Coaches | Houston Texans - HoustonTexans.com

Matt Burke, who enters his 20th season coaching in the NFL, joins the Texans as the defensive coordinator in 2023 after spending last season serving as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive line coach.

Matt Burke, who enters his 20th season coaching in the NFL, joins the Texans as the defensive coordinator in 2023 after spending last season serving as the Arizona Cardinal's defensive line coach.

After working as a game management coach for the New York Jets in 2021, Burke joined the Cardinals last season. While leading Arizona's defensive line, he coached fourth-year player DL Zach Allen to a career season, hitting personal highs for sacks (5.5), quarterback hits (20), passes defensed (8) and tackles for loss (10) in 2022. Burke also coached DL J.J. Watt in his final NFL season, in which the five-time first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler led the team in sacks (12.5), quarterback hits (25) and tackles for loss (18), while adding 39 tackles, seven passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Burke helped Arizona improve from 20th to 14th in rushing defense from the previous season.

Burke spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, first as a defensive assistant and then as run game coordinator/defensive line coach. While in Philadelphia, Burke led a defensive line that forced the highest percentage of opponent three-and-out drives in the NFL, ranked third in rushing defense (90.1 yards per game) and fourth in third down defense (34.2 percent). In 2020, the Eagles ranked third in the NFL in sacks (49.0), including 40.0 from the defensive line which featured Pro Bowlers DL Fletcher Cox and DL Brandon Graham.

Prior to working with Philadelphia, Burke spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins, first as the linebackers coach in 2016 and defensive coordinator for two years (2017-18). In his first season as Miami's defensive coordinator, the Dolphins improved from 20th to 16th in total defense and also elevated from 30th to 14th in rushing defense. He helped guide DB Xavien Howard to his first Pro Bowl selection after he tied for the NFL lead with a career-high seven interceptions in 2018.

While coaching linebackers in 2016, LB Kiko Alonso led the team and finished ninth in the AFC with 115 tackles (69 solo). Under Burke's tutelage, Alonso also became the first Dolphins linebacker since 1993 to intercept a pass and recover a fumble in the same game. With Burke overseeing the linebackers, the Dolphins won six consecutive games to bounce back from a 1-4 start. In Miami's final 11 games, the team went 9-2 and generated 21 turnovers during those 11 games, which was tied for fourth in the NFL during that span.

Prior to Miami, Burke spent seven seasons coaching linebackers for the Cincinnati Bengals (2014-15) and Detroit Lions (2009-13). He also spent five years with the Tennessee Titans, where he served as an administrative assistant (2004-05) and defensive assistant/quality control coach (2006-08).

In 2015, the Bengals had the second-best scoring defense (17.4 points per game) in the NFL and Cincinnati's defense forced 28 turnovers, tied for sixth in the league. LB Vincent Rey registered the two most productive seasons of his career under Burke. Rey recorded 95 tackles (62 solo), one sack, one interception and five passes defensed in 2015 after posting a team-high 121 tackles (61 solo) and five passes defensed in 2014. Following the return of LB Rey Maualuga from an injury that sidelined him for the first half the 2014 season, Cincinnati surrendered just 82.0 rushing yards per contest in the final seven games, the second-best mark in the NFL.

Burke came to Cincinnati from the Lions, where he spent five seasons coaching linebackers (2009-13). In 2013, he helped lead a Lions defense that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run. LB DeAndre Levy tied for second in the NFL in interceptions (6), becoming only the third linebacker in Lions history with six-plus interceptions in a single season and the first since 1958. Detroit held opponents to a 30.3 percent conversion rate on third down (lowest in the league) and was second in red zone touchdown percentage (38.1) in 2013. Detroit's defense went 37 straight quarters without allowing a rushing touchdown, breaking a club record dating back to 1934. The Lions became the first NFL team since 1933 to allow 62-or-fewer rushing yards in six consecutive games, all without allowing a rushing touchdown. In 2011, Detroit won 10 games and earned a playoff berth for the first time since 1999.

Burke spent five years with the Tennessee Titans as an administrative assistant and defensive assistant (2004-08). Burke worked primarily with the linebackers in 2008 when the Titans posted a 13-3 mark, the best record in the NFL. Prior to working in the NFL, Burke also spent time coaching at Harvard (2003), Boston College (2002-03) and Bridgton Academy (1998-99) in Maine.

A native of Hudson, Mass., Burke played safety at Dartmouth. He was part of the school's undefeated Ivy League championship team in 1996.

Coaching History:

2023 – Defensive Coordinator – Houston Texans

2022 – Defensive Line – Arizona Cardinals

2021 – Director of Game Management – New York Jets

2020 – Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line – Philadelphia Eagles

2019 – Defensive Assistant – Philadelphia Eagles

2017-18 – Defensive Coordinator – Miami Dolphins

2016 – Linebackers – Miami Dolphins

2014-15 – Linebackers – Cincinnati Bengals

2009-13 – Linebackers – Detroit Lions

2006-08 – Defensive Assistant/Quality Control – Tennessee Titans

2004-05 – Administrative Assistant – Tennessee Titans

2003 – Secondary/Cornerbacks – Harvard

2000-02 – Graduate Assistant – Boston College

1998-99 – Secondary – Bridgton Academy