Dino Vasso enters his second season as the defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans after spending the previous two years overseeing cornerbacks. Vasso owns 11 years of NFL experience and 13 overall in coaching after spending two seasons in the collegiate ranks. He initially joined the Texans after spending five seasons (2016-20) with the Philadelphia Eagles as the assistant coordinator/defense (2020) and assistant secondary coach (2016-19).
Under Vasso's guidance, CB Derek Stingley Jr. engineered the best year of his career, recording three consecutive games with an interception and earning one AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor and one AFC Defensive Player of the Month accolade despite missing seven games in the beginning of the season due to injury. Stingley finished the season with 39 tackles (28 solo), one tackle for loss, 13 passes defensed and five interceptions, which was the fourth-most in the NFL. CB Steven Nelson tallied 63 tackles (48), 12 passes defensed and four interceptions, which tied his career-high from 2018. Additionally, Nelson posted a 72.6 defensive coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus, the second-best mark of his nine-year career. In the AFC Wild Card game against Cleveland, Nelson was one-of-two Texans to return an interception for a touchdown, as the club became just the seventh team in NFL history to record multiple interception returns for a touchdown in a playoff game and the first team to do so since the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 15, 2008.
In 2022, Vasso played a large part in rookie CB Derek Stingley Jr.'s development, and the rookie was one-of-five cornerbacks that did not allow a touchdown all season (minimum of 300 snaps in coverage). The third-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft started and played in the first nine games of the season, totaling 43 tackles (35 solo), 1.0 sack and one interception before a season-ending hamstring injury. In Stingley's absence, Vasso coached CB Desmond King II to reach career highs in tackles (88) and tackles for loss (10), while adding two interceptions and eight passes defensed. As a group, the Texans secondary tallied 11 interceptions in 2022, which tied for the second-most that season.
In his first season as the Texans' cornerbacks coach in 2021, Vasso's unit helped the defense force 25 takeaways, which tied for the 10th-most in the NFL and was a 16-takeaway improvement over Houston's 2020 season total (nine). Vasso worked with King II, who tied his career-high of three interceptions. DB Terrance Mitchell also tied a career-high with three forced fumbles on the season, totaling 45 tackles (14 solo), one interception, 10 passes defensed and one tackle for loss.
From 2016-20, Vasso coached an Eagles defense that ranked third in rushing yards per game (99.1) and third down defense (35.9 percent), sixth in red zone defense (52.7 percent) and ninth in points per game (21.8 avg.). Vasso was promoted to assistant coordinator/defense for the 2020 season and helped a unit that finished third in the NFL in sacks (49.0) and seventh in third down defense (37.9 percent).
As the Eagles assistant secondary coach from 2016-19, Vasso worked closely with DB Malcolm Jenkins, who started all 64 games and made two Pro Bowls (2017-18) during that time span. In 2019, the Eagles secondary boasted three players (DB Avonte Maddox, DB Ronald Darby and DB Rasul Douglas) that totaled at least 10 passes defensed en route to winning the NFC East Division title.
In 2018, Philadelphia ranked first in the NFL in red zone defense (44.6 percent) during the regular season. The Eagles also ranked sixth in third down defense (35.3 percent) and seventh in opponent rushing yards per game (96.9). The defense was led by Jenkins, who earned his third-career Pro Bowl selection after leading the team with three forced fumbles.
Vasso played an integral role in the Eagles' Super Bowl LII championship team in 2017, as he coached a disruptive secondary unit. The Eagles defense finished fourth in the NFL in takeaways (31) and interceptions (19). Vasso worked with a defensive back group that led the NFL in passes defensed in both the regular season (70) and postseason (15).
As the leader of the secondary, Jenkins made his first Pro Bowl as an Eagle in 2017 and helped the defense allow the fourth-fewest yards per game in the NFL (306.5). Vasso also coached DB Patrick Robinson, who led the team with 18 passes defensed and four interceptions. Under Vasso's tutelage, second-year DB Jalen Mills logged single-season career-highs in passes defensed (14), interceptions (three) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (one).
In Vasso's first season with the Eagles in 2016, the secondary featured three different players with at least 10 passes defensed and four with at least one interception, including Jenkins who became the fifth Eagles player in franchise history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a season.
Prior to joining the Eagles, Vasso spent three seasons (2013-15) with the Kansas City Chiefs as a coaching assistant, working primarily with the secondary. Vasso helped rookie DB Marcus Peters set numerous franchise records, including most interceptions by a rookie (eight) and most passes defensed (26). In 2014, the defensive backs helped the Chiefs defense rank second in the NFL in passing defense (203.3) and points per game (17.6). The Chiefs were the only defensive unit that didn't allow a 300-yard passer that season. In 2013, Vasso worked with a secondary unit that helped the defense tie for the third-most interceptions (21) in the NFL and finished tied for fifth in points allowed per game (19.1).
Vasso originally joined the Chiefs after spending one season (2012) at the University of Missouri as the defensive graduate assistant. At Missouri, Vasso assisted with recruiting and the compilation of information for the defensive prospects for the Tigers. Prior to joining Mizzou, he served as an offensive intern at Temple (2011).
Vasso was a four-year letterman and starter at defensive back at the University of New Hampshire (2006-10) after redshirting his freshman season. He started 51 consecutive games for the Wildcats from 2007-10. As a senior, Vasso earned first-team AFCA All-American honors when he totaled six interceptions. In his collegiate career, he recorded 287 tackles, 18 career interceptions (three returned for touchdowns), 41 passes defensed and six tackles for loss.
Prior to his collegiate career, Vasso lettered in football, basketball and track at Ridley High School in Folsom, Pa. He and his wife, Ryan, have one son, Kai, and live in Manvel, Texas.
Pro Bowl Players Coached (5): DE Brandon Graham (2020), DT Fletcher Cox (2020), S Malcolm Jenkins (2017-18), CB Marcus Peters (2015), S Eric Berry (2015)
All-Pro Players Coached (6): DE Brandon Graham (2020), CB Patrick Robinson (2017), OLB Justin Houston (2015), LB Derrick Johnson (2015), CB Marcus Peters (2015), S Eric Berry (2015)
