LSU safeties coach Jake Olsen had accepted a position on the Washington Commanders’ defensive staff last week. Reports confirmed it. The move looked done.
Then he changed his mind. On Monday, CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz broke the news that new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin worked hard to pull Olsen back, convincing the 36-year-old coach to stay in Baton Rouge after he had already accepted Washington’s offer.
The Commanders’ pull on Olsen was more than just an NFL opportunity. Daronte Jones, the former LSU defensive coordinator who was recently hired as Washington’s new defensive coordinator by head coach Dan Quinn, had personally targeted Olsen. The two overlapped at LSU during the 2021 season, building a working relationship Jones wanted to carry into the NFL.
Olsen came to LSU ahead of the 2024 season alongside defensive coordinator Blake Baker after two years together at Missouri. Kiffin kept both when he took over the program.
Lane Kiffin and LSU Football Dragged Into Clickbait CSC Report, Says Analyst
Lane Kiffin and LSU Football Dragged Into Clickbait CSC Report, Says Analyst (Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images)
LSU’s spring practice opens March 24. Losing a position coach at this point would have forced real adjustments fast.
LSU safeties coach Jake Olsen has now decided to stay put with the Tigers after initially being set to leave for a job with the #Commanders, sources tell @CBSSports.
Lane Kiffin and LSU worked hard to keep him after he initially accepted the job and now set to keep him at LSU. pic.twitter.com/O5kCm32MDd
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 17, 2026
What Olsen Built in Baton Rouge Gave Kiffin Reason to Fight for Him
The 2025 season told a clear story about what Olsen brought to the program. LSU finished as the only team in the country to record more interceptions (17) than passing touchdowns allowed.
Among those results was All-America safety AJ Haulcy, a former Houston standout who closed out his LSU career with 88 tackles and three interceptions in 2025 under Olsen’s direction.
Haulcy is currently projected as a second-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
Olsen also helped Dashawn Spears earn a starting role as a true freshman in 2024, which is not a small thing at that level.
LSU’s safety room heading into spring now returns Spears and Tamarcus Cooley, with transfer additions Ty Benefield from Boise State and Faheem Delane from Ohio State already on board.
Kiffin’s First Staff Has Now Held Together Against Several Outside Attempts
Olsen is not the only coach on this staff who was approached and decided to stay. LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who followed Kiffin from Ole Miss, drew interest from NFL teams this offseason and opted to remain with the Tigers.
Baker himself turned down the Tulane head coaching job and was in consideration at Memphis before committing to Kiffin’s staff as defensive coordinator.
Olsen built his career at smaller programs. He spent four years at Northwestern State from 2017 to 2020, coaching linebackers, safeties, and special teams before landing his first LSU role as an analyst in 2021.
Going from Northwestern State to NFL interest in roughly five years reflects how much his stock has risen.
His decision to stay adds more than just stability at one position. It signals that Kiffin’s staff, which has fielded several outside offers this winter, is largely intact heading into spring. Whether this group translates into wins in 2026 is the bigger question still sitting unanswered.