Tag: Coaches

Chiefs coaches staying flexible with game delays due to COVID-19

Chiefs coaches are working hard to remain “calm and poised” despite scheduling changes.

The Kansas City Chiefs have already dealt with one game postponement this season due to positive COVID-19 cases. The news came down yesterday afternoon that the Chiefs’ Week 6 game against Buffalo Bills on “Thursday Night Football” has tentatively been moved to Sunday.

Given all the uncertainty surrounding potential game delays and the 2020 season in general, the coaching staff in Kansas City has learned to be adaptive. For defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, he’s essentially forgotten about what’s considered a routine week in the NFL.

“I’m smiling because there’s been nothing routine about this year,” Spagnuolo told reporters on Thursday. “The defensive coaches and I were talking about how we have not had a normal Sunday to Sunday game week. We haven’t had one. Not even going back to training camp and with that Thursday night game. It’s just exactly what you said. I’m not sure what normal is. You could say normal from last year. I guess maybe we’re kind of getting used to it. We’re in the chaos. Be calm and poised in the chaotic circumstances we’re in and be ready to roll. Just have to stay flexible, right?”

As for Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, he has some experience with games being rescheduled. He was on the Minnesota Vikings staff back in 2010 when they had a number of reschedules due to severe weather. There was a Sunday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles that was delayed until Tuesday due to a massive snowstorm in Philadelphia. He’s learned to keep an open mind about these things since then, he’s also learned to take advantage of the extra time by getting some rest.

“One thing you learn in this profession is to always remain flexible, especially with everything that we’re dealing with,” Bieniemy explained. “With what happened this particular week, though, I’m not a guy that’s going to look ahead because one thing I want to do, I always want to focus on the task. Our staff will start ahead, I just want to make sure that I’ve got all these particular plays and situations in my head, so I don’t cloud that particular vision. But I’ve got to let you in on a little secret, I took a nap, and it felt damn good.”

While the team did get an extra day to rest and prepare, on the other end they get a shorter week, with one less day to recover and prepare for the next opponent. It presents a challenge for the coaches and players.

“So, we played on Monday night, hey, a national crowd, we got to play and put on a performance,” Bieniemy said. “I know everybody wasn’t happy with the performance, but a win is a win. But the next thing, hey, we lose a day, it’s okay, we grind. This is what we do. We get back to it and it’s all about the Raiders right now. And one more thing, it’s all about the Raiders and we’re one week from kickoff against Buffalo.”

The team will focus on what they can control for the time being and that isn’t when the games are played. They can focus on how they prepare for the next week. Right now, that means getting prepared to face a Las Vegas Raiders team that is hungry for a win in Kansas City.

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SEC releases memo reminding coaches and players to wear masks on the sideline

The memo warned that “additional action” could be taken against coaches and players who don’t comply with conference regulations RE: COVID.

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey sent a memo to all programs within the conference Wednesday reminding coaches and players to wear masks while on the sideline. The memo was obtained by ESPN.

The reminder came following a number of coaches failing to keep their masks on during last weekend’s season-opening competition, including new Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, who said he tried to keep his mask on but continued pulling it down to call plays.

The memo warned that “additional action” could be taken against coaches and players who don’t comply with conference regulations regarding COVID-19 safety.

“This past weekend, many fulfilled the requirements established by the Task Force and your commitment to these new requirements are appreciated,” the memo read. “Others, including some head coaches, assistant coaches, support staff and student-athletes need clear reminders of the requirement they fulfill the new health protocols intended to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19.”

“We will continue to monitor games and will take additional action, if necessary, to ensure adherence to the approved Task Force requirements as we all work to maintain a healthy environment for everyone around our games,” the memo said.

The full memo can be read below.

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Chiefs coaching staff confident in cornerback depth in wake of injuries

COVID-19 preparation has helped Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks stay ready for injury adversity.

The Kansas City Chiefs have shown a lot of confidence in some young and untested players in the secondary this season. Despite recent injuries and a suspension at the position, they remain confident in their cornerback depth moving. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo talked about the preparation behind getting these guys ready to play on Sunday. A major reason why everyone has been ready to step up is the message that the team has been preaching with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind.

“That’s a credit to Sam (Madison) and Dave Merritt who work with all those guys,” Spagnuolo told reporters on Thursday. “We felt going in, and we talked about this as a staff with the whole COVID situation that we had to have guys always ready to go, and then we didn’t know what was going to happen with what we’re dealing with in the world. So, the guys, the coaches, have taken that to heart. They’ve prepared all of these guys—corners, safeties, linebackers, D-line—like they could have to step up and play on a Friday.”

This group has been stressed from Week 1, without starter Bashaud Breeland out there and an array of injuries. When it comes to the cornerback group playing well through these first three games, Spagnuolo feels that the defensive line play has helped them out a little bit.

“Listen, we have been bumped and bruised out there at the corner, certainly losing Breezy (Bashaud Breeland) kind of hurt right from the beginning, but Rashad Fenton has done a great job, LJ Sneed was playing really good football. I feel really terrible for him in dealing with that injury, but it’s part of the league. And hopefully, we can get CW (Charvarius Ward) back, I know he’s going to have to deal with that hand a little bit. But they’ve got to step up. Our corners are really needed in the package that we play, and fortunately for us, our D-line has done a decent enough job that it’s made it a little bit easier for the corners on the outside.”

The next man up mentality is something that this team has preached each and every season, but it’s not always so easy to execute. This year the secondary has really taken the words of Coach Sam Madison to heart. They’re hungry and waiting for whatever opportunity may come their way.

“Well, what our saying in the room is, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,'” Madison said. “Throughout training camp, we put a lot of these guys in a lot of different situations, as far as playing the nickel position, playing corner. With Coach Spags’ defense sometimes they have to go back and play safety, different things of that nature. We put them through a lot of different things, and they answered the bell.”

They worked hard throughout training camp to prepare for any possible scenario and so far they’ve been able to combat the adversity they’ve faced. Madison has specifically been impressed with how the two players expected to get the start on Sunday against the Patriots have stepped up in the wake of injuries.

“Rashad (Fenton), he stepped up as soon as Ward went down a couple of weeks ago and then he’s been playing phenomenal,” Madison continued. “Once again Sneed goes down and Ward was able to step right into it and didn’t miss a beat. He didn’t hesitate going out there, even with his hand situation that he feels is a whole lot better this week. It’s always the next man up. We’ve thrown a lot of different things at these guys and they just respond. Now we’re going to be getting Breeland back next week. Hopefully, we can get through this game and come out victorious, but still, they know that they’re going to be relied on a lot to play man-to-man, play the different zones and all the different things that we do. They’re up to the challenge. That’s the one great thing, they never back down from a challenge.”

The Patriots receivers will certainly pose a challenge for the Chiefs’ cornerbacks in Week 4. The unit is headlined by veteran Julian Edelman and former first-round draft pick N’Keal Harry. Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers, and special teams ace Matthew Slater round out the group, offering a variety of different skill sets. As Madison explained, though, his cornerback group won’t back down from a challenge even if they’re banged up and depleted of depth.

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Tennessee-South Carolina: A look at which Vols’ coaches will be on the sideline, in press box

A look at which coaches will be on the sideline, in press box during Tennessee-South Carolina game.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee travels to South Carolina Saturday to open the 2020 season.

The Vols and Gamecocks will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised by SEC Network (Play-by-Play Taylor Zarzour, Analyst Matt Stinchcomb, Sideline Alyssa Lang).

Ahead of Tennessee’s first game, UT announced in a release which coaches will be on the sidelines and who is set to be in the press box during the contest at South Carolina.

Vols’ coaches against South Carolina

  • Jeremy Pruitt, head coach
  • Derrick Ansley, defensive coordinator and defensive backs
  • Jimmy Brumbaugh, Co-defensive coordinator and defensive line
  • Jim Chaney*, offensive coordinator
  • Shelton Felton, outside linebackers
  • Will Friend, offensive eline
  • Jay Graham, running backs
  • Tee Martin, assistant head coach passing game coordinator and wide receivers
  • Brian Niedermeyer*, inside linebackers
  • Joe Osovet*, tight ends
  • Chris Weinke, quarterbacks

*In press box

FBS coaches sound off on which programs are best equipped to handle a season with COVID-19

The bottom line is, if you recruit at a high level, you will be less severely impacted by the necessity of young players getting action.

We’re less than a week away from Power Five teams beginning play in the 2020 college football season, and despite uncertainty during the offseason and a number of outbreaks within programs across the country, the teams planning to play continue to push full steam ahead.

ESPN talked to FBS coaches and assistants anonymously to gauge which programs they think are best equipped to handle a season with the cloud of COVID-19 hanging over.

The primary takeaway from these conversations is that differences between the haves and have-nots will be even more pronounced this season. Coaches said that programs which recruit at a high level have a massive advantage over programs that don’t, because they have the depth and talent to contend with opt-outs and illness mid-season.

The bottom line is, if you recruit at a high level, you will be less severely impacted by the necessity of young players getting action.

Because of this, coaches expect teams like Alabama and Clemson to navigate the challenges this season relatively gracefully.

Unsurprisingly, coaches also expect experienced and successful coaches to have a better time maintaining team morale. One said that Dabo Swinney’s positivity and Nick Saban’s ability to adjust will help both keep their teams on track.

Another coach mentioned that experienced coaches have dealt with uncertain situations before and would be more prepared for this season than others.

One thing coaches agreed upon was that due to primarily conference-only scheduling, it will not be a good year for any potential Cinderellas looking to make it to the College Football Playoff.

Without non-conference games, the odds of a Group of Five team earning enough quality wins to land in the playoff seem to be slim to none.

However, coaches do think that an expanded conference schedule could give good teams in power conferences a chance to have breakthrough seasons.

One such team coaches are keeping an eye on is the Gators. Here’s what one Power Five coach said about Dan Mullen’s squad this year.

“Dan is really good the more he’s been with a quarterback, and [Kyle Trask] understands that system,” a Power Five head coach said. “I think Florida has a big-time shot to get there this year, although their third game at Texas A&M will tell us a lot about them.”

Mullen has also kept veteran defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, a finalist for the Mississippi State head-coaching job this past offseason. Grantham turned down the Cincinnati Bengals‘ defensive coordinator job two years ago.

“The teams who have continuity from last year to this year in regards to their coaching staffs and not having to learn a lot of new schemes and things like that, those are the teams best equipped to handle this year,” a Power Five offensive coordinator told ESPN. “That’s Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, all of the usual suspects; but Florida’s in that group too.”

It remains to be seen how the 2020 football season will play out (if it does at all), but there seems to be a general consensus among FBS coaches: Talented teams with resources should be alright, while less wealthy programs that don’t recruit at as high a level will struggle.

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Saints coaches talk up Marcus Davenport: ‘He’s really turned the corner’

The hype is building at New Orleans Saints training camp for third-year defensive end Marcus Davenpot, who has his own lofty goals to reach.

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There’s high hopes for Marcus Davenport in 2020, but the New Orleans Saints defensive end might have loftier expectations for himself than what anyone could project onto him. He wants to outplay his All-Pro teammate Cameron Jordan this year, and while his coaches agree that’s a lot to hope for, they’re encouraged by the work Davenport has put in to chase that goal.

“You’re seeing a bigger, stronger, (but) still athletic player out there,” said Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen after Wednesday’s practice. Nielsen clarified that Davenport has gotten his weight up to around 280 pounds, a 15-pound gain from his rookie year, and that Davenport’s 6-foot-6 frame carries it well.

Nielsen continued: “So he’s able to do some things — striking blocks and holding the point and the edge in the run game, create some knock-back and some more power in the pass rush. With that weight and keeping that athleticism, that’s where he’s really turned the corner of like, ‘I really can do the things that they’re asking me to do.'”

Davenport took a big step forward in 2019, ranking second-best on the team in both sacks (6) and quarterback hits (16) while leading the Saints defense in forced fumbles (3). If he can rebound from a season-ending Lisfranc injury and progress even further, as he and his coaches expect him to, there’s no telling how great he can be.

Sean Payton was also pleased by how Davenport started the summer, especially considering how much time he had to spend in the trainers’ room recovering from surgery last year.

“I like how he’s put together right now, his weight’s up, and I think his strength is up,” Payton said in his media conference call after practice. “So, so far, so good. In this camp, I think he certainly understands the defense now. And putting practices together like he’s doing and working on his technique, it’s good to have him back out there.”

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Colorado State football coaches accused of covering up pandemic threat

Football players and staff at Colorado State have accused CSU football coaches of trying to stymie evidence of the COVID-19 threat.

Football players and athletic department staff at Colorado State have accused CSU football coaches of trying to stymie evidence of the COVID-19 threat facing the team, according to a report from the Coloradoan.

Rams coaches allegedly instructed players not to report symptoms, threatened to cut their playing time if they quarantined and altered contract tracing reports to allow practices to continue.

The head coach at Colorado State, Steve Addazio, was as an assistant coach at Florida throughout Urban Meyer’s tenure from 2005-10, serving as offensive coordinator for his final two seasons in Gainesville.

Members of the program said they believed it was engaging in a cover-up.

“I believe there is a cover-up going on at CSU,” said a current football player who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. “But they could only cover it up so long and now that we have so many cases across athletics, they can’t cover it up anymore. It’s not about the health and safety of the players but about just trying to make money off the players.”

Said an athletic department staff member: “There are some red flags in the athletic department but the common denominator with this administration is to protect the coaches before the student-athletes and that makes them feel more like cattle than student-athletes.”

Twenty-seven players were missing from practice due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, the last day of practice before the university temporarily halted it. Players believe the spur in new cases to stem from a Fourth of July party attended by a number of members of the team.

Athletic director Joe Parker said that while he’s unhappy to hear about the criticism, he believes in the efficacy of Colorado State’s plan.

“This (student-athlete) population is the most tested population there is here but obviously some feel that is not a good enough job to make them feel comfortable regarding their health,” he said. “If that’s the feeling, we will need to amp it up.”

Parker added that if players were told not to report symptoms to trainers, that is unacceptable.

Players said that Addazio and defensive coordinator Chuck Heater, both in their 60s, rarely wear masks at practice. They also alleged that coaches are coercing health administrators not to quarantine athletes, but that claim was disputed by Parker.

“There is no influence from our coaching staff on those kinds of decisions and those decisions are made outside of the athletic department and that is the way I want it,” he said.

Many players allegedly don’t wear masks at practice, leading to an environment many players deem to be unsafe.

“We had a player who definitely had coronavirus symptoms coughing at practice and he wasn’t wearing a mask and I was next to him, touching him and there was spit and sweat,” a player said. “I told him he needed to get tested but he really didn’t want to because then he would be out. The next day he is not at practice. (If he tested positive) he already had spread the virus. That’s why a lot of players don’t feel safe at football practice.”

Colorado State tested 150 athletes on Monday and is currently awaiting those results.

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Everything the Saints have done so far in 2020

The New Orleans Saints made every move to improve their 2020 roster through free agency and the NFL draft, setting up for training camp.

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The last time New Orleans Saints fans tuned in to watch their team play a football game, it ended a bit quieter than expected. Kirk Cousins drove the Minnesota Vikings offense over a gassed Saints defense to lob a touchdown pass in overtime, ending what had been one of the most entertaining seasons in recent memory with a whimper, not a bang.

So what happened next?

Well, things got off to a strange start when the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic struck the nation. Travel restrictions due to the public health crisis canceled pro day workouts for college draft prospects around the country, and postponed in-person physicals for veteran free agents.

And for good reason; it was proven right away that anyone could be vulnerable to infection, including Saints coach Sean Payton. Payton made a full recovery and has since used his platform to encourage others to make better decisions. Payton and the Saints ended up working remotely from home for much of the offseason, just like the rest of the NFL.

First Wave of Free Agency

However, that didn’t keep the Saints from getting busy in free agency. They started out by retaining many of their own free agents to-be, like reserve safety J.T. Gray (recognized at the Pro Bowl and as an All-Pro for his efforts on special teams). Multi-year contract extensions were signed to long snapper Zach Wood, defensive tackle David Onyemata, guard Andrus Peat, and quarterbacks Drew Brees and Taysom Hill. Defensive backs P.J. Williams, Justin Hardee, and D.J. Swearinger also returned on one-year deals.

But the Saints couldn’t keep everyone. Starting linebacker A.J. Klein was signed away to the Buffalo Bills, reuniting him with a familiar coaching staff from his Carolina Panthers days. The Panthers ended up signing a host of former Saints, inking backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a lucrative $60 million contract while also poaching cornerback Eli Apple and practice squad wideout Keith Kirkwood. Breakout safety Vonn Bell signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after talks broke down with the Saints in a sequence that eerily recalled last year’s fallout with Mark Ingram.

So who did the Saints add? They made two big splashes early in free agency by bringing back former first-round pick Malcolm Jenkins, who rose to prominence during six years with the Philadelphia Eagles. But the biggest move was the arrival of Emmanuel Sanders, a Pro Bowl receiver who should pair excellently with Michael Thomas. The Saints also signed underrated fullback Michael Burton, who knows the playbook after spending the 2019 offseason in New Orleans. He’ll replace the retired Zach Line.

2020 NFL Draft, Rookie Free Agents

That wide-ranging strategy positioned the Saints to take the best players available in the 2020 NFL Draft, which they did early by picking Michigan center Cesar Ruiz with their first selection. But lacking many holes on the roster didn’t mean the Saints were content to sit on their hands throughout the draft. Instead, they aggressively traded up for Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun and Dayton tight end Adam Trautman, betting on a quality-over-quantity approach. To top it off, the Saints traded back into the final round for Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens, an athlete in Taysom Hill’s mold.

And that led to a busy couple of hours in recruiting undrafted free agents. The Saints guaranteed large chunks of their contracts in rookie deals with Michigan State linebacker Joe Bachie, Oregon offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton, and Tennessee receiver Marquez Callaway, while adding some other intriguing options to take into training camp. And somehow, their biggest move was still ahead.

Second Wave of Free Agency

That would be the signing of Jameis Winston to a one-year deal valued at little more than $1 million. It’s not every day that a team rounds out its quarterbacks room with a former Heisman Trophy winner and first-overall draft pick who led the NFL in passing yards a year earlier. But Winston is here to learn from the best and maybe take over for Brees someday soon (which will be sooner than later, with Brees having a broadcasting job with NBC Sports waiting on him), and he’s already made his millions. He can take a pay cut for a year.

Winston wasn’t the only veteran free agent the Saints signed after the draft (and, conveniently, after the NFL’s compensatory draft pick cutoff date), though. They padded out the depth chart with defensive lineman Margus Hunt, pass-catching running back Ty Montgomery, linebacker Anthony Chickillo, and offensive lineman James Hurst. All of those additions qualified for the veteran salary benefit, helping the Saints work around the salary cap.

Coaching Staff Changes

There were minimal changes to the coaching staff, with linebackers coach Mike Nolan leaving for the Dallas Cowboys coordinator job. He was replaced by his assistant Michael Hodges, who had been preparing for the opportunity after several years on Payton’s staff. On the whole, the Saints are returning the same coaches who worked with last year’s team.

So that’s where we are now: these free agency moves and rookie acquisitions have resulted in maybe the deepest, most talented roster in Saints history on both sides of the ball. And at the end of the day, many of these players have been around for the last year or two, winning many games together — that’s important continuity in a normal year, much less one ravaged by COVID-19. With less practice time available, the most-experienced teams that are used to working together have a definite edge.

And that should have Saints fans excited on the eve of training camp.

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College Football News ranks SEC head coaches: Where’s Kirby Smart?

College Football News ranked the top SEC head coaches. Where is Georgia football’s Kirby Smart?

Pete Fiutak of College Football News recently released a list ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season.

Checking in at No. 3 on the list is Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who trails only Nick Saban (1) and Ed Orgeron (2).

At No. 4 is Dan Mullen and at No. 5 is Gus Malzahn.

As much as I’d love for Smart to be in that No. 2 spot, I do not disagree with Fiutak here.

Smart’s time will come, and within the next five years he may very well occupy that No. 1 spot.

For now, he’s sitting at No. 3 on Fiutak’s list, likely right on the verge of taking over that No. 2 ranking. As long as he keeps winning the SEC East, beating rivals and putting his team in striking distance for the College Football Playoff…he’ll be considered a top-five coach in America.

Orgeron or Smart at No. 2 was likely a somewhat difficult decision. Fiutak went with Coach O since he accomplished something Kirby hasn’t yet, a national championship.

I’ve heard it all – “Anyone could win with that roster.”

Sure, Smart probably would have won it with that roster LSU had last year. But, at the end of the day, he didn’t have that roster. No other way around it.

Also, how can you not love Coach O?

As for Saban, there’s no arguing that one.

Chiefs coaches can return to team facilities starting tomorrow

A new memo from the NFL details the return of coaching staff, but players still must remain away from team facilities.

The Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff can return to team facilities starting on Friday.

Back on May 19, teams were allowed by the NFL to open their facilities, but with stringent criteria including limits to the types of staff members that were allowed to return. Coaching staff previously weren’t allowed to return to team facilities. According to a new memo sent to teams by the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL coaching staff will now be among the allowed team employees to return to facilities beginning on Friday, June 5.

The memo also includes the expansion from 75 employees allowed at a given time in team facilities to 100 employees allowed.

Here’s a full summary of the memo shared by ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

Again, everything must follow state and local regulations, which shouldn’t be a problem for Kansas City as they’ve relaxed restrictions as of May 31.

One interesting note is that coaches who are considered to be in a higher risk category for COVID-19 can work with the team doctors or personal physicians to set up special accommodations to make them feel safer in the workplace. That’ll be important with Chiefs’ coaches like Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo, who are both bordering the high-risk age category when it comes to the virus.

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