Jahmile Addae (juh-Mile uh-Die), defensive backs coach at West Virginia the last two seasons, has been named the defensive backs coach at the University of Georgia, according to an announcement Wednesday from Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart.
“We are excited to add Jahmile to our staff and to welcome he and his family to Athens,” said UGA head coach Kirby Smart. “Having been an all-conference safety himself while playing for West Virginia, we feel like Jahmile will boost our team both as a former player who understood the game as well as with his knowledge from coaching at a high level over the last decade.”
A native of Valrico, Fla., Addae joins the program after serving a similar role with West Virginia the last two seasons. Most recently in 2020, he led a passing defense that ranked first nationally in Fewest Passing Yards Allowed at 159.6 yards per game. The Mountaineers, who capped their season by beating Army in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, finished fourth in the country in Total Defense (283.5 y/g) and tallied 11 interceptions that they returned for 112 yards.
In his first year at WVU, he coached two All-Big 12 Conference selections in Keith Washington II and Josh Norwood and freshman All-American Tykee Smith. Washington II finished with a team-leading three interceptions and a team-tying nine pass breakups for 12 passes defended, ranking No. 23 nationally. Hakeem Bailey tied Washington II for the team lead with nine pass breakups, ranking No. 9 in the Big 12. Smith was second on the team in interceptions with two, including one he returned for a touchdown against Iowa State.
A former Mountaineer all-conference safety, Addae returned home to WVU in January 2019, after serving as the defensive backs coach and assisting with several special teams’ phases at Minnesota in 2018. His punt return unit finished No. 1 in the nation (22.3 yards per return), punt return defense was No. 2 (1.11 y/r), and the kickoff return unit finished No. 26 nationally (23.4 y/r).
Prior to Minnesota, Addae spent five years at Arizona, coaching the defensive backs in 2016-17 and serving as an analyst from 2013-15.
Addae developed a youthful defensive secondary into some of the team’s top performers. In 2017, Lorenzo Burns, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Scottie Young, and Jace Whittaker combined for 261 tackles, 24 pass breakups, and 12 interceptions.
In 2010-11, Addae was the running backs coach at Cincinnati, where he mentored All-Big East Second-Team selection Isaiah Pead. Pead rushed for 1,029 yards, ranking No. 1 in the conference and in the top-10 nationally in yards per carry (6.6 yards per carry).
Pead averaged 93.6 yards per game and was Cincinnati’s first 1,000-yard rusher in almost a decade and at the time, the Bearcats’ seventh player to hit the mark.
Addae was recognized by Rivals.com as one of the top-10 recruiters in the Big East Conference. Before coaching the Bearcats, Addae served as Cincinnati’s Director of Player Development. He also managed many of the team’s off-the-field responsibilities, including the Cats In The Community program.
Prior to his time at Cincinnati, he was a defensive graduate assistant at Michigan, where he worked with the Wolverines’ secondary and scout team offense.
After graduating from WVU in 2006, Addae was a graduate assistant in the football video department at West Virginia.
Addae was a four-year starter, two-time captain and two-time All-Big East defensive back for the Mountaineers. Addae, who is tied for the WVU record for most pass breakups in a game (five, Rutgers, 2002), finished his WVU career with 253 tackles, including 152 solo stops and 25 pass breakups, ranking No. 5 in program history. He also ranks No. 3 in single-season pass breakups with 16 during the 2002 season.
Addae was selected for the Senior Bowl in 2006 and participated in the NFL Combine. He signed a free agent contract with his hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 and spent the end of the season with the Indianapolis Colts.
Addae, and his wife, Maryann, have three sons, Agyeman, Ayden and Amaree.