The GM's, Coach's, Carousel

Hope he's the next HC for the Saints

 

Jim Harbaugh: Vikings interview was a one-time thing, I’m done chasing NFL jobs



Jim Harbaugh is making no secret of the fact that he was interested in leaving Michigan to become the next head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. But when the Vikings didn’t offer him the job, he says he decided to stop chasing NFL jobs.

Harbaugh told Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press he views winning the Super Bowl as the ultimate accomplishment in the sport of football and always wanted another shot at it after losing the Super Bowl as head coach of the 49ers.


“There was a tugging at me that I was once that close to a Super Bowl and I didn’t get it. Some NFL jobs came open. I was contacted by the Vikings. For better or for worse, it was something I wanted to explore. I went in thinking, ‘I’m gonna have 100 percent conviction on this, and if they [Minnesota] have 100 percent conviction on this, then it’s something I’m gonna do.”

But when the Vikings didn’t offer him the job, Harbaugh says he let Michigan know he won’t be looking for NFL jobs again.

“I called Warde [Manuel, the Michigan athletic director] and I asked him if he wanted me to be the head coach. And he said, ‘Yes, 100 percent.’ And I said, OK then. That’s what I want to do.’ And I told him, ‘Warde, this will not be a reoccurring theme every year. This was a one-time thing.”

Harbaugh says his focus now is a national championship.

“Sure, the Super Bowl is the greatest prize in our sport,” he said. “But winning a national championship. That’s pretty darn great. Let’s do that. There was a pull to the NFL because I got that close to the Super Bowl, but this was the time [to try and return.] And this is the last time. Now let’s go chase college football’s greatest prize.”

Realistically, it’s unlikely that Harbaugh can really promise he won’t be tempted by another NFL job. If a team that appears to have most of the pieces in place to win a Super Bowl contacts him, is Harbaugh really going to say no? He might think he’s all-in on Michigan now, but this is probably not the last time we’re going to hear his name connected to the NFL coaching carousel.

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Bills Pro Bowlers Stefon Diggs, Dion Dawkins thrilled Ken Dorsey is new OC in Buffalo

Count Bills Pro Bowlers Stefon Diggs and Dion Dawkins among those thrilled Buffalo promoted quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey to offensive coordinator to fill the shoes left by Brian Daboll.

"I was happy for my man Dorse," Diggs said Thursday, via the team's official website. "I'm going to have to shoot him a text and talk some smack to him, but I was happy for him. It's something that we look forward to so we can keep building on this offense."

The star receiver said that even though Dorsey was the quarterbacks coach, he still has a relationship with the rest of the roster.

"He's a good coach," Diggs said. "He's been a good guy. I respect him. I feel like we've all built a relationship with our coaching staff even the guys that aren't in your room. Dorsey isn't in our room, but I still talk to Dorse every morning and make fun of him. So, I feel like it's something great we can build off of."

Dawkins added that Dorsey's relationship with Josh Allen will be critical for the Bills' offense making a smooth transition.

"Everything starts with the quarterback and the fact that Josh is the most comfortable with Dorsey, the rest will all fall into place," Dawkins said. "Dorsey is a good dude. ... If you notice every time we score, I find Dorsey and I sprint at him. It's been a fun thing to do.

"It just shows that he's relating to his players in a special way and now that we are officially his players, he's already one step ahead."


In addition to promoting Dorsey, Buffalo added Joe Brady as the new quarterbacks coach, officially announcing the move Friday. The new combo is tasked with keeping the Bills offense rolling after it ranked second in the NFL with 29.8 points per game the past two seasons under Daboll.

NFL.com

 

Report: Seahawks to name Clint Hurtt defensive coordinator, hope to hire Sean Desai as well



The Seahawks have reportedly settled on their next defensive coordinator.

The Seattle Times reports that defensive line coach/assistant head coach Clint Hurtt is expected to be named the new coordinator. The Seahawks parted ways with Ken Norton Jr. after the end of the regular season.


Hurtt has been with the Seahawks since 2017 and he worked for the Bears for three years before coming to Seattle.

Two other rumored candidates for the coordinator position may also be joining the staff. Former Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell is expected to join the team in a senior assistant role and the Times reports that the team also hopes to hire former Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai as they remake their defensive coaching staff in the wake of a 7-10 season.

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....and if he tries to clip a player on a game ending return, so be it.

 

The Colts are hiring Gus Bradley as their defensive coordinator, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Bradley was one of six candidates to interview for the position after Matt Eberflus left to become the head coach of the Bears.


Bradley, 55, spent 2021 with the Raiders, who finished 14th in total defense and 26th in scoring defense.

He was the Chargers’ defensive coordinator for four years before that, with those units finishing in the top 10 in total defense in three of his four seasons.

Bradley made his name in four seasons directing the Seahawks’ defense from 2009-12. That earned him a head coaching job with the Jaguars, which he held from 2013-16. Jacksonville was 14-48 in his tenure as head coach.

 

Report: Raiders hire Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator



The Raiders have hired Patrick Graham as their new defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.

The Giants had hoped to keep Graham despite the change in head coaches. Graham has spent the past two seasons as the Giants’ defensive coordinator.


Graham also interviewed for the Steelers’ defensive coordinator vacancy and was a head coaching candidate for the Vikings. He interviewed with the Vikings earlier this week before Minnesota’s brass settled on Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.

In Las Vegas, Graham reunites with Josh McDaniels. The two men overlapped in New England for four seasons under Bill Belichick.

Graham was there from 2009-15.

He served as Miami’s defensive coordinator in 2019 before joining Joe Judge with the Giants in 2020 as the teams’ defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

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The Giants are poaching a member of a division rival’s front office.

According to multiple reports, New York is hiring Eagles director of player personnel Brandon Brown to be its assistant General Manager.


Brown has been with the Eagles since 2017, rising from assistant director of pro scouting to director of pro scouting in 2019. He was promoted to director of player personnel in 2021.

Brown interviewed with the Vikings for their G.M. opening in January.

According to multiple reports, with Brown in, Kevin Abrams is out as the Giants’ assistant G.M. But Abrams may stay with the organization in a reduced role, focusing on the salary cap.

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Report: Giants interview Jim Schwartz for defensive coordinator



The Giants wanted to keep defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, but he left for the Raiders on Friday. So the Giants’ search continued this weekend.

They had a virtual interview with Titans senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports.


Schwartz also drew interest from the Colts before they hired Gus Bradley.

Schwartz has had three stints as a defensive coordinator, with the Titans in 2001-08, the Bills in 2014 and the Eagles in 2016-20. The Eagles won Super Bowl LII to end the 2017 season.

He was head coach of the Lions from 2009-13.

New Giants head coach Brian Daboll has hired Mike Kafka as offensive coordinator. They also want to interview former Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale and former Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai for the defensive coordinator job.

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Gym Shorts !

 

Steelers will promote Teryl Austin to defensive coordinator



The Steelers considered some options from outside the organization for their defensive coordinator vacancy, but they opted to promote someone already inside the organization.

According to multiple reports, the Steelers will name Teryl Austin as their new coordinator. Keith Butler announced his retirement after the team’s playoff loss to the Chiefs last month.


Austin has been a senior defensive assistant and the defensive backs coach in Pittsburgh for the last three seasons. He drew interest from the Giants to be their defensive coordinator, but will remain on Mike Tomlin’s staff rather than go to work for Brian Daboll.

Austin spent the 2018 season as the Bengals defensive coordinator and spent four seasons running the defense in Detroit.

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Dolphins working on deal to make Mike McDaniel head coach



The Dolphins have found their new head coach.

According to multiple reports, Miami is working toward a deal to hire 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.


McDaniel and Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore were both slated to have interviews with the Dolphins over the weekend as finalists for the job.

Once the deal is confirmed, McDaniel, 38, will be the first minority hire at head coach in the 2022 cycle. McDaniel is biracial; his father is Black.

The 49ers will receive two third-round compensatory draft picks for McDaniel being hired as a head coach.

McDaniel has worked alongside 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan for much of his career. He was a Texans offensive assistant from 2006-2008. And after a stint in the UFL, McDaniel was an offensive assistant under Shanahan in Washington from 2011-2012 before becoming receivers coach in 2013. He followed Shanahan to the Browns in 2014 as the team’s receivers coach. Then he was an offensive assistant for Shanahan from 2015-2016 in Atlanta before becoming the 49ers run game coordinator when Shanahan became San Francisco’s head coach.

The Dolphins fired Brian Flores on January 10 after three seasons.

With McDaniel headed to Miami, the Texans and Saints are the two remaining teams with head coaching vacancies.

UPDATE 6:22 p.m. ET: The Dolphins announced they have agreed to terms with McDaniel to make him their head coach.

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Texans interview defensive coordinator Lovie Smith for head coaching job

There's another candidate in the mix for the Houston Texans head coaching job and it's a familiar face.

Lovie Smith, the Texans defensive coordinator and associate head coach, has emerged as a contender for the vacant Houston head coaching position and was interviewed for the vacancy on Sunday night, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Sunday evening.

Pelissero and Rapoport also reported that it looks as though longtime former NFL quarterback Josh McCown, who has interviewed for the team's head coaching job in each of the last two years, is seemingly out of contention.

Thusly, former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who has interviewed twice for the Texans' job, and Smith are the known remaining candidates, Pelissero reported.

On Tuesday, Flores filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against the NFL and three of its clubs -- the Broncos, Dolphins and Giants -- alleging a pattern of racist hiring practices by the league and racial discrimination. The suit also alleged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross told Flores he would pay him $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 season, Flores' first with the team, so that Miami would end up with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Following Sunday's announcement that the Dolphins hired 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as their new head coach, the Texans and New Orleans Saints are the final two teams remaining with head coaching openings.

The Texans' opening exists following the firing of David Culley after just one season as Houston's head coach.

Smith, 63, is coming off his first season as Houston's defensive coordinator, but has an abundance of NFL coaching experience, including being a former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach.


Smith began his NFL coaching career as a linebackers coach for the Bucs in 1996. Following two seasons as the St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator, Smith began a nine-season run as the Bears' head coach. With the Bears, Smith went 81-63 with three playoffs appearances, including a march to Super Bowl XLI where Chicago lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

Smith would go on to coach the Buccaneers from 2014-15 with an 8-24 showing and then moved to the college ranks where he coached Illinois from 2016 through 2020 before joining the Texans.

NFL.com

 

Damn he'll never live that one down. Rightfully so, I guess.

 

Lovie Smith got the gig...

 

Saints hiring Dennis Allen as head coach



The final head coaching vacancy has been filled.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints are promoting defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to be their head coach.


Allen was the favorite all along to replace Sean Payton, who stepped down from his position as Saints head coach on Jan. 25.

Allen was in his second stint as a Saints assistant coach under Payton. He was the assistant defensive line coach from 2006-2007 before becoming the secondary coach from 2008-2010. After a season as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, he was hired as the Raiders’ head coach. But that tenure was largely unsuccessful, as Allen was fired after four games in his third season with an 8-28 record.

Allen returned to New Orleans in 2015 as a senior defensive assistant. But he was promoted to defensive coordinator in November of that season to replace Rob Ryan. He had held that same position ever since.

Allen served as the Saints’ interim head coach in Week 15 when Payton was out due to COVID-19. New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 9-0 on Sunday Night Football.

 

Glad to see Lovie as an NFL head coach again. Shame he's probably going to be there 2-3 years with a horrible team.

 

Steelers to interview Louis Riddick for general manager position

Former Pitt Panther Louis Riddick is in the running to return to Pittsburgh as general manager of the Steelers.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Riddick is scheduled to interview for the Steelers' GM job, per sources informed of the situation.

The current ESPN commentator last worked in the NFL as the Eagles director of pro personnel in 2013.

Riddick played as a safety at Pitt before being selected late in the 1991 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. After his NFL playing career ended, he joined Washington's front office for seven seasons, beginning in 2001, before jumping to Philadelphia, where he was with the Eagles for six years.

For the past two years, Riddick has highlighted ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage.

The Steelers are lining up interviews to replace GM Kevin Colbert, who is stepping down after the 2022 NFL Draft.

Along with Riddick, the Steelers GM candidates include Ryan Cowden (Tennessee Titans VP of player personnel), JoJo Wooden (Los Angeles Chargers director of player personnel), Ed Dodds (Indianapolis Colts assistant GM), Omar Khan (Steelers VP of football and business administration) and Brandon Hunt (Steelers pro scouting coordinator).

NFL.com

 

Giants hiring Wink Martindale as defensive coordinator



The Giants are poised to hire Don “Wink” Martindale as their new defensive coordinator.

Martindale and the Giants are working on finishing up his contract this morning, according to multiple reports.


The 58-year-old Martindale has spent the last four seasons as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. He previously had a stint as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator.

New Giants head coach Brian Daboll was interested in retaining last year’s defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, but Graham decided to leave for the same role with the Raiders. Daboll also interviewed Sean Desai and Jim Schwartz before deciding on Martindale.

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Report: Steelers interviewing Packers executive John Wojciechowski for G.M.



The Pittsburgh Steelers are interviewing Green Bay Packers co-director of player personnel John Wojciechowski for their general manager vacancy, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.

Wojciechowski is a Pittsburgh area native and got his start in personnel with the Steelers as a player personnel assistant in 1996. He spent five years with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an area scout (1998-2002), nine seasons as a college scout for the Dallas Cowboys, and then joined the Packers front office in 2012. He was named co-director of player personnel by the Packers alongside Jon-Eric Sullivan in 2018.


In addition to Wojciechowski, the Steelers have announced interviews with Tennessee Titans executive Ryan Cowden, Los Angeles Chargers director of player personnel JoJo Wooden, and Indianapolis Colts assistant GM Ed Dobbs. They are also reportedly interviewing Colts college scouting director Morocco Brown and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick while also considering in-house candidates in pro scouting coordinator Brandon Hunt and vice president of football operations Omar Khan.

The Steelers are looking for a replacement for Kevin Colbert, who is set to retire after the upcoming NFL Draft.

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Report: Jaguars hiring Press Taylor as offensive coordinator



Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has found an offensive coordinator for his staff.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the team is hiring Press Taylor for that spot. Taylor was identified as a leading candidate for the spot after Pederson landed the job in Jacksonville.


Taylor, who is the brother of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, spent the 2021 season as a senior offensive assistant with the Colts and was on Pederson’s staff in Philadelphia for his entire five-year run as the Eagles head coach. He rose to the roles of quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator before Pederson was fired at the end of the 2020 season.

Jacksonville is also set to hire Jim Bob Cooter as their passing game coordinator and Phil Rauscher as their offensive line coach/run game coordinator.

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