Tag: Austin King

Austin King is another player-turned-coach on Sean Payton’s staff

Broncos assistant OL coach Austin King will work under OL coach Zach Strief, a fellow player-turned-coach.

Sean Payton clearly appreciates what former players can bring to a coaching staff.

After becoming the Denver Broncos’ head coach, Payton built a staff that includes just-retired former players Davis Webb (as quarterbacks coach) and Chris Banjo (as a special teams assistant), plus several other coaches who spent time in the NFL as players before transitioning to coaching.

Austin King is one of the ex-players now coaching under Payton in Denver. Hired as the team’s assistant offensive line coach, King (41) played center in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons from 2004-2006. King dressed for 34 games, earning one start, before hanging up his cleats in 2007.

After taking a break from football, King transitioned to coaching and joined Toledo as an offensive quality control coach in 2012. He later held the same role for Syracuse in 2014 before becoming Dayton’s offensive coordinator in 2015.

After eight years after the college level, King got his first opportunity as a coach in the NFL as an offensive quality control coach with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. He was promoted to tight ends coach in 2021 before leaving to join the Chicago Bears as an assistant offensive line coach in 2022.

After one season in Chicago, King will now join the Broncos in a lateral move. He will work under offensive line coach Zach Strief, another former player who spent his entire playing career under Payton with the New Orleans Saints.

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Broncos announce 11 additions to coaching staff

The Broncos announced 11 additions to Sean Payton’s coaching staff on Saturday evening.

The Denver Broncos announced 11 additions to their 2023 coaching staff on Saturday evening. Broncos head coach Sean Payton has now finalized his group of assistants for his first season in Denver.

Here are the team’s new arrivals.

Offense

Lou Ayeni: Running Backs

Davis Webb: Quarterbacks

Austin King: Assistant Offensive Line

Zack Grossi: Offensive Quality Control

Logan Kilgore: Offensive Quality Control

Favian Upshaw: Offensive Quality Control

Defense

Jamar Cain: Pass Rush Specialist

Joe Vitt: Senior Defensive Assistant

Isaac Shewmaker: Defensive Quality Control

Addison Lynch: Defensive Quality Control

Strength and Conditioning

Shaun Snee: Assistant Strength & Conditioning

The Broncos published bios for the new assistant coaches on their official website. Denver previously announced 16 other coaches in February. Ranging from veterans like assistant head coach Mike Westhoff (75) to young, first-time coaches like quarterbacks coach Davis Webb (28), Payton will have a diverse staff with a good mix of youth and experience.

Denver’s new staff will make their debut when the Broncos begin their offseason program next month.

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Broncos RBs coach Lou Ayeni coached Kareem Hunt and David Montgomery in college

New #Broncos RBs coach Lou Ayeni coached Kareem Hunt and David Montgomery in college. Both RBs are set to become free agents on March 15.

The Denver Broncos are hiring Lou Ayeni as their new running backs coach, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Ayeni, 42, played running back, wide receiver and defensive back at Northwestern, winning a Big Ten Championship in 2000. After college, he spent time with the Colts (2004-2005) and St. Louis Rams (2005-2006) before returning to his alma mater to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant.

Ayeni spent two years as a coach at Northwestern before becoming the running backs coach at Toledo in 2010. He was promoted to associate head coach/running game coordinator one year later. While at Toledo, Ayeni coached star running backs Eric Page and Kareem Hunt, the latter of whom is set to become a free agent on March 15.

After four years at Toledo, Ayeni joined Iowa State as a running backs coach in 2014. He was later promoted to associate head coach/running game coordinator in 2016. While with the Cyclones, Ayeni coached All-American running back David Montgomery, who is also scheduled to become a free agent this month.

Ayeni spent four years at Iowa State before returning to Northwestern as a running backs coach and recruiting coordinator in 2018. In his second stint with the Wildcats, Ayeni coached freshman All-American Isaiah Bowser, who later transferred to UCF, where he scored 16 touchdowns last fall.

Elsewhere on the coaching front, the Broncos are also expected to hire Austin King, presumably as an assistant offensive line coach. King was an assistant OL coach with the Bears last year and a tight ends coach with the Raiders in 2021.

Most of Denver’s coaching staff positions have been filled. We are tracking all of the Broncos’ coaching staff changes on this page.

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Rams request interview with Bears’ assistant OL coach Austin King

The Rams have requested to interview Bears’ assistant OL coach Austin King for their vacant OL coach job.

The Los Angeles Rams are looking to make some changes to their coaching staff and they are beginning to conduct interviews for vacant positions. Even though they’ll need permission to go ahead with an interview, the Rams have requested an interview with Chicago Bears’ assistant offensive line coach Austin King.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo did point out that the Rams are hoping to interview King for their open offensive line coach job. This comes after Los Angeles moved on from Kevin Carberry as the team’s offensive line coach earlier this month.

King had a four-year career in the NFL at the tight end position as he was a fourth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. The Ohio native would then spend the final three seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons.

The first coaching opportunity King got in the NFL was an offensive quality coach job with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. He would then become the tight ends coach for the Raiders in 2021 before becoming the assistant offensive line coach for the Bears this season.

The Rams are likely going to be active in the assistant coach market in the coming weeks and it’s clear that they have interest in King potentially coaching the offensive line in 2023.

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Bears hire Austin King as assistant offensive line coach

The Bears have added another assistant in Austin King, who will serve as the assistant offensive line coach.

The Chicago Bears continue to fill out Matt Eberflus’ coaching staff, which includes an impressive list of names that are aiming to get the team back on track.

Chicago already found their offensive line coach in Chris Morgan. Now, the Bears have hired Austin King as their assistant offensive line coach, the team announced Monday.

King, a former center, has spent the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. He served as an offensive quality control coach in 2020 before being promoted to tight ends coach in 2021.

King was a fourth-round draft selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 out of Northwestern, so he’s got some midwestern roots.

Eberflus has assembled an impressive coaching staff thus far, which includes offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, defensive coordinator Alan Williams, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, among others.

The only position coach spots left to fill are at defensive line and running back.

Here’s a look at how Eberflus’ coaching staff has filled out:

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