Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis at Kitty Harrison Invitational on September 12, 2025
Women's Tennis
at Kitty Harrison Invitational
.png&width=24&height=24&type=webp)
Staff Directory
Patke, Jonathan
Jonathan Patke
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
- Phone:
- (919) 684-2635
Jonathan Patke joined the Blue Devil gridiron program in December 2023 and serves as defensive coordinator. He also coaches Duke’s linebackers.
THE JONATHAN PATKE FILE
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Education: Stephen F. Austin, 2008 (Management) and Incarnate Word, 2013 (Sports Management)
Wife: Hailey
Birthday: May 31, 1986
PATKE'S COACHING CAREER
Patke worked for Manny Diaz on three previous defensive staffs, most recently from 2016-21 at Miami, where Patke served as a quality control analyst for two seasons (2016-17) before being elevated to the linebackers coach his final four years (2018-21). The pair also spent time together at Mississippi State and Louisiana Tech.
During his first season in Durham, Patke guided a standout unit that finished in the top 25 nationally in tackles for loss per game (second/8.9), fumbles recovered (second/14), sacks per game (fourth/3.3), turnovers gained (seventh/27) and turnover margin (24th/+0.62). Within the ACC, Patke’s unit topped the league in tackles for loss per game, sacks per game, fumbles recovered and turnovers gained and ranked second in passing yards allowed per game (213.5) and third in fewest yards per play (5.0).
Individually, nine defensive players received All-ACC accolades with All-America honors going to cornerback Chandler Rivers and safety Terry Moore. Rivers was an All-America selection by four publications while Moore was a Second Team All-ACC choice and a Second Team All-America by Action Network. Three of Patke’s starting linebackers received all-league recognition with Ozzie Nicholas a third-team pick and Alex Howard and Tre Freeman honorable mention selections. Howard added an All-America nod from College Football Network. Nicholas led Duke with 100 tackles while Howard paced the squad with 14.5 tackles for loss. Freeman also had one of Duke’s most memorable plays of the season, sealing the win against North Carolina with a fourth-quarter interception that allowed the Blue Devils to run out the clock and bring the Victory Bell back to Durham.
Patke arrived in Durham after a one-year stint as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Texas State University, where he helped guide the Bobcats to the program’s first eight-win season and FBS bowl appearance. Patke’s defense forced a season-high seven turnovers, including two interceptions for touchdowns by linebacker Brian Holloway, en route to the Bobcats’ 45-21 rout of Rice at the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl, marking their first bowl win in program history.
During his brief time in San Marcos, Texas, the Bobcats ranked second nationally in tackles for loss per game (8.3) and ninth in sacks per game (3.1). Additionally, Patke mentored Holloway to All-Sun Belt Second Team honors after leading the team in tackles (104), tackles for loss (16.0), quarterback pressures (8) and interceptions (4) while ranking second in fumble recoveries (2) and caused fumbles (3). His tackles for loss mark set Texas State’s FBS program record.
Patke spent the 2022 season as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at the University of Incarnate Word, where he helped the Cardinals earn a final FCS national ranking of No. 4 and a Southland Conference championship. UIW advanced to the FCS semifinals before falling to reigning national champion North Dakota State University, 35-32.
Patke’s UIW defense ranked in the top-10 nationally in five categories – first in tackles for loss (9.2 per game), third in defensive touchdowns (4) and passing efficiency defense (105.27), ninth in sacks (3.07 per game) and 10th in turnovers gained (24). Additionally, the Cardinals finished first in the Southland Conference in total defense (365.6) and scoring defense (24.7).
Patke tutored All-America linebacker Kelechi Anyalebechi, who was the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the nation’s top defensive player. Anyalebechi led the team in tackles (114) and fumble recoveries (2) while ranking second in tackles for loss (10.0) and interceptions (2).
Prior to his time at Incarnate Word, Patke spent six seasons at Miami with Diaz in a variety of roles, most recently as the inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. During all six seasons, Miami earned bowl berths with invitations to the 2016 Russell Athletic, 2017 Capital One Orange, 2018 New Era Pinstripe, 2019 Walk-On’s Independence, 2020 Cheez-It and 2021 Tony the Tiger Sun bowls.
Over Patke’s final three seasons in Coral Gables, the Hurricanes compiled 21 wins and ranked in the top-10 nationally in tackles for loss and in the top-35 in sacks. In his final Miami campaign of 2021, the squad finished the regular season winning five of its last six games, including victories over top-20 opponents in No. 18 NC State and No. 17 Pittsburgh.
The 2020 Hurricanes finished 8-3 (7-2 ACC) overall, marking the second time in program history Miami won seven ACC games. That team concluded the year 18th in the final College Football Playoff rankings. In 2019, the Hurricanes were again bowl eligible after concluding the regular season with a 6-6 mark.
In 2018, Patke helped the Hurricanes’ defensive unit rank fourth nationally in total defense (278.9), while also finishing the season first in tackles for loss (10.5 per game), third down conversion defense (.253) and passing defense (135.6).
The Hurricanes ranked in the top-15 nationally in six categories during the 2017 campaign – first in sacks per game (3.4), third in turnovers gained (31), fourth in tackles for loss per game (8.5), fifth in turnover margin (+1.00), eighth in fumble recoveries (14) and 15th in interceptions (17). Miami also ranked 24th in fourth down conversion percentage (.409) and 28th in scoring defense (21.0 ppg). In addition, Miami won the 2017 ACC Coastal Division and earned a berth into the Capital One Orange Bowl.
In his first season at Miami, Patke helped the Hurricanes rank fifth nationally in tackles for loss (up from 105th in 2015), tied for eighth in touchdowns allowed (up from 61st), ninth in yards allowed per play (up from 86th), 12th in scoring defense (up from 77th), 20th in total defense (up from 69th) and 22nd in sacks (up from 70th).
Miami’s special teams unit also thrived under Patke’s guidance. In his final three seasons, the Hurricanes ranked in the top-10 nationally in net punting, including a No. 1 mark in 2020, which set the NCAA record for net punting in a single-season. Additionally, Miami finished ranked in the top-30 in punt return defense in two of his three seasons as the special teams coordinator.
Individually, Patke mentored punter Lou Hedley and kicker Jose Borregales in 2020 to All-America caliber seasons. Hedley was tabbed a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, which honors the nation’s top punter, after ranking second in FBS in punting (47.2 yards per punt). Patke also coached the 2020 Lou Groza Award winner, Borregales, who finished the year 20-of-22 on field goal attempts and a perfect 37-of-37 on extra point attempts during regular season.
Patke joined Miami’s staff after spending the 2015 season at Mississippi State, where he worked under head coach Dan Mullen and defensive coordinator Diaz as a graduate assistant. During his lone season in Starkville, Patke helped guide the Bulldogs to a 9-4 record and a 51-28 victory over NC State in the 2015 Belk Bowl. The Bulldogs limited opponents to just 23.2 points per game that season and ranked in the nation’s top 10 in red zone defense and tackles for loss.
Patke and Diaz first worked together in 2014 on Skip Holtz’s staff at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 9-5 record, won the Conference USA West title and captured the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl after defeating Illinois, 35-18. Louisiana Tech posted a nation’s best 42 turnovers gained that season, including an impressive 26 interceptions, and finished fourth in tackles for loss (8.1 per game).
Patke began his coaching career at UIW, where he spent two seasons (2011-12) as a defensive graduate assistant. A native of Houston, Texas, Patke graduated from Stephen F. Austin University with a bachelor’s degree in management in 2008. He was a four-year letterwinner (2005-06-07-08) and a three-year starter in football. He added a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on sports management from Incarnate Word in 2013.
He is married to the former Hailey Fields of Youngstown, Ohio, and the couple has one son, Beckett.
THE JONATHAN PATKE FILE
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Education: Stephen F. Austin, 2008 (Management) and Incarnate Word, 2013 (Sports Management)
Wife: Hailey
Birthday: May 31, 1986
PATKE'S COACHING CAREER
- 2024-pres. – Duke (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
- 2023 – Texas State (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
- 2022 – Incarnate Word (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
- 2021 – Miami (Inside Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator)
- 2020 – Miami (Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator)
- 2019 – Miami (Outside Linebackers/Nickels/Special Teams Coordinator)
- 2018 – Miami (Outside Linebackers/Nickels)
- 2017 – Miami (Quality Control Analyst/Defense)
- 2016 – Miami (Quality Control Analyst/Defense)
- 2015 – Mississippi State (Graduate Assistant/Defense)
- 2014 – Louisiana Tech (Graduate Assistant/Defense)
- 2012 – Incarnate Word (Graduate Assistant/Defense)
- 2011 – Incarnate Word (Graduate Assistant/Defense)
Kieran Hall Postgame Vs. Virginia
Friday, September 12
Coach Diaz Media Availability: Tulane
Wednesday, September 10
Darian Mensah Media Availability: Tulane
Tuesday, September 09
Josiah Green Media Availability: Tulane
Tuesday, September 09
