Report: Missouri adding former LSU staffer Jake Olsen to coaching staff

The Missouri Tigers are looking within the SEC to fill out its football coaching staff under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. According to Football Scoop’s John Brice, Missouri is hiring former LSU Tigers defensive analyst Jake Olsen to the same role.

“Jake Olsen, who spent the past year as a defensive analyst at LSU, has joined Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Tigers’ staff as defensive analyst, a source tells FootballScoop,” Brice said.

In addition to his experience at LSU, Olsen has experience around college football. He began his coaching career at Valley City State University, which is also where he played college football as a defensive end. Olsen served one season as a coach for Valley City State in 2013. Then, Olsen left to take the outside linebackers coach position at Nicholls.

During the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Olsen served as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Monroe, coaching defensive linemen and safeties. Olsen also has experience at Southwestern Oklahoma State and Northwestern State.

Missouri hopes to see improvement in adding Olsen to the coaching staff

Olsen has extensive experience on the defensive side of the football, and that could prove to be valuable for Missouri this season. Last year, Missouri ranked second worst in the SEC in allowing 445.4 yards per game. The Tigers’ rushing defense was the worst in SEC, allowing 229.3 yards per game. Missouri also ranked second work in the SEC in allowing 34.7 points per game.

Last season, Missouri went 6-6 overall and 3-5 against SEC opponents during the regular season. The Tigers then lost 24-22 in the Armed Forces Bowl against Army. That was the first bowl appearance for Missouri under Drinkwitz, who came to the Tigers ahead of the 2020 season. Through two years at Missouri, Drinkwitz has led the Tigers to an 11-12 record. He is hoping to get back to the level of success he saw in 2019 at Appalachian State, where the Mountaineers went 12-1.