Pat Bastien (born June 5, 1991) is an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

coach and former player who is currently the defensive backs coach at

Northwestern State Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Johnson and Alexandria. It is a part of the Un ...

. He has worked as assistant coach at both the college and professional level since 2014.

Playing career

During his collegiate years, Bastien played as a linebacker for UAB, appearing in 44 games and serving as a three-year starter. His performance on the field was notable for its defensive contributions, which laid the groundwork for his transition into a coaching career shortly after completing his playing tenure.

Coaching career

Bastien began his coaching career in 2014 as a graduate assistant at the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in unincorporated area, unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida. ...

(UCF), where he contributed to a team that shared the American Athletic Conference championship. UCF ranked in the top 10 of multiple defensive categories, including total defense and rushing defense. In 2016, Bastien was hired as an assistant coach for linebackers at

Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University (informally known as Southern or Georgia Southern) is a public university, public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The largest campus is in Statesboro, Georgia, Statesboro, with ...

. During his time there, he coached standout players Ukeme Eligwe and Ironhead Gallon, both of whom earned conference honors. Eligwe was later drafted by the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. In 2017, Bastien was selected as a member of

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' "30 Under 30" class. In 2018, Bastien served as the Assistant Director of Player Development for the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

football program under head coach

Kirby Smart Kirby Paul Smart (born December 23, 1975) is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at the University of Georgia, his alma mater. As head coach, he led the Bulldogs to back-to-back national champion ...

. Bastien’s role involved mentoring student-athletes, overseeing their personal and academic development, and assisting in professional preparation. During his tenure, Georgia’s defense ranked among the best in the nation, finishing in the top 15 in several major categories, including scoring defense, total defense, and rushing defense. The Bulldogs went 11–3 that season, earning a spot in the SEC Championship game and an invitation to the

Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...

. Bastien continued his coaching career at

Marshall University Marshall University is a public university, public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States, chief justice of the Uni ...

in 2020, where he worked as an assistant coach for defensive backs. Under his leadership, the

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...

defense ranked among the best in the country in several categories, including points allowed and total defense. He then made two coaching stops at

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glas ...

in 2021 and briefly at The University of Toledo in 2022. With the help of Bastien,

Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...

went 9–5 in 2021, including a 59–38 win over Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl. Bastien was recognized for his potential and contributions to football by being named t
Football Scoop’s
2022 Minority Watch List/Rising Stars, highlighting him as one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the sport. In 2022, Bastien joined the coaching staff of the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

as an offensive assistant, contributing to a team focused on rebuilding under head coach Robert Saleh. In his first season, wide receiver Garrett Wilson was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, marking a key milestone for the franchise. Bastien also contributed to the team's efforts to improve overall offensive efficiency compared to prior seasons. Bastien’s expertise extended to the collegiate level, as he was selected to coach the running backs of the American Team at the 74th Annual College Football Senior All-Star Game. In 2023, Bastien transitioned to a defensive assistant role, where he contributed to the success of the Jets’ secondary, which was recognized as one of the top units in the league. The defense’s standout performance was bolstered by rookie

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

Sauce Gardner Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner (born August 31, 2000) is an American professional football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected fourth overall by ...

, who earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, further highlighting the team’s development of young talent. Bastien’s work within the defensive coaching staff was noted for its focus on player preparation and alignment with the Jets' overall defensive strategy.

hired Bastien as its defensive backs coach in 2024.

Personal life

He is married to Deborah, and they have three children, Princeton, Payton, and Patrick II.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bastien, Pat 1991 births Living people Coaches of American football from Florida Players of American football from Collier County, Florida UAB Blazers football players People from Immokalee, Florida UCF Knights football coaches Georgia Southern Eagles football coaches Georgia Bulldogs football coaches Marshall Thundering Herd football coaches Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football coaches Toledo Rockets football coaches New York Jets coaches Northwestern State Demons football coaches