Tag: Chris Kiffin

Dolphins to interview Texans LB coach Chris Kiffin for defensive coordinator

Miami is looking at a Texans positional coach for their defensive coordinator job.

It’s been a busy week for the Miami Dolphins, as they’ve been preparing and holding interviews for their open defensive coordinator position after parting ways with Vic Fangio.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins plan to interview Houston Texans linebacker Chris Kiffin on Friday.

Kiffin, 42, joined the Texans last offseason after spending the previous three seasons with the Cleveland Browns and two with the San Francisco 49ers. During his time as a collegiate coach, Kiffin worked with Idaho (2005-05), Ole Miss (2007, 2012-16), Nebraska (2008-09), USC (2010), Arkansas State (2011) and Florida Atlantic (2017).

The name may sound familiar to football fans, as he’s the son of former NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and brother of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.

He joins Anthony Weaver, Leslie Frazier, Ryan Slowik, Anthony Campanile, Bobby Babich and Brandon Staley as candidates for the position in Miami Gardens.

Tracking all of the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator interviews

Who the Dolphins are interview to replace Vic Fangio.

The Miami Dolphins, following the conclusion of their 2023 campaign, have parted ways with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio after just one season.

Now, before Miami fully dives into the process of preparing for 2024, they’ll need to find a replacement for Fangio to lead the team’s defense.

We’ll keep track of all coaches who are interviewing or being requested to interview for the position here:

Texans LB Henry To’oTo’o earned praise for performance against the Patriots

Houston Texans fifth-round linebacker Henry To’oTo’o managed to draw praise from coaches following the 20-9 win over the New England Patriots.

HOUSTON — Now that the dust has settled, all the evaluations of the Houston Texans’ first preseason game against the New England Patriots are done. Rookie linebacker Henry To’oTo’o let the rest of the NFL see what most of the media members and fans have noticed during training camp, and that is his constant evolution of learning the game and applying it on the field.

“Henry did a great job, but again I think Henry has built up that foundation in practice,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke told the media on Saturday about To’oTo’o’s performance. “He’s been out here working the same, and it was nice to see him make a couple of plays and tackles and just being around the ball a little bit. He has a couple of things to work on to. It was a good step for him; hopefully, he keeps progressing this week.”

The former Alabama linebacker only played 16 snaps against New England but made the most of his limited time by recording five tackles. To’oTo’o was able to use the knowledge he gained during training camp from being around his head coach DeMeco Ryans, a former NFL linebacker early in the game when he was able to stop a Patriots drive early in the second quarter, making an open field tackle on running back Pierre Strong Jr. who tried to slip into the flats on third and two.

“Knowing what down it is, the possibilities of something happening, and just communicating that over and over again,” To’oTo’o said after the game on Thursday about his awareness. “So I think that was the biggest thing for me being out there and knowing this can happen and that can happen, and ultimately, that leads us to make the plays.”

That mindset made him a priority for the Texans when he was available in the later rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.

“We are seeing the same stuff we have seen when he was coming out of college,” said Texans linebackers coach Chris Kiffin. “The instincts he has for the ball and the feel for the game, those are things you can’t really coach. Getting comfortable in the system and on game day, just cutting it loose, and that is what he did on his first couple of snaps.

“In the run game, he saw it and triggered fast; in the passing game, he has a great feel. It was really good to see; he still has a long way to go, but for him to get that first one under his belt and feel good about it and feel good going into the next one.”

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What coaching staff positions are currently vacant in Cleveland?

The Browns have a handful of coaching vacancies, and that is a good thing.

The Cleveland Browns have had an underwhelming two seasons since making the playoffs in 2020. And the rubber has finally met the road with their coaching staff as they look to get back into postseason contention in 2023. They fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods right at the end of the season, replacing him with Jim Schwartz. They have since fired special teams coordinator Mike Priefer as well.

They have had a few more openings on their coaching staff come open as well this offseason, and we take a look here at exactly how many coaching slots they have left to fill as the NFL Scouting Combine and free agency approach.

More coaching changes coming for the Browns as Chris Kiffin goes to Houston

The Browns will have a new defensive line coach in 2023.

The Cleveland Browns have another defensive assistant to replace after Chris Kiffin heads to the Houston Texans as their new linebackers coach. This comes after last week when defensive backs coach Jeff Howard took the linebacker coach job with the Chargers. More needed defensive coaching changes are coming as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be able to bring in his guys at a couple of key positions.

The defense needed a change after the season and they acted quickly in getting Schwartz to Cleveland. Allowing him to surround himself with his guys is the best way to set him up for success in 2023. Time will tell if more changes will come but so far this feels like a step in the right direction for the Browns.

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Report: Browns DL coach Chris Kiffin strong favorite to join Texans’ coaching staff

The Houston Texans are targeting Cleveland Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin for the same job on DeMeco Ryans’ coaching staff.

The Cleveland Browns have something that DeMeco Ryans needs.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, the Houston Texans have interest in Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin.

The son of legendary Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin — and the younger brother of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin — has some history working with Ryans. From 2018-19, Kiffin was the “pass rush specialist coach” on San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s staff. Those were the same years that Ryans was inside linebackers coach for the 49ers.

Kiffin was been with the Browns since 2020 as the defensive line coach under Kevin Stefanski.

The 41-year-old has also been an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss, Arkansas State, Nebraska, and Idaho. In 2010, Kiffin was the “defensive administrative assistant” while Lane was the head football coach and Monte was the assistant head coach.

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Texans frontrunners to poach a defensive coach from the Browns

The Browns may be losing another defensive coach (and there is a reason these guys are making lateral moves to begin with)

The Cleveland Browns could be set to lose their second defensive assistant coach this week. After passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jeff Howard left the Browns to become the new linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, the Houston Texans now have a target on their defensive line coach. According to NFL insider and KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson, the Texans are looking to hire Chris Kiffin to their defensive staff.

If the Browns were dead set on keeping the likes of Howard or Kiffin, then they would have blocked them from interviewing for lateral jobs. However, this is a sign the Browns were ready to move on from the majority of their defensive staff as Schwartz takes over as defensive coordinator.

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Report: DL coach Chris Kiffin will return to the Browns after brief foray at Ole Miss

A report from ESPN indicates DL coach Chris Kiffin will return to the Browns after a brief foray at Ole Miss

The Cleveland Browns have filled their defensive line coach vacancy with none other than the same man who held the position for the last two seasons, Chris Kiffin.

Not even a month after leaving the Browns to take the defensive coordinator position at Ole Miss on his brother Lane’s staff, Chris has returned to Cleveland. Per Chris Low of ESPN, Kiffin will be back with the Browns instead of with his brother in 2022.

The Browns have not hired anyone to replace Kiffin, so the job is presumably his to return to in Cleveland. Kiffin has been the DL coach for both of head coach Kevin Stefanski’s seasons with the Browns.

Browns DL coach Chris Kiffin leaving the team for Ole Miss

Browns DL coach Chris Kiffin leaving the team for Ole Miss to join his brother, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin

There is another opening on the Cleveland Browns coaching staff. Defensive line coach Chris Kiffin is leaving the team to join the staff at Ole Miss.

It’s not an unexpected move. Kiffin is joining the staff of his brother, Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin. Chris Kiffin served as the DL coach and recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss from 2012 through 2016 before joining the San Francisco 49ers and then the Browns. He will become the co-coordinator of the Rebels defense.

It’s the second defensive coach the Browns have lost this week. Kiffin’s assistant, Jeremy Garrett, left Cleveland to take a role with the Liberty Flames program. Interestingly, Garrett joins the staff of Flames coach Hugh Freeze, who was the head coach at Ole Miss during Chris Kiffin’s first tenure in Oxford.

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Browns DL coach Chris Kiffin up for Packers defensive coordinator position

Kiffin will interview with Green Bay to take over Mke Pettine’s old job

Thus far, it’s been a quiet offseason for the Cleveland Browns on the coaching front. Kevin Stefanski didn’t make any changes to his coaching staff, and as of February 5th no coaches have left on their own, either.

That could change soon, however. Defensive line coach Chris Kiffin is one of several candidates who will interview to replace former Browns head coach Mike Pettine as the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. Kiffin is scheduled to meet with the Packers in the coming days per a report from ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

Kiffin just completed his first year in Cleveland as the Browns DL coach. He came to Cleveland after working as the pass rush specialist with the San Francisco 49ers, where he worked with Browns coordinator Joe Woods. He is the son of legendary defensive coach Monte Kiffin and the brother of former Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin, now the head man at Ole Miss.

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