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PROVO — Jan Jorgensen is coming home.
The former BYU standout defensive lineman who prepped at Carbon High has accepted a job as defensive coordinator at Snow College, the university announced this week.
Jorgensen is the first major coach hire under new head coach Andrew Mitchell, the Badgers’ former offensive coordinator who succeeded departing coach Paul Peterson following the latter’s departure to Dixie State.
"I feel like getting Jan on the staff here was a home run," Mitchell told KSL.com. "He and his family have roots right down the road in Helper, Utah. He was a tremendous player and has a great pedigree in his young coaching career to be a star in this profession.
"I’m excited about what he’ll bring to the table for our student-athletes in terms of on and off the field development. He’s a guy that gets it and will do a great job mentoring players and leading the defensive side of the ball here at Snow College."
Jorgensen spent the past season as the defensive coordinator at Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa, California, The Pirates went 1-9 in 2018, allowing 389.9 yards and 37.9 points per game in Jorgensen’s first season as a full-time assistant coach.
@SnowCollegeFB would like to officially welcome a former @BYUfootball great as it’s new Defensive Coordinator — Jan Jorgensen @Janimal84 ! Excited to see him build this defense in to one of the Nation’s best! #UpOnTheOnepic.twitter.com/grPHqufXpW
— Snow College Badger Football (@SnowCollegeFB) January 3, 2019
Five players earned all-Southern League honors on the season, including a pair of linebackers.
A former graduate assistant at BYU, Jorgensen finished his stellar collegiate career with 221 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 28.5 sacks, 22 quarterback hurries and three fumble recoveries. He set a Mountain West record in career sacks and tackles for loss, after initially signing with Kentucky out of high school before serving a two-year church mission in Boise, Idaho, from 2003-05.
