Jeff Ceasar, a veteran of the Texas high school coaching ranks, starts his fourth season in the role of defensive coordinator along with serving as the defensive line coach.
The TSU defensive line was active in the fall of 2021 Michael Badejo earned 2021 All-SWAC honors at defensive end while Tim Walton, Jr., ranked third on the team with 39 tackles and led TSU with 7.5 tackles for loss. Badejo would earn a shot with the Major League Football Association (Arkansas Attack) while Walton was drafted by the NFL's New Jersey Generals. Junior Demontario Anderson also had a breakout season as he racked up 29 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Sophomore tackle Tyler Martinez also had a breakout sophomore campaign with 44 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
As a unit, middle linebacker Tarik Cooper earned All-SWAC honors as he finished with a team-high 62 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Redshirt freshman cornerback Isaiah Hamilton finished third on the team with 41 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.
The Tiger defense made huge strides after a full offseason under Ceasar’s watch. After the historic 2021 spring season, TSU moved up the ladder in several statistical categories highlighted by the play of several individuals.
Defensive lineman Michael Badejo emerged as a force on the defensive line as he earned All-SWAC honors after the spring season. Fellow lineman Demontario Anderson also emerged as he led the team and finished amongst the top 15 tacklers in the SWAC. The secondary tandem of Matthew Williams and Isaiah Hamilton combined to break up six passes in only two games played as both finished 3-4 in the SWAC.
The defensive unit had its moments in its first year under Ceasar as the Tigers were in position to either tie or pull out the win late in the final quarter on four occasions thanks to the play of the defense. Linebacker Patrick Howell finished sixth in the SWAC in tackles while three athletes in JaCorey Benjamin, Byron Edwards and Josh Murray finished in the top 20 in passes defended. Jadrian McGraw finished fourth in the SWAC in fumble recoveries while Tim Walton, Jr. was seventh in forced fumbles.
Ceasar arrived at TSU with a wealth of experience as a former head coach and assistant coach at some of the top programs in the state. He joined the TSU staff after one season as the defensive line coach at Humble High School after spending three years as the head football coach and athletic coordinator at historic Jack Yates High School in Houston.
As the head coach at Yates, Ceasar led the Lions to a pair of playoff appearances despite a change in enrollment classification during his tenure. Under his watch, several students received scholarships to play in college in addition to having 60-plus players earn all-district honors under his watch. While serving as the school’s athletic coordinator, the school’s basketball team made two appearances in the UIL State Championship.
Prior to Yates, Ceasar spent five years as an assistant football coach at Baytown Lee, Hastings and Madison High Schools. He also had a three-year stint at Yates as the team’s defensive and recruiting coordinator from 2005-07 and helped put the Lions back on the map as they finished 30-8 during that span which included a trip to the state quarterfinals and regional rounds.
Originally from Lake Charles, La., Ceasar began his coaching career at Washington-Marion High School as an assistant football and head track & field coach. He moved across the state line to Texas in 2000 and served on the staff at football powerhouse North Shore High School from 2000-2005. While at North Shore, Ceasar played a role in developing the program into one of the state’s best as the team captured the 2013 Class 5A State Championship. An accomplished track coach, Ceasar was also named the District 23-5A Track Coach of the Year in 2005.
Ceasar graduated from Grambling State University in 1995 and played under legendary head coach Eddie Robinson. He has also participated as a head coach and defensive coordinator in several all-star games in the Houston area while also finalist for the Houston Touchdown Club Sportsmanship Award in 2014. He has a daughter, Mona Landry (28), who was a former track & field student-athlete and two-time graduate (bachelor’s and master’s) at the University of North Texas.
