Imamura comes to PC after serving as the Senior Defensive Assistant / Analyst at Vanderbilt University for Derek Mason over the last two seasons.
An NFL veteran defensive coach with 12 years of coaching experience, Imamura coached for the Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams, and Carolina Panthers during his NFL tenure. Over the course of his career, he's earned a reputation for being a teacher and technician for his ability to cultivate and develop talent. Linebackers such as: Heath Farwell (Minnesota Vikings), Chad Greenway (Minnesota Vikings), and E.J. Henderson (Minnesota Vikings), earned NFL Pro Bowl honors. While Defensive Backs such as: James Bradberry (Carolina Panthers), Donte Jackson (Carolina Panthers), Captain Munnerlyn (Carolina Panthers), developed into elite cover Corners and held dynamic NFL receivers well below their game averages.
In 2018, Imamura's Carolina Panthers Cornerbacks dominated the NFC South's elite Wide Receivers. Wide Receivers such as: Julio Jones (9 catches for 92 yards and (0) TD's in two games), Mike Evans (5 catches for 64 yards and (0) TD's in two games), Michael Thomas (12 catches for 78 yards and (0) TD's in two games) were held way below their game averages. While other NFL dynamic receivers such as: DeSean Jackson, Michael Crabtree, and Jon Brown, were limited in their effectiveness with Carolina's aggressive coverage tactics.
In his first season with the Panthers in 2017, Imamura helped a Panthers pass defense improve by nearly 40 yards per game over the year prior. Under Imamura's direction, the Panthers showed marked improvement throughout the year defensively, ranking first (1st) overall in red zone defense over the final seven (7) games (32.0 percent) after ranking 29th through the first nine games. Carolina's man-to-man coverage completion rate also improved from 90 percent through the first quarter of the season to 75 percent and finally 50 percent completion rate in the last four games. In the season's final nine weeks, the Panthers tallied nine (9) interceptions, including seven (7) from the Secondary. Led by Cornerback James Bradberry, the Panthers defense ranked third in the NFL with a turnover differential of +8.
Prior to his time with the Panthers, Imamura spent two years as a defensive assistant with the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams assisting in coaching the Linebackers.
In the Rams' first season in Los Angeles, Imamura assisted a defense that finished the 2016 season ranked ninth (9th) in total defense. LB Alec Ogletree, who played his first season as middle linebacker, finished the season with 171 total tackles, the fifth (5th) highest single-season output in franchise history. Ogletree finished in the franchise's top-10 in tackles for three of his four years in the NFL. As a defense predicated on harassing opponents in their back fields, the Rams recorded 245 negative plays since the beginning of the 2015 season, the most in the NFL over the past two seasons. During Imamura's first season with the Rams, the defense tied for 10th in the NFL in takeaways, were ranked sixth (6th) in third-down defense and 11th in sacks, despite injuries to key starters.
Previously, Imamura spent the 2006-13 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he assisted in coaching the Secondary (Safeties) for two years (2012-2013) and the Linebackers for six years (2006-2011). The 2012 Vikings defense made strides to improve from the previous season, allowing 64 fewer points to opposing offenses to rank 16th in the NFL, an 11-position improvement from 2011. The defense held opponents to 14-or-less points in 6 games during 2012, winning all 6. The Vikings DBs received an influx of talent when rookie S Harrison Smith stepped into the starting lineup for every game, led the club with 3 INTs and tied the Vikings rookie record with 2 INT return TDs. Smith was honored as an NFL All-Rookie choice for his performance. Fellow rookie Josh Robinson added a pair of INTs and started 6 games during the season.
2011 marked another season of solid linebacker play for the Vikings. Greenway set a then-career high in tackles, recording 174 over the course of the season and being selected to his 1st Pro Bowl. E.J. Henderson also had a big season, finishing 2nd on the team in tackles with 130 and 2nd on the team with 16 TFL.
The Vikings LBs were the most consistent unit for the defense in 2010 with Greenway leading the team in tackles for a 3rd-straight season and ranking 1st in the NFC and 4th in the NFL in total tackles. The defense finished in the NFL's top 10 in total defense (8th) for the 3rd year in a row and ranked in the top 10 against the run (9th) and the pass (10th).
In 2009, the Vikings LBs played at a high level and were a key part of the #6 ranking in total defense the club posted for the 2nd-straight year. The Vikings had not been in the NFL's top 10 for total defense in consecutive seasons since 1993-94.
The 2008 Vikings made dramatic strides from 2007 despite having to overcome the loss of key starters to injury. The Vikings defense ranked #6 in the NFL for total defense, the highest finish since 1994 for the team and a 14-position jump from the previous year.
The 2007 Vikings LBs thrived in the NFL's #1 rushing defense. Henderson led the team with 155 total tackles and 4.5 sacks, while Greenway and Leber finished directly behind Henderson in total tackles with 130 and 88, respectively. Overall, the Vikings linebackers finished with 373 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 3 INT's, 6 FF's and 7 FR's.
The 2006 Vikings finished #8 in total defense and #1 against the run for only the 3rd time in team history. The team had not cracked the top 10 in total defense since 1994 but the Vikings defenders became a calling card as the team set a franchise record and posted the 2nd-lowest rushing yards allowed by an NFL team since the 1970 merger at 985 yards, an average of 61.6 per game.
Prior to entering the NFL, Imamura spent seven seasons on the college level, including 2003 as the Outside Linebackers coach at Saginaw Valley State. He helped the Cardinals end the regular season atop the Division II polls with an 11-0 record, win the Great Lakes Conference and finish seventh (7th) in the country in scoring defense, 12th in turnover margin, and 22nd in passing defense. The Cardinals' Outside Linebackers accounted for over 60 percent of the team's sacks. Prior to Saginaw Valley State, Imamura had a three-year stint from 2000-02 at Northern Arizona coaching the Defensive Line. In 2001, Imamura directed a unit that contributed to the Lumberjacks ranking first in the Big Sky Conference in run defense with an average of 107.8 yards per game and allowing a conference-low 12 rushing touchdowns as the team advanced to the Division I-AA playoffs for just the second time in school history. He began his coaching career in 1997 at his alma mater, Texas Christian, as a defensive assistant.
Imamura graduated from TCU, earning a bachelor's degree in Finance in 1997. He later pursued a Master's in Business Administration from Colorado State University.
