| Jacksonville Jaguars | |
|---|---|
| Title | Senior defensive assistant |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1959-01-27)January 27, 1959 (age 66) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Detroit (MI) De La Salle |
| College | Grand Valley State |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
William Sheridan (born January 27, 1959) is an Americanfootball coach who is a senior defensive assistant for theJacksonville Jaguars of theNational Football League (NFL). He was previously thedefensive coordinator for theTampa Bay Buccaneers and was also a coach for a number of college teams, includingNotre Dame,Army, andMichigan State. From 2005 to 2008 he was the linebackers coach for the NFL'sNew York Giants. In 2009, he was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. He had stints with the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions before returning to NCAA football at Boston College in 2018. After two years there, he was hired byAir Force to be their new defensive line coach beginning in 2020. He also recently served as the linebackers coach for theArlington Renegades of theUnited Football League (UFL)
Sheridan's coaching career began in 1981 in Shrine High School inRoyal Oak, Michigan, where he was the football coach until 1984.[1] In 1987, he moved to the college level and became the linebacker coach forMaine, followed byCincinnati andArmy.[1] In 1996, he shifted to defensive line coach at West Point.[1] He had been onLloyd Carr's staff at the University of Michigan the previous three years before his stint with the Giants, serving as both the linebackers coach and then as coach of the defensive line.
Prior to being the defensive coordinator he was the Giantslinebackers coach. Sheridan replacedSteve Spagnuolo after he left to take the head coaching position with theSt. Louis Rams. Sheridan had been the linebackers coach for the Giants for the previous four seasons after his hiring in 2005. Giants head coachTom Coughlin promoted Sheridan over secondary coachPeter Giunta. He was fired on January 4, 2010, after the Giants defense slipped as the team dropped 8 of their last 11 games and allowed 40 points on five different occasions, a franchise record.[2]
On January 19, 2010, Sheridan was hired by theMiami Dolphins to coach their inside linebackers.[3]
On February 17, 2012, theTampa Bay Buccaneers hired Sheridan as their defensive coordinator. He was relieved of his duties on January 2, 2014.
On January 1, 2014, Sheridan agreed to become the linebackers coach for theDetroit Lions.[4]
In June, 2016, Sheridan was named toSports Illustrated's Dream Coaching Team for the NFL for Linebackers.[5]
In 2018, Sheridan became a coach forBoston College, beginning as a defensive backs coach and ending as their defensive coordinator.
In 2020, Sheridan was named defensive line coach forAir Force Falcons.
On February 22, 2022, Sheridan was named the inside linebackers coach for the Wisconsin Badgers. He resigned in May 2022 after coming under investigation by the NCAA for recruiting violations during his tenure at Air Force.[6]
On September 13, 2022, Sheridan was officially hired by theArlington Renegades.[7]