Chris O'Leary was hired as the Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach for the Broncos after spending the 2024 season as the safeties coach for the Los Angeles Chargers. He helped the Chargers to the NFL Playoffs as a wild card and coached All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. to his fourth NFL Pro Bowl selection. James finished the regular season with 93 tackles, 5.5 sacks, seven passes defended, and one interception. The Chargers finished the regular season with the top-ranked scoring defense in the NFL, allowing just 17.7 points per game. It was an improvement of 4.5 points per game over the 2023 Chargers that ranked 19th.
Prior to Los Angeles, he spent six seasons at Notre Dame. O'Leary started as a defensive analyst before becoming a defensive graduate assistant with the Fighting Irish. In 2021 he was named the Pat and Jana Eilers Defensive Back/Safeties Coach. As the safeties coach, he oversaw the development of Xavier Watts, who converted from wide receiver to become one of the most dominant players in his position. Watts led the nation with seven interceptions in 2023 and received the Bronco Nagurski Award as the nation's best defensive player and a unanimous All-American. He coached six bowl games during his time in South Bend, including the College Football Playoff Semifinals at The Rose Bowl in 2020 and The Cotton Bowl in 2018.
O'Leary was also a graduate assistant at Georgia State for the 2015 and 2016 seasons before being named the safeties coach at Florida Tech in 2017.
O'Leary played wide receiver at Indiana State from 2011-14 and graduated with a degree in physical education and later earned a master's degree in sports administration at Georgia State. A native of Terre Haute, Ind., he comes to Kalamazoo with his wife Jessie and their sons Jack and Grant.
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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT CHRIS O'LEARY
Jim Harbaugh:
LA Chargers Head Coach, 2024-Present
University of Michigan Head Coach (2015-23)
2023 College Football Playoff National Champion
"Chris is a rising star in the coaching ranks. He's a connector, which is among the best compliments you can give a coach. The rapport he's able to create within a staff and his ability to build meaningful relationships with players throughout the locker room, regardless of position, is exceptional. Couple that with the way he teaches the game and develops guys on the field – it's easy to see what a great addition Chris is to the Western Michigan family."
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Marcus Freeman:
Notre Dame Head Coach, 2021-Present
2024 Bear Bryant Coach of the Year
"Chris O'Leary is an excellent relationship builder and recruiter. He is smart, creative and provides great energy. He has coached both linebackers and safeties and really understands what it takes to be successful on the defensive side of the ball. I'm excited for him to have this opportunity. "
Clark Lea
Vanderbilt Head Coach, 2021-Present
"Chris O'Leary is as good as they come. A passionate competitor, skilled teacher, and genuine connector, Chris has all the traits of a great defensive coordinator. I could not be more excited for him, as well as for Western Michigan football. I expect big things from the WMU defense under his leadership."
Al Golden:
Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Coordinator 2025-Present
Former Notre Dame DC
"Chris O'Leary will have an immediate impact on the WMU Broncos program! He brings high energy, an elite football mind and approach that puts a premium on total development of his student-athletes. In his time at ND, Coach O'Leary recruited and developed some of the best defenders in THE HISTORY of the Irish. In his one year in the NFL, he was vital part of a defense that finished at the top of the NFL. What a blessing it is to have Coach O'Leary and his family in Kalamazoo!"
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Derwin James:
LA Chargers, S, 2018-Present
"Coach O'Leary is one best young coaches I've been around. He is extremely confident and very smart and detail oriented. He strives to be the best coach and leader he can be each and every day. He ALWAYS has a smile on his face, and the positive energy he brings is very contagious."
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Xavier Watts:
Notre Dame, S, 2020-2024
3rd Round Draft Pick (2025), Atlanta Falcons
"Coach O'Leary challenged me to be the best possible player I could be. He always demanded excellence and taught me in ways that made it easy to understand."
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Jeremiah Owusu-Kormoah:
Notre Dame, LB, 2017-2020
Cleveland Browns, LB, 2021-Present
"Coach O'Leary exemplifies a commitment to understanding each player's unique background and learning style. By tailoring his leadership approach to meet individual needs, he fosters an environment where every athlete can thrive and reach their full potential. From a personal experience, his dedication to personalized coaching not only enhances performance but also cultivates a deep sense of trust and respect amongst the team."
