Anthony Poindexter is in his fourth season as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. He was hired Jan. 2, 2017.
Senior Navon Mosley (53) and junior Brennan Thieneman (49) ranked fourth and fifth on the team in tackles in 2019. Both players earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition.
Mosley (93) and Jacob Thieneman (74) finished second and fourth on the team in tackles, respectively, in 2018. Thieneman, an academic all-district and honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, ranked second on the team with five sacks.
In his first season with the Boilermakers, Poindexter helped lead a defense that saw its opponent scoring average plummet from 38.2 points per game in 2016 to 20.5 in 2017. Thieneman (80) and Mosely (65) finished third and fifth on the team in tackles, respectively. Thieneman was named honorable mention All-Big Ten and secured Purdue’s victory in the Foster Farms Bowl with an interception on Arizona’s final drive.
Poindexter came to Purdue after three seasons (2014-16) as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Connecticut. In 2016, Poindexter coached Senior Bowl-bound safety Obi Melifonwu to All-American Athletic Conference honors. Melifonwu paced the Huskies with 118 tackles, including 73 solo stops, and four interceptions. During the 2015 season, Poindexter directed a unit that ranked seventh in the nation in red zone defense (73 percent), 15th in scoring defense (19.5), 20th in passing defense (189.3) and 33rd in total defense (355.1). Safety Andrew Adams was named second-team All-AAC after leading the Huskies with 103 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and three interceptions.
Prior to UConn, Poindexter spent 11 seasons at Virginia, his alma mater, in a variety of roles. He got his start in collegiate coaching as a graduate assistant in 2003 and subsequently coached the running backs in 2004 and 2005. He served as Cavaliers’ running backs/assistant special teams coach from 2006 to 2008, defensive backs/assistant special teams coach in 2009, safeties and special teams coordinator from 2010 to 2012, and safeties coach in 2013.
In 2013, Poindexter coached All-American safety Anthony Harris to first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors after he led the nation with eight interceptions.
Poindexter’s defensive backs limited the opposition to a 53.7 passing completion rate in 2011, and the Cavaliers ranked 21st in the nation in passing defense in 2009 (184.6 yards per game). Second-team All-ACC safety Ras-I Dowling and cornerback Chris Cook were selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.
As running backs coach at Virginia, Poindexter coached Cedric Peerman, a nine-year NFL veteran, to 1,749 career rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
An outstanding player in his own right, Poindexter was a two-time consensus All-American (1997 and 1998) and the 1998 ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a safety for the Cavaliers. He is one of only three players in ACC history to be named all-conference three times. He was named the 1998 Brian Piccolo Award winner, presented to the ACC’s most courageous football player. A hard-hitter compared with Ronnie Lott, Poindexter finished his collegiate career with 342 tackles, the second-most among defensive backs in school history. His No. 3 jersey was retired by Virginia in 2009.
Despite tearing his ACL during his senior season, Poindexter was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft and was a member of the Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV championship team (as was former Purdue defensive back Rod Woodson).
A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, Poindexter (born July 28, 1976) graduated from Virginia in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. He was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2013. He and his wife, Kimberly, have three children: Morocca, Anthony Jr. and Chloe.
Senior Navon Mosley (53) and junior Brennan Thieneman (49) ranked fourth and fifth on the team in tackles in 2019. Both players earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition.
Mosley (93) and Jacob Thieneman (74) finished second and fourth on the team in tackles, respectively, in 2018. Thieneman, an academic all-district and honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, ranked second on the team with five sacks.
In his first season with the Boilermakers, Poindexter helped lead a defense that saw its opponent scoring average plummet from 38.2 points per game in 2016 to 20.5 in 2017. Thieneman (80) and Mosely (65) finished third and fifth on the team in tackles, respectively. Thieneman was named honorable mention All-Big Ten and secured Purdue’s victory in the Foster Farms Bowl with an interception on Arizona’s final drive.
Poindexter came to Purdue after three seasons (2014-16) as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Connecticut. In 2016, Poindexter coached Senior Bowl-bound safety Obi Melifonwu to All-American Athletic Conference honors. Melifonwu paced the Huskies with 118 tackles, including 73 solo stops, and four interceptions. During the 2015 season, Poindexter directed a unit that ranked seventh in the nation in red zone defense (73 percent), 15th in scoring defense (19.5), 20th in passing defense (189.3) and 33rd in total defense (355.1). Safety Andrew Adams was named second-team All-AAC after leading the Huskies with 103 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and three interceptions.
Prior to UConn, Poindexter spent 11 seasons at Virginia, his alma mater, in a variety of roles. He got his start in collegiate coaching as a graduate assistant in 2003 and subsequently coached the running backs in 2004 and 2005. He served as Cavaliers’ running backs/assistant special teams coach from 2006 to 2008, defensive backs/assistant special teams coach in 2009, safeties and special teams coordinator from 2010 to 2012, and safeties coach in 2013.
In 2013, Poindexter coached All-American safety Anthony Harris to first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors after he led the nation with eight interceptions.
Poindexter’s defensive backs limited the opposition to a 53.7 passing completion rate in 2011, and the Cavaliers ranked 21st in the nation in passing defense in 2009 (184.6 yards per game). Second-team All-ACC safety Ras-I Dowling and cornerback Chris Cook were selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.
As running backs coach at Virginia, Poindexter coached Cedric Peerman, a nine-year NFL veteran, to 1,749 career rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
An outstanding player in his own right, Poindexter was a two-time consensus All-American (1997 and 1998) and the 1998 ACC Defensive Player of the Year as a safety for the Cavaliers. He is one of only three players in ACC history to be named all-conference three times. He was named the 1998 Brian Piccolo Award winner, presented to the ACC’s most courageous football player. A hard-hitter compared with Ronnie Lott, Poindexter finished his collegiate career with 342 tackles, the second-most among defensive backs in school history. His No. 3 jersey was retired by Virginia in 2009.
Despite tearing his ACL during his senior season, Poindexter was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft and was a member of the Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV championship team (as was former Purdue defensive back Rod Woodson).
A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, Poindexter (born July 28, 1976) graduated from Virginia in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. He was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2013. He and his wife, Kimberly, have three children: Morocca, Anthony Jr. and Chloe.