The GM's, Coach's, Carousel

Report: Broncos to interview Ronald Curry for offensive coordinator



Broncos head coach Sean Payton is showing interest in bringing a number of Saints employees to Denver with him.

Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Saints quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Ronald Curry will interview to become the Broncos offensive coordinator. Curry joined Payton’s staff in New Orleans in 2016 as an offensive assistant and also worked as the team’s wide receivers coach before moving on to work with quarterbacks in 2021.

Curry has also interviewed for the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator vacancy.

The news on Curry comes after Monday brought word that the Broncos are pushing to hire Saints assistant offensive line coach Zach Strief as their top offensive line coach. Strief played 12 years with the Saints before joining Payton’s staff for his final season in New Orleans.

Duncan reports that the Broncos have also made an offer to Saints assistant to the head coach/offensive assistant Kevin Petry and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports that Saints offensive assistant Declan Doyle is up for tight ends coach in Denver.

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BREAKING: Steve Wilks Lands Defensive Coordinator Job
The former Panthers interim head coach has a new home

The San Francisco 49ers are set to hire Steve Wilks as defensive coordinator, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Wilks took over as the Carolina Panthers interim head coach in early October after the team fired Matt Rhule following a 1-4 start to the season. It took a couple of weeks, but Wilks rallied the troops and helped guide Carolina to a 6-6 record, finishing second in the NFC South division. Wilks, somehow had the Panthers playing for a division title heading into its Week 17 matchup with Tampa Bay - a game they jumped out to a 14-0 lead in and led for the majority of the afternoon.

Wilks was one of nine candidates to interview for the Panthers head coaching job, before the team ultimately decided to hire Frank Reich. According to Panthers GM Scott Fitterer, Wilks did have a "legitimate" chance at the job.

"He had a legitimate shot, definitely. Like, you have to give respect for what he did for this team during the year. He did a heck of a job leading us. He's a great man. But when it came down to it, I'm not going to compare Frank to Steve or anyone else. Frank during the interview process really separated himself. The first time he came in, he was dialed in, laid out his plan. Then when he came back the second time, he took that plan and went deeper to a different level. That's what separated him. All the respect in the world for Steve. He did a great job for us."

SI

 

Getting back to the question of why they'd say "no" = could be many reasons involved, but the one that comes to mind is that if the head coach sounds like he's leaning one way as far as the system / philosophy, an experienced or otherwise wise candidate with other ideas might not like the potential fit.

I don't recall why, but earlier I had the impression the Vikings were wanting to continue the Fangio-style scheme and keep building with the same personnel / mold. If you take that job, don't succeed with the Fangio scheme and get sacked after one year like Donatell, that's a career setback.

Flores might have been the one guy to convince Kevin O'Connell - and have O'Connell openly agree during the interview - that the team needs to go in other directions.

 

A few sites are reporting that Alabama analyst Dave Huxtable is leaving the school to take a position with the Falcons.

No word yet (not even interviews) on who might take over the defensive line job or if Jerry Gray (title = Assistant Head Coach / Defense) is going to double as the secondary coach. Linebackers coach Frank Bush is the only position coach remaining from Dean Pees' staff, though the lower level assistants and analysts are still on board.

 

Report: Cardinals don’t plan to hire head coach until after Super Bowl



It’s apparently going to take a little while longer for the proverbial white smoke to emerge from the Cardinals’ facility.

Arizona does not plan to hire a head coach until after Super Bowl LVII, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday.


The Cardinals were apparently down to three finalists in Brian Flores, Mike Kafka, and Lou Anarumo. But Flores decided that he did not want to wait around only to lose out on the job, instead electing to become Minnesota’s defensive coordinator.

As of now, Kafka remains the Giants offensive coordinator and Anarumo the Bengals defensive coordinator.

By waiting until after the Super Bowl, the Cardinals may interview coaches who are involved in Sunday’s game. Arizona has not been connected to Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, or defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for that matter. But with new G.M. Monti Ossenfort now in place, that could change.

The Colts also are still without a head coach. Owner Jim Irsay tweeted on Tuesday that his club’s final decision on a head coach was coming in days, not hours.

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Titans hired Falcons QB coach Charles London to become "Pass game coordinator / QB coach".

The odd question for me is why did Tennessee decide to replace their previous QB coach??

The "Pass game coordinator" part of London's job title might be a clue, if it's not just something thrown in to make the hire an official step up. London's strength as an offensive coach is the X's and O's side of the game. London was a running back, not a quarterback. He had previously been Chicago's running backs coach. As much as I like him, I can't see him being the guy to work with a QB on footwork, throwing motion, etc.

Tennessee's former QB coach Pat O'Hara (still with the team as an analyst) is a former QB himself who would have been more of a hands-on guy for those fundamentals of QB play.

It seems like a no-brainer that O'Hara will be on the short list to be London's replacement here in Atlanta, given that head coach Arthur Smith already knows him so well having worked with him in Tennessee (Smith was the OC with O'Hara as his QB coach). I'm certainly hoping he's the choice. Looking back, Mariota had set a Titans franchise record for completion percentage in 2018 with O'Hara as his coach, and then Ryan Tannehill topped that mark.

If O'Hara is Smith's choice, the teams simply trade QB coaches. Tennessee gets the scheme guy to help develop their offensive system, and Atlanta gets the fundamentals guy to help with developing Desmond Ridder. I'd call it a win-win.

 

Reports: Mike Kafka, Brian Callahan informed they won’t be hired as Colts coach



A few days ago, Colts owner Jim Irsay said it would be days, not hours before his team found a new head coach.

The club still may not be ready for a hire. But Indianapolis is at least getting tangibly closer to a choice.


According to separate reports from Albert Breer of SI.com and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Colts have informed Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka that they’re out of the running for the job.

Earlier on Friday, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle reported Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has also been informed he won’t be the next Colts coach.

The Colts are going through an extensive interview process, speaking with more than a dozen people for the job. There is still a chance the club could end up hiring interim coach Jeff Saturday. Or one of the coordinators in the Super Bowl could make a lasting impression that leads Indianapolis to make a hire — much like the Colts did after the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

The Cardinals are also still looking for a head coach.

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Cardinals to interview Lou Anarumo again today

The Cardinals have still not wrapped up all the interviews for their head-coaching vacancy.

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is interviewing with the Cardinals again today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.


That the Cardinals are still interviewing coaches two days before the Super Bowl demonstrates what a drawn-out process this has been in Arizona. Sometimes teams wait until after the Super Bowl to name a new head coach because they’re planning to hire an assistant coach off the staff of one of the Super Bowl teams, but in the Cardinals’ case, they’re still in the interviewing phase.

How long it takes remains to be seen, but it would seem likely that the Cardinals will finally hire their head coach next week.

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Bucs interviewed Thomas Brown for offensive coordinator job



The Bucs interviewed Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator opening, the team announced.

Brown was the eighth candidate interviewed to replace Byron Leftwich, with whom they parted ways Jan. 19.


Broncos passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak, Vikings receivers coach Keenan McCardell, Jaguars quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter, Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher, Georgia offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Todd Monken, Giants quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney and Saints passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry also interviewed with head coach Todd Bowles.

Pitcher had a second, in-person interview on Wednesday after his first meeting with the team was held virtually while the Bengals were still in the playoffs.

Brown previously interviewed for the offensive coordinator jobs with the Commanders and Chargers.

He spent two seasons as the Rams’ running backs coach before moving to work with the tight ends in 2022. Brown moved back to running backs when Ra’Shaad Samples left for Arizona State, and the Rams recently hired a new tight ends coach in Nick Caley.

Brown has coordinator experience from his time at the University of Miami and also interviewed for the Texans head coaching job.

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INTERESTING TURN OF EVENTS...

Colts plan to hire Shane Steichen as head coach




The Colts have apparently come to a decision on who they want to be their next head coach.

ESPN reports that the Colts plan to hire Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen after Super Bowl LVII. The Colts have informed other candidates that they are out of the running, but two sides still need to reach agreement on a contract and the Colts know as well as anyone that the last mile can be the most difficult one.


They planned to hire Josh McDaniels as their head coach after Super Bowl LII, but McDaniels opted to remain with the Patriots at the final hour and the Colts pivoted to hire Frank Reich instead. Reich was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in that Super Bowl win over New England and Steichen will be trying to pull off the same feat against the Chiefs on Sunday.

Sunday morning also brought word that the Cardinals plan to interview Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon for their head coaching opening, so there could be major changes on both sides of the ball for the Eagles heading into next season.

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Report: Broncos interviewed Rex Ryan for defensive coordinator



New Broncos head coach Sean Payton is making the move from the television world back to the sidelines next season and he reportedly interviewed another coach turned broadcaster about a role on his staff.

Jay Glazer of Fox — Payton is wrapping up his duties with the network on Sunday — reports that Payton interviewed former Jets and Bills head coach Rex Ryan to be his defensive coordinator this week. He currently works for ESPN.


Payton and Ryan have not worked together in the past, but Payton and Ryan’s brother Rob have a history together. Rob Ryan was the defensive coordinator of the Saints from the start of the 2013 season until he was fired in November 2015.

Rex Ryan also employed Rob as an assistant during his time in Buffalo and both brothers were fired after the end of the 2016 season. That was Rex Ryan’s last coaching job, but he could be headed back to the field if things go well with Payton this week.

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Cardinals are expected to interview Jonathan Gannon after Super Bowl



The Cardinals paused their head coaching search for Super Bowl weekend and they are expected to interview a coach who will be working in Sunday’s game once it resumes this week.

According to multiple reports, the Cardinals are expected to interview Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon after he faces off with the Chiefs in the Cardinals’ home stadium on Sunday afternoon.


Gannon interviewed with the Texans before they hired DeMeco Ryans as their head coach, but this would be his first conversation with the Cardinals about the opening they created by firing Kliff Kingsbury after the end of the regular season. He is in his second season running the Eagles defense and he’s also coached with the Colts, Vikings, Titans, and Falcons.

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka remain in the running for the Cardinals job, but the decision to wait to speak to Gannon suggests that the Cardinals may be moving in a different direction.

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Report: Texans hire Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator



The Texans are hiring 49ers offensive passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik as the team’s offensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports.

Slowik reunites with DeMeco Ryans in Houston.

Slowik, 35, spent two seasons as San Francisco’s offensive passing game coordinator and has 10 seasons of NFL experience. He also spent time as an offensive assistant (2019-20) and defensive quality control coach (2017-18).

Slowik also spent time in Washington as a defensive assistant (2011-13) and video assistant (2010).

The Texans are expected to use the No. 2 overall choice on a quarterback as they rebuild. They are 11-38-1 since their last playoff appearance in 2019.

Ryans hired Matt Burke as his defensive coordinator.

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Commanders working to set interviews with Eric Bieniemy, Greg Roman this week



Eric Bieniemy helped the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win on Sunday night, but there’s been a lot of chatter linking him to other offensive coordinator openings and one team interested in his services recently.

Bieniemy has been mentioned as a possibility in Baltimore and Washington and multiple reports indicate the Commanders are trying to set up an interview with him this week. The Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebrations in the coming days will impact when a meeting could be scheduled.

When asked about the possibility of making a lateral move last Monday, Bieniemy said “right now I am where my feet are” and that his only focus was on the Super Bowl.

Bieniemy isn’t the only coordinator candidate the Commanders hope to speak to this week. John Keim of ESPN.com reports they’re also working to schedule an interview with former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

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Ravens hire Todd Monken as offensive coordinator



Baltimore is bringing a respected assistant coach back into the league to lead their offense.

The Ravens have hired Todd Monken to be their offensive coordinator, the team announced on Tuesday.


“We conducted 21 interviews with 14 candidates throughout a thorough process that had wide-ranging organizational involvement,” head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “Todd’s leadership and coaching acumen were evident from the beginning. He has a proven track record for designing and teaching offensive systems that allow players to succeed at the highest level. We’re excited to get to work and begin building an offense that will help us compete for championships.”

Monken has spent the last three seasons as Georgia’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, helping the program win back-to-back national championships. Monken particularly shined in January, as the Bulldogs defeated TCU 65-7 in this year’s title game.

While Monken has spent most of his coaching career in the college ranks, he spent the 2016-2018 seasons as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. He then was the Browns’ offensive coordinator in their one season under Freddie Kitchens in 2019. Monken was also the Jaguars’ receivers coach from 2007-2010.

Monken had a three-year stint as Southern Miss’ head coach from 2013-2015, compiling a 13-25 record — including a 9-5 finish with a 7-1 conference record in 2015.

This is the second year in a row that Harbaugh has reached into the college ranks for a coordinator who also had NFL experience. Harbaugh brought Mike Macdonald back to be the team’s defensive coordinator after he’d departed the organization to become Michigan’s D-coordinator under Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, in 2021. He’d previously been with the Ravens since 2014, rising from coaching intern to linebackers coach.

Former offensive coordinator Greg Roman elected to depart the organization to pursue other opportunities after the 2022 season.

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And the Cards close out the cycle and the pillaging of Sirianni’s staff by hiring Gannon