Joe DeForest

Joe DeForest

Profile
Position	Linebacker / long snapper
Personal information
Born	(1965-04-17) April 17, 1965 Teaneck, New Jersey, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school	Titusville (FL)
College	Southwestern Louisiana (1983–1986)
NFL draft	1987: undrafted
Career history
Playing
Houston Oilers (1987)* New Orleans Saints (1987) Calgary Stampeders (1988)*
* Offseason or practice squad member only
Coaching
Titusville HS (FL) (OLB) (1988–1989) Rice (GA/RB) (1990–1991) Rice (OLB) (1992–1993) Duke (ST/OLB) (1994–2000) Oklahoma State (ST/DB) (2001–2004) Oklahoma State (assoc. HC/ST/S) (2005–2011) West Virginia (assoc. HC/DC/S) (2012) West Virginia (ST/S) (2013–2015) Kansas (ST/defensive assistant) (2016–2017) USC (defensive analyst) (2018) USC (OLB) (2019) NC State (S) (2020–2024)
Career NFL statistics
Games played 3 Sacks 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Joseph John DeForest (born April 17, 1965) is a retired American football coach and former professional player. After playing college football at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, DeForest spent the 1987 preseason with the Houston Oilers and appeared in three games for the New Orleans Saints as a replacement player during the 1987 NFL strike, recording one sack. He was also with the Calgary Stampeders during the 1988 preseason.

DeForest began coaching at Titusville High School in 1988. After coaching at Rice and Duke, he spent eleven seasons at Oklahoma State, including seven seasons as associate head coach, special teams coordinator, and safeties coach. He later coached at West Virginia, Kansas, and USC, serving as West Virginia's associate head coach and defensive coordinator in 2012. DeForest spent his final five seasons coaching the safeties at NC State and retired following the 2024 season.

Early life and playing career

DeForest was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, and grew up in Titusville, Florida, where he attended Titusville High School.

College

DeForest played football at the University of Southwestern Louisiana from 1983 to 1986 and was a four-year starter. He was twice named to the all-Southern and all-Louisiana independent teams. DeForest also lettered twice as a pitcher for the Ragin' Cajuns baseball team. During his senior year, he received the university's first President's Cup, which recognized its top male athlete. He earned a bachelor's degree in marketing in 1987.

Professional

After going undrafted in 1987, DeForest spent the preseason with the Houston Oilers as a linebacker and long snap

Coaching career

DeForest began his coaching career at Titusville High School in 1988, serving for two seasons as outside linebackers coach. He joined Rice in 1990 as an offensive graduate assistant working with the running backs and became outside linebackers coach in 1992. From 1994 through 2000, he was the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Duke.

DeForest joined Oklahoma State in 2001 as special teams coordinator and secondary coach. From 2005 through 2011, he served as associate head coach, special teams coordinator, and safeties coach. During his tenure, Matt Fodge won the 2008 Ray Guy Award and Dan Bailey won the 2010 Lou Groza Award.

In 2012, DeForest joined West Virginia as associate head coach, defensive coordinator, and safeties coach. He served as special teams coordinator and safeties coach from 2013 through 2015, after which West Virginia did not retain him.

Kansas hired DeForest as special teams coordinator and a defensive assistant on February 26, 2016. He held the position for two seasons. On January 12, 2018, Kansas announced that DeForest would no longer be a member of the coaching staff.

DeForest joined USC as a defensive analyst in 2018 and was promoted to outside linebackers coach for the 2019 season. NC State hired him as safeties coach in December 2019. He retired after five seasons with NC State following the 2024 season.

External links

• NC State profile
• Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference