

| pfrcoach = PagaJo0

}}

John Pagano (born March 30, 1967) is an American professional football coach who is a senior defensive assistant for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). A longtime assistant coach with the San Diego Chargers, Pagano also coached for the Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Denver Broncos. He is the younger brother of former coach Chuck Pagano.

Early life

Pagano was born on March 30, 1967, in Boulder, Colorado. An all-state linebacker at Fairview High School, he played at Colorado Mesa University from 1985 to 1988, earning a degree in business marketing.

Coaching career

=San Diego Chargers=

Pagano originally joined the Chargers in 2002 as the team's quality control coach for the defense and moved his way up the ranks, first as an assistant linebackers coach, then as the outside linebackers coach and linebackers coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator on January 5, 2012.{{Cite web |url=http://www.chargers.com/news/article-1/Pagano-named-defensive-coordinator/287440a2-e872-4535-8b6b-3004020d48ea |title=Pagano named defensive coordinator |access-date=January 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222040821/http://www.chargers.com/news/article-1/Pagano-named-defensive-coordinator/287440a2-e872-4535-8b6b-3004020d48ea |archive-date=December 22, 2014 |url-status=dead }}

Since Pagano first started working with the team's linebackers in 2005, a player from that group led the team in tackles and sacks every season, including Shaun Phillips who paced the squad in 2012 with 9.5. Pagano also worked closely with Shawne Merriman, who led the NFL in sacks in 2006, was selected to play in three Pro Bowls and won the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2005.

In Pagano's first year as a coordinator, the Chargers scored a total of seven defensive touchdowns in 2012, second in the NFL to the Chicago Bears (12), and two shy of the team record set by the 1961 squad that returned nine interceptions for touchdowns. The 2012 Chargers returned five interceptions and two fumbles for scores. The Chargers also increased their sack total, going from 32 in 2011 to 38 in 2012, including a team-record-tying 11-sack performance in a Dec 23 win against the New York Jets.

=Oakland Raiders=

On January 23, 2017, Pagano agreed to become the assistant head coach/defense for the Oakland Raiders. On November 21, 2017, following the Raiders' Week 11 loss to the Patriots, and with the defense having failed to intercept a pass, defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. was fired. Pagano then took over defensive coordinator duties.

=Houston Texans=

On January 26, 2018, Pagano was hired as a senior defensive assistant for the Houston Texans.{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-add-John-Pagano-to-defensive-staff-12528901.php|title=Texans add John Pagano to defensive staff|work=chron.com|date=January 26, 2018|access-date=January 26, 2018|first=Aaron|last=Wilson}}

=Denver Broncos=

On January 30, 2020, Pagano was hired as an outside linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos.{{cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/30/john-pagano-interviews-with-broncos/|title=Broncos hire Boulder native John Pagano as outside linebackers coach|work=denverpost.com|date=January 30, 2020|access-date=January 30, 2020|first=Ryan|last=O’Halloran}}

=Washington Commanders=

On February 15, 2024, Pagano was hired by the Washington Commanders as a senior defensive assistant.{{cite web|url=https://www.commanders.com/news/washington-commanders-announce-coaching-staff-2024|title=Washington Commanders announce coaching staff|work=Commanders.com|author=Washington Commanders Public Relations|date=February 15, 2024|accessdate=February 15, 2024}}

Personal life

Pagano and his wife Kimberly have two sons, Jagger and Brody.

His older brother, Chuck Pagano, is the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/colts-name-chuck-pagano-ravens-defensive-coordinator-head-coach/2012/01/25/gIQADfB6QQ_blog.html?wprss=rss_sports |title=Colts name Chuck Pagano, Ravens' defensive coordinator, head coach |date=2012-01-25 |author1=Cindy Boren \x26 Matt Brooks |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}} The Pagano brothers both played for their father, Sam, who spent 26 years as the head coach at Fairview High. Sam also coached internationally in Taiwan, Germany, France and Italy.

Pagano's nephew, Carlo Kemp, is an American football player for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League.{{cite web|url=https://mgoblue.com/news/2019/10/3/kemp-learned-lifes-lessons-from-his-accomplished-football-family.aspx |title=Kemp Learned Life's Lessons From His Accomplished Football Family |publisher=CBS Interactive |website=MGoBlue.com |first=Steve |last=Kornacki |date=October 3, 2019|access-date=February 23, 2022}}