TONY ODEN returns for his fourth season as senior defensive assistant/cornerbacks after initially joining the New York Jets as part of Robert Saleh's first staff in 2021. A coach in the NFL since 2004, Oden has coached multiple Pro Bowl cornerbacks and safeties over his time in the League.

This past season (2023), Oden coached a trio in Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed, and Michael Carter who ranked in the top 10 in completion percentage allowed (5th – 56.8%), passer rating allowed (7th – 81.0), yards allowed per coverage snap (3rd – 1.01), target (3rd – 6.08), reception (7th – 10.71), and touchdowns allowed (7th – five).

Additionally, Oden helped Gardner become the first cornerback since the merger to be named First-Team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons, while also being selected as a Pro Bowl starter in each of his first two seasons.

During the 2022 season, Oden saw Reed and rookie Gardner rank top 10 in the NFL in yards per reception, reception percentage, yards after catch, passer rating allowed, and total yards allowed.

Oden helped Gardner earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, First-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection, becoming just the third rookie cornerback to start in the Pro Bowl since the merger. Additionally, Gardner became the first rookie in franchise history to receive First-Team All-Pro honors. With Oden's guidance, Gardner became the only rookie in the NFL to produce at least one pass defense in each of his first seven games and finished first in the League in passes defensed (20).

Additionally, Oden saw both Reed and Michael Carter II set career-highs last season. Reed finished with a career-high 12 passes defensed and 80 tackles, the seventh-best rank among all cornerbacks in the NFL, while Carter II set career-highs in tackles, interceptions, and passes defensed.

In his first season with the Jets (2021), Oden's unit consisted entirely of first and second-year players, all of which entered the League as fifth-round or later draft choices or undrafted free agents.

Bryce Hall, a second-year, fifth-round pick in 2020, became the first Jets player to start 17 games in a regular season and finished tied for sixth in the League with 16 passes defensed, the most by a Jets since 2013. Brandin Echols, a sixth-round selection in 2021, finished tied for sixth among all rookies with nine passes defensed and earned Rookie of the Week honors following his 20-yard interception touchdown return, one of only two Jets to record a defensive TD since 2000. His fellow rookie, Carter II, drafted in the fifth round, was one of only three 2021 rookies with four+ passes defensed and four+ tackles for loss, joining Jamal Adams, Erik Coleman and Jonathan Vilma as the only Jets to do so in their first season since 2000.

Prior to his start with the Jets, Oden spent a season as the defensive backs/cornerbacks coach in San Francisco (2020). Despite using seven different starters at corner, the 49ers finished fourth in passing defense while also ranking in the top 10 in both completion percentage and passer rating allowed.

In Miami (2018-19), Oden helped a pair of young players in Xavien Howard and Minkah Fitzpatrick. In 2018, as the defensive backs coach, Howard registered seven interceptions to tie for the league lead, earning his first Pro Bowl appearance. Additionally, Fitzpatrick finished in the top five among all rookie safeties in tackles, interceptions and passes defensed.

Oden spent four seasons in Detroit (2014-17) as the defensive backs/cornerbacks coach and helped the Lions finished with 58 interceptions, the ninth-most of that span. Under Oden, cornerback Darius Slay earned his first Pro Bowl selection (2017) after finishing the season with eight interceptions, tied for the most in the league. Additionally, Slay posted 69 passes defensed, the most in the league over that span while also finishing in the top five with 14 interceptions.

Before Detroit, Oden spent a season in Tampa Bay (2013) as the secondary/cornerbacks as the Buccaneers defense finished third in the league with 21 interceptions. Cornerback Darrelle Revis was selected to the Pro Bowl in his only season with the team after finishing with a team-high 11 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack.

As the secondary coach in Jacksonville (2012), Oden helped cornerback Derek Cox tie a career high with four interceptions, while safety Dawan Landry finished with 100 tackles - one of just eight DBs with at least 100 tackles that season.

A member of the New Orleans staff for six seasons (2006-11), Oden was the assistant secondary coach for five years before becoming the secondary coach in 2011. In his time with the Saints, the team won Super Bowl XLIV, finishing the 2010 with the fourth best passing defense in the league. In that span, safety Roman Harper earned the only two Pro Bowl selections of his 11-year career.

Beginning his NFL career in Houston, Oden served as a defensive assistant and assistant defensive backs coach (2004-05). His first season, the Texans registered 22 interceptions, fifth in the league and still the most in franchise history.

Before coaching in the NFL, Oden served as defensive backs coach at Eastern Michigan University (2003), after spending three seasons at East Carolina University as the safeties coach (2002), secondary coach (2001) and outside linebackers coach (2000). Prior to joining East Carolina, Oden was the assistant defensive backs coach at West Point (1998-99). He began his coaching career as assistant defensive backs coach at Millersville (PA) University in 1996, followed by one season as a graduate assistant working with the wide receivers at Boston College (1997).

A four-year linebacker at Baldwin-Wallace College, Oden earned First-Team Ohio Athletic Conference honors twice and was a 1994 Division III All-American.

Oden and his wife, Amanda, have a son, Jaylen, and a daughter, Ryan.

FLIGHT PATH

New York Jets | 2021-Present

Senior Defensive Assistant/CBs - 2021-Present

San Francisco 49ers | 2020

Defensive Backs/Cornerbacks - 2020

Miami Dolphins | 2018-19

Safeties - 2019

Defensive Backs - 2018

Detroit Lions | 2014-17

Defensive Backs/Cornerbacks - 2014-17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2013

Secondary/Cornerbacks - 2013

Jacksonville Jaguars | 2012

Secondary - 2012

New Orleans Saints | 2006-11

Secondary - 2011

Assistant Secondary - 2006-10

Houston Texans | 2004-05

Defensive Assistant/Assistant Defensive Backs - 2004-05

Eastern Michigan | 2003

Defensive Backs - 2003

East Carolina | 2000-02

Safeties - 2002

Secondary - 2001

Outside Linebackers - 2000

Army | 1998-99

Assistant Defensive Backs - 1998-99

Boston College | 1997

Graduate Assistant - 1997

Millersville | 1996

Assistant Defensive Backs - 1996

PLAYING CAREER

Baldwin Wallace (Linebacker) 1992-95