Tag: Anthony Midget

Steelers announce hiring of Anthony Midget as assistant secondary coach

The Steelers continue to fill out their coaching staff.

On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had hired Anthony Midget as the team’s assistant secondary coach. Midget has been an NFL coach for nine seasons. Midget last worked in the league as the Tennessee Titans secondary coach from 2020-2022. Here’s a rundown of his time with the Titans from the team’s release.

Midget comes to the Steelers with nine years of NFL experience, after spending three seasons as the secondary coach with the Tennessee Titans (2020-22). 

The Titans third-down percentage defense was ranked third in the NFL in 2022 and their opponents converted only 34.2 percent of their attempts.

The Titans defense tied for 10th in the NFL with 16 interceptions in 2021 and fourth in the NFL with 83 passes defensed.   

In his first season with the Titans in 2020, the defense ranked seventh in the NFL with 15 interceptions.

Midget was fired by the Titans in January of 2023 and was not in the league at all during the 2023 NFL season.

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Titans DBs coach gives updates on Elijah Molden, Caleb Farley

Titans CB Elijah Molden didn’t play a single snap in Week 4 despite Chris Jackson exiting after 12 snaps.

One of the more interesting things to see during the Week 4 contest against the New York Jets was the Tennessee Titans not deploying rookie cornerback Elijah Molden in place of starting slot corner Chris Jackson, who exited after just 12 snaps.

Instead, the Titans decided to shift cornerback Kristian Fulton to the inside and replaced him out wide with Breon Borders, two moves that show there isn’t much confidence in the 2021 third-round pick right now.

Since Molden played 41 snaps with Jackson out in Week 1, he has totaled just 19 in the three games since, including seeing zero snaps in Week 4.

When talking to the media on Tuesday, Titans secondary coach Anthony Midget expressed confidence in Molden, who he says is working to get better.

As veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins continues to struggle, the spotlight is beginning to burn brighter on 2021 first-round pick, Caleb Farley, who has played just eight snaps this season and missed the past three games with a shoulder injury.

Midget explains that Farley simply isn’t healthy enough to play right now because of his injury, but the rookie is working hard to get back and is staying engaged in meetings and showing attention to detail.

Tennessee’s susceptibility to allowing big plays was once again front and center on Sunday. The defensive backs gave up a handful of 20-plus-yard plays, including two over 50 yards.

Midget didn’t offer much in the way of analysis on that issue, only to say that the team needs to get better at finishing and not allowing receivers to get behind them.

We’ll see if this group can recover in a Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

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Desmond King has ‘done a great job’ learning Titans defense

Desmond King has been putting in extra work to learn the Titans’ defense.

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When the Tennessee Titans acquired defensive back Desmond King II in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers right before the deadline, the veteran instantly stepped into a whirlwind.

That was because the Titans needed him to contribute right away thanks to several injuries to the secondary, and he had to do so with almost no preparation outside of Zoom meetings and a walk-through.

Despite having the deck stacked against him, King has played well in his first two games in Nashville, and he even scored a defensive touchdown in his debut in Week 9.

King’s ability to pick up the defense on the fly has impressed secondary coach Anthony Midget, per Paul Skrbina of the Tennessean:

“Credit to Des,” Midget said. “We kind of put a lot on him early and he handled it. Certain situations you’re protecting him from, but the more he’s been here the more we’ve added to his plate.”

While King has certainly benefitted from the veterans around him, he has also been putting in extra work to help his cause.

“He’s been meeting extra, the vets have been helping him out,” Midget explained. “He’s done a great job… putting his head down and taking the coaching and learning… I’ve been pleased with the guys the way they’ve helped him out and pleased with him the way he’s picked up the system.”

As King gets more reps under his belt in Tennessee, he should continue to provide an even bigger shot in the arm than he already has.

What’s more exciting is the fact that the Titans could have an impressive trio in their secondary with King in the slot, and Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson on the boundary.

Of course, Jackson has to get back on the field first.

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Titans DB coach Anthony Midget raves about Johnathan Joseph

Veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph seems to be fitting in quite nicely with the Titans.

When the Tennessee Titans added veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph in free agency earlier this offseason, they didn’t just add a solid player, they also brought in a leader and a mentor for younger players.

During a Zoom call with the media on Thursday, Titans defensive backs coach Anthony Midget, who also spent time with Joseph during his days on the coaching staff of the Houston Texans, raved about how the veteran has fit in and what he has brought to the team.

With young corners on the roster, like Adoree’ Jackson, who is developing into a star, and 2020 second-round pick, Kristian Fulton, Joseph’s role on the team is more than just about what he does on the actual football field.

But even there, the Titans are getting a good player who can make a significant contribution during his first season in Nashville.

In 2019, Joseph posted a Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 65.0, which is impressive when you consider it was better than that of Malcolm Butler (64.2) and Logan Ryan (60.6).

Joseph can also provide good enough coverage that the Titans could consider moving Jackson to play in the slot occasionally, which is something general manager Jon Robinson floated as a possibility earlier this offseason.

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Anthony Midget explains the coaching style he brings to Titans

Anthony Midget says he isn’t an “in-your-face type of guy”.

The Tennessee Titans experienced some mild turnover within the coaching staff after last season’s AFC Championship Game run, losing the likes of defensive coordinator Dean Pees and secondary coach Kerry Coombs.

The Titans have chosen not to replace the former, and will instead elect to give play-calling duties to either head coach Mike Vrabel or multiple coaches on the staff.

As for the latter coach the Titans lost, Tennessee brought in new secondary coach Anthony Midget, who previously spent six seasons with the division rival Houston Texans.

Midget brings his own unique personality and coaching style to the Titans, and says he’s not an “in-your-face” or “animated” type of guy, which fits the general stereotype of so many NFL coaches.

But he does ask for the best out of his players, or to be more clear, demands it, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.

“But I’m very demanding. I’m demanding that the guys do the things we’re asking them to do and demanding that we get the best out of our players,” he said. “Just reiterating the things that Vrabes (Mike Vrabel) emphasizes, just playing hard, playing with great effort, and that’s what we’re going to require from our guys, and that’s what we’re going to demand. But you’re not going to see me running up and down the sidelines. The guys just kind of understand the expectations that we as a staff have for them and that we’re going to demand from them.”

The players he’ll be working with this season in Nashville have already hit it off with him, and are ready to give him what they’ve got on the field — whenever and however NFL football is able to return.

“Each coach is different,” Titans cornerback Adoree’ Jackson said. “I appreciated Coach Kerry, and now we have Coach Midge so I’m just excited to see the things that he brings and to build up my game, and the team as well.”

Midget has big shoes to fill after what Coombs was able to accomplish with “MMCNB” over the past few years, but his experience will no doubt go a long way to keeping things moving in the right direction.

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Mike Vrabel: Titans’ Anthony Midget is ‘different’ from Kerry Coombs

Midget already has a connection to Vrabel, having spent four seasons with him on the Houston Texans coaching staff.

The Tennessee Titans will have undergone several significant changes by the start of the 2020 NFL season.

One of those includes a new secondary coach in Anthony Midget, who filled the void left by Kerry Coombs.

Coombs, who was especially known for his high energy level, left for Ohio State shortly after the end of the Titans’ run to the AFC Championship.

Midget already has a connection to Vrabel, having spent four seasons with him on the Houston Texans coaching staff.

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And it’s because of that time sharing a sideline that Vrabel knows just how much of a stark contrast there is between Midget and Coombs.

“Midge is composed. He is different than Kerry,” Vrabel told reporters at the NFL Combine, per David Boclair of Sports Illustrated. “And I think that will be really good. He’s got a lot of knowledge, a lot of range in our defense having coached with Anthony in Houston. I’m excited that he’s going to be able to bring a lot of knowledge to the secondary.”

It will certainly be interesting to see what the Titans’ defense looks like this season, with Midget new on staff and the team’s decision to not name a defensive coordinator after the retirement of Dean Pees.

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Anthony Midget will replace Kerry Coombs as Titans DBs coach

The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson announced the news on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tennessee Titans have officially filled the void of Kerry Coombs.

Anthony Midget has left the Houston Texans, and will join Mike Vrabel’s staff as the team’s secondary coach. He interviewed for the job shortly after Coombs’ departure.

The Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson announced the news on Tuesday afternoon.

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Midget originally joined coach Bill O’Brien in 2014 as the assistant secondary coach before taking over the secondary back in 2018 when John Butler was relieved of his duties.

Midget was also on O’Brien’s staff at Penn State before following him to Houston.

He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

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