The GM's, Coach's, Carousel

Urban Meyer is going to make the Jags interesting.

Probably takes Trevor Lawrence.

We will be talking more about them than in the past easily.

 

Report: Bears interview Colts DBs coach Jonathan Gannon for defensive coordinator



The Chicago Bears interview Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon for their defensive coordinator vacancy on Tuesday, according to Kevin Fishbain of TheAthletic.com.

Gannon just completed his third season with the Colts as their defensive backs coach. He joined Frank Reich’s staff in 2018 after a four-year run as an assistant defensive backs coach and quality control coach with the Minnesota Vikings. He has also spent time with the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons.

The Bears are looking for a new coordinator after Chuck Pagano elected to retire at the end of the season. Chicago has also been interested in Cowboys assistant George Edwards and former New York Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher.

NBC

 

Aaron Glenn set to leave Saints to join Lions as defensive coordinator

The Lions have yet to officially hire their head coach, but with all signs pointing to Dan Campbell as the team's choice, he's starting to assemble a staff with a fellow New Orleans assistant joining him in Detroit.

With the two sides closing in on a deal, Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn is heading to the Lions to join Campbell's staff as defensive coordinator, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.

Glenn worked on the same staff as Campbell under Sean Payton in New Orleans from 2016-2020. The former defensive back was also a head coaching candidate in New York, where he interviewed for the position with the Jets before the team ultimately chose 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as its head coach.

A first-round pick of the Jets in 1994, the cornerback made two Pro Bowls during his playing days before beginning his post-playing NFL career with New York as a pro scout in 2012. Glenn left the Jets in 2014, joining the Cleveland Browns as an assistant secondary coach under head coach Mike Pettine. Glenn moved from the Browns to the Saints in 2016, where he's been until Tuesday's news.

The Lions are establishing a new coaching staff under new general manager Brad Holmes following a 5-11 campaign in which coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn were fired with five weeks remaining in the season.

NFL.com

 

Report: Seahawks are expected to interview Kirby Wilson for offensive coordinator



Pete Carroll said he wants Seattle to run the ball better in 2021. Now the Seahawks are taking a look at a longtime running backs coach to potentially become their offensive coordinator.

Raiders running backs coach Kirby Wilson is expected to interview for Seattle’s vacancy at OC, according to NFL media’s Ian Rapoport.

Wilson, 59, has been with the Raiders since 2019. He’s worked in the league dating back to 1997, when he was the Patriots running backs coach. Wilson has since been with Washington, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Cleveland.

According to Rapoport, Wilson last interviewed for an offensive coordinator job in 2014.

The Seahawks are also reportedly looking at Anthony Lynn and Doug Pederson for their vacant offensive coordinator position — though Pederson said he’s leaning toward taking the year off from coaching. Seattle fired Brian Schottenheimer on Jan. 12.

NBC

 

Lions have agreed to six-year deal with Dan Campbell



The Lions reportedly settled on Dan Campbell as their new head coach late last week and things are moving closer to becoming official in Detroit.

According to multiple reports, Campbell has agreed to terms with the Lions. He is set to sign a six-year deal with the organization.

Campbell spent the last five seasons as the assistant head coach and tight ends coach for the Saints. He has head coaching experience in the NFL after serving as the interim head coach for the Dolphins after they fired Joe Philbin during the 2015 season. The Dolphins went 5-7 with Campbell at the helm.

Reports indicate that Aaron Glenn will follow Campbell from New Orleans to be the defensive coordinator in Detroit. Campbell will now start filling out the rest of his staff and begin work with new General Manager Brad Holmes on reshaping the roster after three straight losing seasons.

NBC

 

Jaguars announce hiring of Trent Baalke as G.M.

What was reported is now official, as the Jaguars have announced the hiring of Trent Baalke as their General Manager.

Baalke served as the club’s interim G.M. after Dave Caldwell was fired in late November. He’d joined the team as director of player personnel in February 2020.

“Trent Baalke has had success at virtually every level of football, notably so as a General Manager who shrewdly and quickly built an NFL conference championship organization and team,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement. “That experience inspired us to recruit Trent to Jacksonville a year ago to serve as our director of player personnel and is one of the many reasons why we are naming Trent as the new General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trent thoroughly knows the NFL and the dynamics of today’s game, has an exceptional eye for talent, and I know will have excellent chemistry with head coach Urban Meyer as they begin their mission to bring a consistent winner to our fans in Jacksonville.”

in part; NBC

 

Chargers to interview Jonathan Gannon for defensive coordinator



Colts defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon has landed another interview for a defensive coordinator position.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Gannon will interview with the Chargers for that key spot on new head coach Brandon Staley’s staff. Gannon has also interviewed with the Bears.

Gannon joined the Colts in 2018 and helped put together a defensive unit that finished 10th in points against while heading to the playoffs during the 2020 season. He’s also coached for the Vikings, Titans, and Falcons over the course of his career. In addition to those jobs, Gannon had a stint as a scout for the Rams.

A report on Thursday indicates the Chargers intend to hire Joe Barry as defensive passing game coordinator/linebackers. Broncos defensive backs coach Renaldo Hill is reportedly a coordinator candidate as well.

NBC

 

lol...

Dan Campbell is fired up!

Per NBC and others.

The Lions held an introductory press conference for head coach Dan Campbell on Thursday and his opening statement will likely win him a few fans in Detroit.

Campbell played for the team for three seasons and said he wanted the job “bad” when it became open last year. He said he came into the process knowing that Detroit was a great community and identified the ways he wanted the team to identify with their home.

“This place has been kicked, it’s been battered, it’s been bruised and I can give you coach-speak all day long, ‘Hey, we’re gonna win this many games.’ None of that matters and you don’t want to hear it anyway. You’ve had enough of that s–t. Excuse my language. This team is going to take on the identity of this city. This city’s been down and it found a way to come up. It’s found a way to overcome adversity. . . . We’re gonna kick you in the teeth and when you punch us back, we’re going to smile at you. When you knock us down, we’re gonna get up and when we get up we’re going to bite a kneecap off.”

The knockdowns and kneecap biting continued from there and Campbell wrapped up by saying that “before long we’re going to be the last one standing.” Campbell continued on to say that he knows it won’t always be easy, but that the team is going to fight and claw for every inch because “good teams find a way to get it done.”

As Campbell said, words only go so far but the prospect of seeing the kind of action those words promise is a welcome one in Detroit.

 

Sounds like a Chris Spielman kinda guy.

 

Joe Cullen will be the Jaguars defensive coordinator



Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has hired his defensive coordinator.

ESPN reports that Ravens defensive line coach Joe Cullen will be joining Meyer in Jacksonville. It’s the first time he’s had a coordinator job at the professional level.

Cullen had a previous stint as the Jaguars’ defensive line coach and has also been a position coach with the Buccaneers, Browns, and Lions. He had stints as a coordinator at the collegiate level with Richmond and Indiana.

Cullen’s departure leaves the Ravens with several holes to fill on their defensive staff. Linebackers coach Mike Macdonald is now the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan and defensive backs coach Jesse Minter took the same job at Vanderbilt.

NBC

 

***BREAKING***

Reports: Eagles will hire Nick Sirianni as head coach



The Eagles have found their man.

According to multiple reports, Philadelphia will hire Indianapolis offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni as head coach.

Sirianni has spent the last three seasons as the Colts’ offensive coordinator under head coach Frank Reich. Sirianni was with the Chargers from 2013-2017, going from offensive quality control, to quarterbacks coach, and then wide receivers coach.

NFL media reported Sirianni received a strong recommendation from Reich in the interview process.

Philadelphia fired Doug Pederson last Monday after five seasons, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl win in 2017.

New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was reportedly another strong contender for the job.

With the Eagles hiring Sirianni, the Texans have the only remaining head coaching vacancy.

NBC

 

I am very glad for this because none of the NAMES were inspiring. Maybe Bienemy but the point was to distance themselves from Reid just a bit after Doug.

All the names that made sense and were well known were either hired already or weren't leaving their current jobs.

 

Four years ago, Gary Kubiak retired as head coach of the Broncos. As expected, Kubiak has now retired as offensive coordinator of the Vikings.

The Vikings announced the decision on Thursday.

“It’s been the honor of my lifetime to work for 36 seasons as an NFL player and coach,” Kubiak, who served as head coach of the Texans and Broncos (winning Super Bowl 50), said in a statement. “I’ve been on a football field for most of my life, and now I look forward to stepping away from the game and enjoying more time with my family and friends.”

One member of his family could be too busy to spend time with him, proving yet again the final verse of Cat’s In The Cradle. Gary has been lobbying, we’re told, for his son Klint to take over the Minnesota offense.

If it’s not Klint Kubiak, the current quarterbacks coach in Minnesota, the Vikings will need to find someone else. And with the leadership of the team arguably moving toward the hot seat for 2021, it could be hard to get an offensive coordinator with options to opt to become the key member of the coaching staff who will, or won’t, save the day.

NBC

 

Well hell... are there any OC's left?

 

Reports: Hue Jackson, Pep Hamilton candidates for Steelers offensive coordinator



The Pittsburgh Steelers have a pair of new candidates for their vacant offensive coordinator position following the firing of Randy Fichtner at the end of the season.

Per multiple reports, the Steelers interviewed former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson for the job earlier this week. Additionally, the Steelers are interested in Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton for the job, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Hamilton is set to interview for the job on Friday.

Jackson and Hamilton join Steelers quarterbacks coach Matt Canada as candidates for the job. Canada is considered to be the front runner to replace Fichtner.

The Steelers finished the 2020 season tied for 24th in total offense along with the Philadelphia Eagles with an average of 334.6 yards per game. But the Steelers did rank 12th with 26.0 points per game.

Jackson has not coaches the last two years after briefly serving as a special assistant to Marvin Lewis with the Cincinnati Bengals after being let go by the Browns. Hamilton has spent one year with the Chargers after a stint as the head coach of the DC Defenders of the XFL.

Canada finished his first season with the Steelers.

NBC

 

Washington announces hiring of Martin Mayhew as G.M.



Though former Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney was initially reported to be Washington’s choice for the same role, the Football Team officially named Martin Mayhew its G.M. on Friday morning.

Mayhew spent seven seasons as the Lions’ G.M. from 2008-2015. He was most recently the vice president of player personnel for the 49ers.

“Martin is a proven General Manager who will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization,” Washington head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. “He will be an integral part of running the daily football operations and will allow me the opportunity to focus more on coaching. He impressed both myself and [team owner Dan] Snyder during the interview process and we both believe he will be a tremendous fit here. He is a man of high character and integrity and was part of the rich history and tradition of this great franchise as a member of the Super Bowl championship team in 1991.”

Mayhew spent nine seasons in the league as a cornerback, winning Super Bowl XXVI with Washington.

Mayhew will report directly to Rivera.

Hurney is still expected to join the organization and will work alongside Mayhew, according NFL media’s Ian Rapoport.

NBC

 

Ken Dorsey, Ike Hilliard, Anthony Lynn in mix for Lions offensive coordinator



The Lions have their new head coach in place, but they still need to find someone to run the offense on Dan Campbell’s staff.

Ravens quarterbacks coach James Urban interviewed for the offensive coordinator job this week and reports have identified three others who are in the mix for the job.

Albert Breer of SI.com reports that Steelers wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard has also interviewed for the job. The former NFL wideout joined the Steelers last year and has also been a position coach in Washington and Buffalo.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports that former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn and Bills quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey are also in the mix. Lynn has also spoken with the Seahawks since being fired early this month while Dorsey is tied up until the Bills stop playing this postseason.

NBC

 

Bears announce the promotion of Sean Desai to defensive coordinator



The Bears announced the promotion of Sean Desai from safeties coach to defensive coordinator. Desai, 37, replaces Chuck Pagano, who announced his retirement Jan. 13 after 36 years in coaching.

Desai originally joined the Bears in 2013 and is the only remaining holdover from former coach Marc Trestman’s staff. Desai spent six seasons as a defensive quality control assistant from 2013-18 before the Bears promoted him to safeties coach in 2019.

“We are very fortunate and excited to promote from within and announce Sean Desai has been named defensive coordinator for our football team,” coach Matt Nagy said in a statement. “He is a person of high football intelligence, extremely detail-oriented, has a very strong work ethic and I cannot think of someone more deserving to lead our defense.

“Sean is a family man of high character and the respect he has within our building from coaches, players and staff is unparalleled.”

NBC

 

Reports: Anthony Lynn hired as Lions’ offensive coordinator



Not only after the Lions announced Aaron Glenn as their new defensive coordinator, multiple reports indicate the team is in agreement to make Anthony Lynn the offensive coordinator.

New Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Glenn played for Bill Parcells in Dallas when Lynn was there as a running backs coach.

Lynn also spoke to the Seahawks about their offensive coordinator opening.

Lynn spent the past four seasons as the Chargers’ head coach, going 33-31 before he was fired after the 2020 season. The Chargers fielded a top-11 offense all four seasons Lynn was there.

The Bills finished 16th in yards and 10th in points in 2016 when Lynn was their offensive coordinator.

For most of his 21-year coaching career, Lynn worked as a running backs coach.

Glenn arrives in Detroit after five seasons as the secondary coach for the Saints. He brings to the Lions more than 24 years of experience in the NFL, including 15 years as a defensive back.

NBC

 

Chris Harris ended his playing career in 2012 after eight seasons. He began his coaching career the following year and has had a rapid ascent since.

Harris, currently the defensive backs coach for the Washington Football Team, is interviewing with the Eagles for their defensive coordinator position.

Harris served as a defense quality control coach for the Bears in 2013-14 before landing a job with the Chargers. He was assistant defensive backs coach there for three seasons.

In 2020, Harris accepted a job to join Ron Rivera in Washington.

Now, he’s a candidate to become a coordinator.

NBC