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Peter Sirmon
Linebackers
College: University of Oregon
Hometown: Walla Walla, WA
Biography
Peter Sirmon (pronounced Sermon) enters his second season as linebackers coach with the Saints in 2026. Sirmon made his NFL coaching debut after 17 years on the collegiate level, but is no stranger to the NFL, having played seven seasons (2000-06) as a linebacker with the Tennessee Titans.
In 2025, Sirmon helped lead a unit that helped power the Saints to ranking ninth in the NFL in total defense (299.8 ypg). Demario Davis led the team in tackles (143) for the eighth consecutive season. Pete Werner finished with 81 tackles, two sacks, five pass breakups and three fumble recoveries, tied for first in the NFL. Rookie Danny Stutsman tallied 40 tackles, all in the final 12 contests.
Peter Sirmon (pronounced Sermon) enters his second season as linebackers coach with the Saints in 2026. Sirmon made his NFL coaching debut after 17 years on the collegiate level, but is no stranger to the NFL, having played seven seasons (2000-06) as a linebacker with the Tennessee Titans.
In 2025, Sirmon helped lead a unit that helped power the Saints to ranking ninth in the NFL in total defense (299.8 ypg). Demario Davis led the team in tackles (143) for the eighth consecutive season. Pete Werner finished with 81 tackles, two sacks, five pass breakups and three fumble recoveries, tied for first in the NFL. Rookie Danny Stutsman tallied 40 tackles, all in the final 12 contests.
The Walla Walla, Wash. native arrived in New Orleans in 2025 after serving on the University of California coaching staff for seven seasons, coaching inside linebackers during his entire stint and serving as defensive coordinator the last five campaigns. Starting at Cal in 2018 as the inside linebackers coach, Sirmon added co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator duties to his role in 2019.
At Cal, Sirmon was instrumental for developing a multitude of defensive players, including a trio of All-Americans in CB Elijah Hicks, ILB Evan Weaver and DB Nohl Williams, with Weaver, the nation's leading tackler in 2019, a consensus first-team selection and also the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. In 2024, Williams was a consensus All-American and first-team All-ACC. Overall, Sirmon coached nine players at Cal who combined for 11 first or second-team All-Conference selections.
In 2024 Sirmon was a Broyles Award nominee, annually awarded to the best FBS assistant coach in the nation. Cal's scoring defense (22.31) ranked 36th in the nation and second in the ACC, allowing 10.5 points per game fewer than the 32.8 it allowed in 2023. Cal's defense under Sirmon was tied for second in the country with 17 interceptions and finished among the nation's top 30 in several defensive team categories including turnovers gained (27th, 22), team passing efficiency defense (25th, 117.8), rushing defense (14th, 109.8 ypg) and team sacks (t30th, 2.62). Dating from the last game of the 2020 season through the sixth game of 2024, Cal had at least one takeaway in 41 of 44 games ant at one point during the 2022 campaign, the defense had the longest streak of consecutive games in the nation with at least one turnover with 19 in a row.
Williams was a consensus All-American, leading the nation with seven interceptions and finishing second in the ACC in pass breakups (15) to earn first-team All-Conference. Golden Bears ILB Teddye Buchanan, now with the Baltimore Ravens, had a standout season as a transfer, starting every game and finishing third in the conference with 114 tackles to go with 12 stops for loss, five sacks, seven quarterback hurries, four passes broken up and two forced fumbles. DB Marcus Harris, another transfer, went on to play in all 13 games for Cal, registering 46 tackles (35 solo), two interceptions returned for 19 yards, five pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Sirmon's 2023 defense led the nation with 16 fumble recoveries and tied for the national lead with 28 takeaways. Three different defensive players – S Patrick McMorris, freshman ILB Cade Uluave and Williams – recovered three fumbles each to tie for second in the Pac-12 and 19th nationally. In addition, the Bears' three defensive touchdowns were second in the Pac-12 and tied for 15th nationally.
The Golden Bears tied for second in the Pac-12 and 12th nationally in 2022 with three defensive touchdowns. Jackson Sirmon led the team with a career-high 104 tackles, adding career-highs of 6.0 stops for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups and a 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown, as well as one forced fumble. He was third in the conference and among NCAA leaders in tackles per game (8.7, 40th NCAA) and tackles (t47th NCAA).
Sirmon's 2021 defense improved throughout the season in his first full campaign as defensive coordinator (his first season in the role in 2020 was shortened to four games by COVID-19). Cal held four of its final six opponents to 14 points or less while the Bears won four of their final six games. Cal finished the campaign second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (22.2 ppg) and fourth in total defense and rushing defense. Hicks led the way as a Pro Football Focus third-team All-American and a consensus first-team All-Pac-12 pick, notching 72 tackles while co-leading the Pac-12 with a career-high four forced fumbles and 0.33 fumbles per game (t-11th NCAA). He also had three interceptions to tie for third in the conference. Fellow S Daniel Scott earned PFF first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was among the league's leaders in solo tackles (team-high 60, tied-second), interceptions (team-high-tying three, tied-third) and total tackles (team-high 82, tenth Pac-12) with all career-bests. True freshman CB Lu-Magia Hearns III finished with team highs of ten pass breakups and 11 passes deflected. In addition to Hicks' first-team selection by the league's coaches, Cal had four players earn honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors on the defensive side of the ball. Hearns also picked up honorable mention honors for the league's Defensive Freshman of the Year. OLB Cameron Goode led the Pac-12 in sacks with 0.68 per game and totaled 7.5 to finish his career eighth on Cal's all-time list with 21.5.
In his first season as the team's defensive coordinator in a 2020 campaign shortened to four games by COVID, S Camryn Bynum (first-team) and Goode (second-team) earned All-Pac-12 while OLB Kuony Deng, CB Josh Drayden, DL Brett Johnson and DE Zeandae Johnson were honorable mention All-Conference. Deng served as a team captain in 2020 when he led the squad with 31 tackles and two forced fumbles. Both of his forced fumbles came in the fourth quarter of a 21-17 win over Oregon. Goode was tied for second both nationally and in the Pac-12 with his 2.0 tackles for loss per game, as well as sixth in the Pac-12 and tied for 30th in the nation with 0.75 sacks per contest. Drayden tied for second in the Pac-12 and tied for 13th nationally with his 1.2 passes defended per game. Cal led the Pac-12 and tied for 20th nationally in red zone defense by allowing only 12 scores in 16 opponents' red zone visits (75.0 pct.) with only nine of the 12 touchdowns. The defense was also a disciplined unit that helped the Bears lead the Pac-12 in per game averages for both fewest penalty yards (35.0) and penalties (4.5), while ranking fifth and tied for 12th nationally.
In 2019, Sirmon was Cal's co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, and paired up with his fellow defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Tim DeRuyter to earn FootballScoop Linebackers Coaches of the Year presented by AstroTurf honors. Weaver finished the 2019 campaign with a school-record 182 tackles and in addition to his consensus first-team All-American honors was also the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, he was a finalist for the Butkus Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, The Lombardi and the Senior Class Award. Weaver (182) and Deng (119, third Pac-12, 15th NCAA) finished 2019 with a combined 301 stops. The number not only allowed Cal to lead the nation for most tackles by a duo for a second straight season but was six shy of the Bears' school-record of 307 by a duo that Weaver (159) and Jordan Kunaszyk (148) recorded in 2018.
In his first season on Cal's staff in 2018, Sirmon helped the Bears' defense finish among national and Pac-12 leaders in nearly every category. The Bears ranked in the Top Ten nationally and paced the conference in interceptions (21, second NCAA), defensive touchdowns (5, tied-fourth NCAA), turnovers gained (28, tied-sixth NCAA) and passing yards allowed (175.1 ypg, ninth NCAA). Cal also led the league and ranked in the top 20 in the country in pass efficiency defense (107.26, 11th NCAA) and first downs allowed (227, 18th NCAA). In addition, the Bears were 15th nationally in total defense (317.2 ypg) and 22nd in scoring defense (20.4 ppg), ranking third in the Pac-12 in both. Both Sirmon's starting inside linebackers in 2018 – Weaver (PFF) and Kunaszyk (SI) – earned second-team All-American with Kunaszyk adding first-team All-Pac-12 recognition from league coaches, while both earned consensus first-team All-Conference. Their combined 307 tackles were the most by any duo in the nation and the highest total ever by two players in a single season at Cal. Weaver's 159 tackles were the second-highest total in the nation, while his 12.2 stops per game were sixth in the country. Kunaszyk's 148 tackles are the fifth-highest single-season total in school history and were fifth nationally with his 11.4 tackles per contest ninth in the nation. Weaver and Kunaszyk ranked second and third, respectively, in the Pac-12 in both total tackles and tackles per game. S Jaylinn Hawkins led the Pac-12 and tied for third nationally with his six interceptions including three in the Cheez-It Bowl to earn Defensive Player of the Game honors and a spot on SI's All-Bowl squad.
Prior to his arrival at Cal, Sirmon was the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State (2016) and Louisville (2017) for one season each after previously coaching on staffs for six seasons at Tennessee (2010-11), Washington (2012-13) and USC (2014-15).
Sirmon helped Louisville to an 8-5 record and TaxSlayer Bowl berth as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach in 2017. Louisville was nationally ranked for much of the season and reached as high as 14th in the AP Top 25. Sirmon's defense was second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with ten fumbles recovered and third with 23 turnovers gained to help get the ball back to a high-powered offense ranked third nationally in scoring. LB Dorian Etheridge earned Freshman All-American honors after leading the Cardinals with 83 tackles, while All-ACC honorable mention selection Trumaine Washington was involved in a team-best six takeaways with four interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Mississippi State won the St. Petersburg Bowl during Sirmon's lone campaign as defensive coordinator in 2016, with his unit contributing four defensive touchdowns to tie for eighth nationally. A Bulldogs' defense that included 11 first-time starters and nine freshmen had 23 takeaways to tie for 38th nationally, nine more than the unit recorded in 2015. LB Leo Lewis led all SEC freshmen in tackles (79) and became the first FWAA Freshman All-American in school history, while Jeffrey Simmons paced all SEC freshmen defensive linemen in tackles (40) on his way to joining Lewis on the Freshman All-SEC team.
Sirmon spent two campaigns (2014-15) at USC as linebackers/associate head coach defense/recruiting coordinator. In 2015, the Trojans won the Pac-12 South and made a second consecutive Holiday Bowl appearance, leading the conference in opponent third-down conversion percentage and scoring five defensive touchdowns, third nationally. Sirmon's guidance propelled OLB Su'a Cravens to All-Pac-12 first-team for the second straight season. ILB Cameron Smith was selected as Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and named a consensus Freshman All-American.
Sirmon was linebackers coach at Washington the two prior seasons from 2012-13, adding recruiting coordinator to his duties for the first time in 2013. The Huskies ranked in the top 40 nationally in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense in his first campaign in 2012 after finishing the previous campaign lower than 105th in each category. Washington's scoring defense jumped to tie for 29th nationally in 2013, while its team passing efficiency defense improved 60 spots to 27th in 2012 before climbing to tenth in 2013, with its 41.0 sacks tied for fourth nationally the same season. The Huskies qualified for bowls each season. Sirmon tutored eventual first-round NFL Draft pick Shaq Thompson during his back-to-back honorable mention All-Pac-12 seasons during his first two seasons with the Huskies.
Sirmon also spent one season as a graduate assistant at Oregon in 2009 when the Ducks won a Pac-10 title and played in the Rose Bowl. He first entered the coaching ranks as the linebackers coach at Central Washington in 2008 for a team that finished 10-2.
Sirmon played seven NFL seasons as a linebacker with the Titans (2000-06) after being selected in the fourth round (128th overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft out of Oregon, where he played in 81 games with 54 starts and recorded 343 tackles, five sacks, four interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown, 12 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one recovery, and 15 special teams stops. Tennessee won two divisional titles, before earning a third playoff appearance during his tenure in 2003. In four playoff games, Sirmon made three starts and recorded 22 tackles with one pass breakup.
Sirmon, who received his degree in political science from Oregon in 1999, was a four-year starter (1996-99) and selected to the 2000 Senior Bowl. He helped the Ducks to winning campaigns in all four seasons and three bowl games. A first-team All-Pac-10 selection as a senior, Sirmon was the Ducks' leading tackler as a sophomore and senior.
Sirmon and his wife, Lindsay, have four children – son Jackson, who played six seasons of college football at Washington (2018-21) and Cal (2022-23) and spent two seasons with the New York Jets (2024-2025); and daughters Austyn, Savanna and Sadie.
PLAYING CAREER: Oregon, 1996-99; Tennessee Titans, 2000-06.
COACHING CAREER: Central Washington, 2008; Oregon, 2009; Tennessee, 2010-11; Washington, 2012-13; USC, 2014-15; Mississippi State, 2016; Louisville, 2017; California, 2018-24; New Orleans Saints, 2025-.
