Rob Leonard enters his first season as the defensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026, his fourth season with the Silver and Black. Leonard now has 16 years of coaching experience, including 13 seasons coaching in the NFL ranks.
Last season, Leonard served as the run game coordinator/defensive line coach, leading a unit that allowed just 3.9 yards per rush to opponents, tied for the second-best mark in the NFL. The Raiders also recorded the second-most run stuffs (98) among defenses in 2025. Additionally, the Raiders front excelled at getting to the ball carrier, allowing just 0.9 yards before contact per carry in 2025 according to Next Gen Stats, tied for the best mark in the league. Leonard's front helped the Raiders rack up 104 total tackles for loss last season, the third most in the NFL and the most in a single season by the Raiders since 2000. Under Leonard's tutelage, DE Maxx Crosby earned his fifth-straight Pro Bowl selection after posting a single-season career-high 28 tackles for loss, the second most in the NFL and the most in a single season in Raiders history (since 1999). Crosby also led the NFL with 26 run stuffs. Leonard also coached rookie DT Tonka Hemingway, who recorded 4.0 sacks in just nine games in 2025, tied for the third most among Raiders defenders through their first nine career games and tied for the third most among rookie interior defensive linemen in franchise history.
As run game coordinator/defensive line coach in 2024, Leonard coached a defensive line unit that recorded 20 passes defensed, the second most in the NFL among D-line units. The Raiders also logged 38 total sacks, including 18 sacks over the last six games, tied for the fourth most in the NFL over that span. Despite injuries throughout the defensive line, the Raiders saw sack production in 2024 with 18 different players recording at least a half-sack, tied for the most in the NFL and the most players with at least a half-sack in Raiders history in a single season. Leonard saw Crosby earn his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection after finishing the season with 45 tackles, 17 tackles for loss (t-6th in NFL), 7.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits and five passes defensed (t-5th among DL).
In his first season with the Raiders in 2023, the defense recorded 46 total sacks, tied for the 13th most in the NFL. The Raiders' 46 sacks were also the most in a single season by the Silver and Black since 2010 (47). Under Leonard, Crosby finished the season ranked tied for first in the NFL in tackles for loss (23), sixth in sacks (14.5) and third among NFL defensive lineman in tackles (90), en route to his third-straight Pro Bowl, second-career AP Second Team All-Pro selection and third-consecutive PFWA All-AFC selection. Leonard also saw DE Malcolm Koonce make a big improvement, recording a single-season career-high 8.0 sacks, the second most on the team and tied for the fourth most in a single season in Raiders history by a player in their first three seasons.
Leonard joined the Raiders after spending one season with the Baltimore Ravens as an outside linebackers coach in 2022. Leonard helped Baltimore's defense rank in the top-5 in four categories in 2022: No. 3 in points allowed per game (18.5), No. 3 in defensive red zone TD percentage (46.4%), No. 3 in rushing yards per game (92.1) and No. 4 in third-down efficiency (34.9%). Under Leonard's guidance, his unit combined for 19.5 sacks, including OLB Justin Houston who recorded 9.5 sacks and became the first Ravens defender in franchise history to produce three straight multi-sack games.
Prior to Baltimore, Leonard spent three years (2019-21) with the Miami Dolphins, where he held multiple positions during his tenure….He led a linebacker corps that produced 329 total tackles, 34 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks, while tying for the NFL's fourth-most quarterback hits (61) over that span. Under Leonard's tutelage in 2021, rookie OLB Jaelan Phillips finished with a Dolphins' rookie record with 8.5 sacks, good for second among all NFL rookies. As the assistant defensive line coach in 2020, Leonard helped Miami's defense finish first in the NFL in both takeaways (29) and third-down defense (31.2%). He spent the 2019 season as Miami's linebackers coach, helping Jerome Baker rank fourth in the AFC with 124 total tackles.
He spent the first six seasons of his NFL coaching career (2013-18) as an assistant with the New York Giants. In 2018, Leonard served as outside linebackers coach, helping DE Olivier Vernon lead New York with 7.0 sacks and 21 QB hits…As the assistant defensive line coach in 2017, helped guide DT Damon Harrison to produce 76 tackles, which ranked second on the team and led all NFL defensive linemen.
From 2013-16, Leonard was part of a staff that coached the NFL's most-improved defense, going from 32nd (420.3 yards per game) in 2015 to 10th (339.7 yards per game) in 2016 in total yards allowed…That season, the Giants finished 11-5 and earned a playoff berth…New York ranked eighth in the NFL in total defense in 2013, allowing just 332.3 yards per game.
Prior to joining the NFL ranks, Leonard coached at his alma mater, North Carolina State, where he was a graduate assistant for three seasons (2010-12), helping the Wolfpack appear in three consecutive bowl games. In 2009, he served as a defensive assistant with Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C.
Leonard was a three-year letterman at safety and linebacker at North Carolina State, initially joining the team as a walk-on before earning a scholarship following his freshman season at Washington & Jefferson College…In 2008, he led the Wolfpack with 95 tackles and earned the team's Mike Hardy Award, given annually to the player who plays beyond his capabilities.
PERSONAL: Attended Moon Area High School in Moon Township, Pa., where he earned first-team All-Conference honors as a cornerback, while also playing as a running back, kick returner and punter…He also earned second-team all-state honors at cornerback…Leonard and his wife, Anna, have two sons, Bo and Luke, and two daughters, Mary and Daly.
