Tom Kaufman '03 enters his first year as the new defensive coordinator for the Blue Streaks in 2023 under new head coach Jeff Behrman '95.
Kaufman arrives at JCU following five stops at Division I schools as a coordinator. Most recently, Kaufman served as the defensive coordinator at Kent State University from 2018-21.
Kaufman's Kent State defenses ranked highly in several categories nationally during his tenure at Kent State, where he also served as associate head coach and linebackers coach. His 2021 defense finished 10th in Division I in takeaways, while his 2020 unit finished in the top 10 in Pass Efficiency Defense & Pass Defense, as well as 16th in Sacks Per Game. In 2020, 247 Sports named him the top MAC Recruiter. Previously in 2018, the Golden Flashes ranked seventh in the nation in Red Zone Defense.
Prior to Kent State, Kaufman worked at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2017 as Tom Arth's defensive coordinator. During the 2016 season, Kaufman worked as the special teams coordinator / linebackers coach at Syracuse University, where he mentored four All-ACC selections as well as the top punt return unit in the conference.
From 2014-15, Kaufman coached the linebackers and defensive line while serving as the special teams coordinator at Bowling Green State University. The Falcons won the 2015 MAC Championship and the 2014 MAC East Division Championship while ranking highly in sacks and as a punt unit.
Kaufman spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons at Eastern Illinois University, first as linebackers coach before earning a promotion to special teams coordinator prior to the 2013 season. Both seasons, the Panthers won the Ohio Valley Conference title and earned bids to the FCS playoffs.
Previously, Kaufman worked at several stops from 2003-11 to start his coaching career. His career began as a linebackers coach and equipment manager at Heidelberg in 2003-04 before working as the special teams coordinator / linebackers coach at Case Western Reserve University under Greg Debeljak '88, '95G. Kaufman got his first defensive coordinator job at the University of Chicago for the 2008 season before spending seasons at Mississippi State University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Texas.
Over the span of his career, Kaufman has coached seven players who have gone on to play in the NFL (including Colts LB Zaire Franklin), coached on four conference championship teams, and coached in four bowl games.
At John Carroll, Kaufman played linebacker from 1999-2001, and was voted team captain for the 2001 season. Kaufman tallied 211 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 7 passes defensed, and 8 quarterback hurries during his JCU career. He was both an All-OAC and Academic All-OAC student-athlete.
A Northeast Ohio native, Kaufman played at Lake Catholic High School under the legendary John Gibbons.
