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Jake Olsen Season 2025

LSU
Jake Olsen
Title
Safeties Coach
Hometown
Hillsboro, N.D.
Alma Mater
Valley City State (2012)

Jake Olsen returned to LSU in January of 2024 after two years working alongside defensive coordinator Blake Baker at Missouri. Olsen enters his second season as LSU safeties coach in 2025.

Another member of the LSU coaching staff with strong ties to Louisiana, Olsen previously spent the 2021 season with the Tigers as an analyst with his focus on the linebackers. Olsen has 10 years of Louisiana college football coaching experience.

In his first season as LSU’s safeties coach in 2024, Olsen’s group featured five different starters, including true freshman Dashawn Spears, who started in wins over South Carolina, UCLA and South Alabama. Junior Jardin Gilbert led the group with 55 tackles, while senior Major Burns added 47 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and created three turnovers.

Olsen coached the linebackers at Missouri for two years (2022-23) helping Mizzou to its best season in a decade in 2023 when the Tigers won 11 games and finished the year ranked No. 9 in the nation. Missouri capped the 2023 season with a 14-3 win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl as the Tigers held the Buckeyes without a touchdown for the first time since 2016.

At Missouri, Olsen helped develop Ty’Ron Hopper into a two-time All-SEC selection and he was a finalist for the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2023.

In his previous season at LSU in 2021, Olsen assisted with the development of Damone Clark into an All-America selection. Clark, now a starter for the Dallas Cowboys, ranked No. 2 in the nation in tackles per game with 11.42 in 2023.

Prior to joining the LSU staff, Olsen spent four years (2017-20) at Northwestern State where he coached linebackers, safeties and served as special teams coordinator during his time with the Demons.

While part of the Northwestern State staff, Olsen was named a member of the American Football Coaches Association’s “35 Under 35” in 2018.As part of the 35 Under 35, Olsen took part in the AFCA’s Coaches Leadership Institute in San Antonio, Texas.

Olsen spent the 2015-16 seasons as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Monroe, earning his master’s degree in educational technology leadership while assisting with the Warhawks safeties and defensive line. Prior to arriving in Monroe, Olsen spent the first half of 2015 at Southwestern Oklahoma State as the defensive line coach.

In 2014, Olsen had his first coaching experience in Louisiana, serving as the outside linebackers coach at Nicholls State.

Olsen’s first collegiate coaching experience came at his alma mater, Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota. In his lone season (2013) as a coach at Valley City State, Olsen developed a pair of all-conference defensive linemen, Matt Craft and Dwayne Fearon.

Olsen was a four-year letterman at Valley City State as a defensive end/outside linebacker. Olsen was a team captain for the Vikings during the 2012 season, helping Valley City State post a 7-3 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the North Star Athletic Association.

Olsen earned his undergraduate degree in math education from Valley City State in 2012. He has been an active participant in football camps as both a student-athlete and a coach, working the Valley City State camps from 2010-12 and then the Day of Champions Camp from 2013-15.

THE OLSEN FILE

Birthdate: Oct. 11, 1989 in Hillsboro, N.D.
College: Valley City (N.D.) State, 1992
Post Graduate: Louisiana-Monroe, 2016

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
2009-12 Valley City (N.D) State

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2013 Valley City State (defense)
2014 Nicholls State (outside linebackers)
2015-16 Louisiana-Monroe (graduate assistant – safeties, defensive line)
2017-20 Northwestern State (linebackers, 2017; safeties, 2018; outside linebackers, 2019; safeties, special teams coordinator, 2020)
2021 LSU (analyst – linebackers)
2022-23 Missouri (linebackers)
2024-25 LSU (safeties)

BOWL EXPERIENCE

As a coach
Season – Bowl – Team Opponent Results
2021 – Texas – LSU vs. Kansas State – L, 42-20
2023 – Cotton – Missouri vs. Ohio State – W, 14-3
2024 – Texas – LSU vs. Baylor – W, 44-31