| Minnesota Vikings | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Outside linebackers coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 1, 1989 Redding, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | La Salle College High School (PA) |
| College: | Elon University |
| Career history | |
As a coach: | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Thad Bogardus (born 1989) is an American football coach who is the outside linebackers coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He previously worked for the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. [1]
Bogardus is a native of Redding, Connecticut. He attended Elon University, where he earned a degree in finance in 2011. While at Elon, he served as a student assistant and assistant video coordinator for the football program between 2007 and 2010. [2]
Bogardus began his coaching career at Ball State University, serving as a football operations graduate assistant in 2011 and as a defensive graduate assistant from 2012 to 2013. [3]
Bogardus joined the NFL in 2014 as a defensive quality control coach with the Buffalo Bills. He then spent two seasons with the Denver Broncos (2015–2016), first as a coaching intern and then as a defensive coaching assistant. He was part of the coaching staff that helped win Super Bowl 50. [4]
Bogardus joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2017 and spent six seasons with the team. He worked as a defensive quality control coach (2017–2018), assistant defensive line/quality control coach (2019–2020), and assistant linebackers coach (2021). He was promoted to outside linebackers coach in 2022. He was part of the Rams' coaching staff during their Super Bowl LVI championship season in 2021.
On March 21, 2023, Bogardus was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as the assistant inside linebackers coach. He helped guide a defense that led the NFL in forced fumbles (21) and posted the second-most games (eight) with at least one forced fumble and one interception in 2023. [5]
Bogardus played a key role in the development of undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr., who led all NFL rookies with 102 tackles in 2023 and became only the third undrafted rookie since 1987 to record over 100 tackles. [6]
In 2024, Minnesota improved to a 14–3 record, with its defense leading the league in takeaways and ranking among the best in stopping the run and defending fourth-down attempts. Linebackers Blake Cashman and Pace Jr. recorded career highs in multiple categories under Bogardus' guidance. [7]
In 2025, he was promoted to outside linebackers coach. [8]
Bogardus and his wife, Lauren, have two children: a daughter, Erika, and a son, Brooks. [9]