Ken Flajole (pronounced FLAY-juhl) joins the Saints as secondary coach in 2012, a 35-year coaching veteran, who has spent the last 14 years in the NFL, the past three as defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams.
Ken Flajole joins the Saints as secondary coach in 2012, a 35-year coaching veteran, who has spent the last 14 years in the NFL, the past three as defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams.
The Rams defense made tremendous strides under Flajole’s guidance. In 2011, they finished seventh in the league against the pass. DE Chris Long ranked seventh in the NFL with a career-high 13 sacks, the highest total by a St. Louis defender since 2006, and LB James Laurinaitis led the team with 142 tackles, adding three sacks and two interceptions.
In 2010, St. Louis jumped ten spots in opponent yardage rankings and 19 in opponent points per game. The Rams ranked second in the NFL in third down defense, third in negative play yardage (sacks and tackles for a loss), seventh in sacks and ninth in opponent quarterback rating.
Laurinaitis’ and Long’s development under Flajole’s tutelage was a significant factor. A second-round draft pick in 2009, the middle linebacker has led the Rams in tackles in each of his three seasons. Long increased his sack total each season from 2008-11.
Flajole spent six seasons as the Carolina Panthers’ linebackers coach (2003-08), a position group where several players flourished under his direction. He assisted in the development of Jon Beason, who was runner-up in voting for NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2007 and was to his first career Pro Bowl in 2008 after leading the team in tackles for the second consecutive season with 159 stops. In 2006, when the linebackers featured Thomas Davis in his first season as a starter and lost middle linebacker Dan Morgan in the regular season opener, the Panthers continued to perform at a high level, finishing seventh in the NFL in yards allowed. Morgan and Mark Fields were named to the Pro Bowl in 2004. In 2003 Carolina advanced to the Super Bowl, where Morgan set a team record with 25 tackles against the New England Patriots.
Flajole coached four seasons (1999-2002) with the Seattle Seahawks, leading the defensive backs in 1999 and 2001-02 and linebackers in 2000. In 1999, the Seattle secondary led the NFL with 30 interceptions, two returned for touchdowns. Flajole made his NFL debut in 1998 as a defensive assistant for the Green Bay Packers after spending the previous 21 years coaching in the college ranks.
Flajole’s coaching debut was at his alma mater, Pacific Lutheran in 1977. He then moved to Washington (1979), Montana (1980-85), Texas-El Paso (1986-88), Missouri (1989-93), Richmond (1994) and Hawaii (1995). He served as defensive coordinator at Montana and Richmond and was Nevada’s co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach from 1996-97. The 1997 Wolf Pack defense finished first in the Big West Conference in total defense, scoring defense and passing defense.
An All-Conference linebacker at Wenatchee Valley Community College in central Washington and at Pacific Lutheran, Flajole earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Pacific Lutheran in 1976. A Seattle native, Flajole (pronounced FLAY-juhl) and his wife Teri, have two daughters, Kelly and Kori.
PLAYING CAREER: Wenatchee Valley Community College, 1972-73; Pacific Lutheran, 1974-75.
COACHING CAREER: Pacific Lutheran, 1977-78; Washington, 1979;
Montana, 1980-85; Texas-El Paso, 1986-88; Missouri, 1989-
93; Richmond, 1994; Hawaii, 1995; Nevada, 1996-97; Green Bay Packers, 1998; Seattle Seahawks, 1999-2002; Carolina Panthers, 2003-08; St. Louis Rams, 2009-11), New Orleans Saints, 2012-.
