Tag: coaching staff

Two Saints defensive coaches linked to a surprising new team

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods and secondary coach Marcus Robertson have emerged as candidates for Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders staff:

The New Orleans Saints coaching staff has been undergoing lots of change during this offseason, with the arrival of their new head coach expected to bring more turnover. We’ve seen much of the team’s offensive staff find new destinations in the last couple of weeks with an offensive-minded head coach likely on the horizon in Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore

On the other hand, the defensive staff has experienced much less turnover since season’s end with the only notable name being linebackers coach Mike Hodges leaving for a job with the Cincinnati Bengals.

However with that said, things are starting to ramp up as Super Bowl LIX inches closer and closer. A recent report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports and 247 Sports names Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods and secondary coach Marcus Robertson as potential candidates for Pete Carroll’s staff on the Las Vegas Raiders.

Woods spent the last two seasons with the Saints under former head coach Dennis Allen, spending most of his time in the secondary while DA called the defense. Robertson, a former safety himself, aided Woods in those responsibilities by adding a relatable voice in the defensive back room.

Pete Carroll and the Raiders front office just announced recently that Patrick Graham would remain as the team’s defensive play caller which would take Woods out of the discussion for that role. With that said though, there will most certainly be room for the team to add experience in the secondary with both Woods and Robertson in whatever role they are given. Having the opportunity to boost a middle-of-the-pack passing defense could make a huge difference for a team that is still waiting for an answer at the quarterback position.

Nothing is set in stone just yet, but things could be trending in this direction very shortly. We’ll see what changes the Saints’ next head coach has in mind for the New Orleans defense soon enough.

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Ben Johnson’s Bears staff filling up with former Saints coaches

The New Orleans Saints will have another former coach of theirs joining the Chicago Bears, this time an offensive line coach:

The New Orleans Saints will have another former member of their staff heading off to a new team this offseason, as their prior offensive line coach among other positions Dan Roushar is heading to the Chicago Bears for the same role. Roushar was with the Saints from 2013 to 2022 and filled a variety of roles as the running backs coach, offensive line coach, tight ends coach and run game coordinator at various points throughout his tenure.

Roushar will join a Bears staff under Ben Johnson that has already added former Saints in Dennis Allen, Declan Doyle, and Bill Johnson in recent weeks, and has built a respectable group to bring the team back from some tough seasons. The Saints continue their search for a new head coach with Kellen Moore being the current favorite, who will have to flesh out a new assistant coaching staff of his own.

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Cowboys hire running backs coach away from Saints coaching staff

The Dallas Cowboys are hiring their running backs coach away from the New Orleans Saints. It’ll be a whole new Saints coaching staff in 2025:

It’ll be a new-look New Orleans Saints coaching staff in 2025. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris reports that the Dallas Cowboys are hiring running backs Derrick Foster away from the Saints’ staff, where he held the same position in 2024. Before that, Foster spent three years coaching the Los Angeles Chargers in the same capacity.

His time with the Chargers overlapped with Kellen Moore’s, so it’s a little surprising to see Foster moving on so soon. Moore is the favorite to be hired as head coach after the Philadelphia Eagles compete in Super Bowl LIX. If Foster was a candidate to remain on staff under Moore, who can’t communicate with the team again until after the Super Bowl, you’d think he would wait a week to see if he can stay in New Orleans.

Still, change was probably needed. While Alvin Kamara turned in his best performance in years the other Saints running backs were nothing to write home about. Jamaal Williams averaged 11.7 rushing yards per game. Jordan Mims had just 6.4. Kendre Miller led the trio with 24.7. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 23.0 but wasn’t re-signed after the season.

So whoever is coaching the Saints running backs in 2025 must get more out of them as a group. Kamara last made the Pro Bowl in 2021 but has seen increasingly heavy workloads. He’s seen the seventh-most combined carries and catches from 2022 to 2024 but ranks fourth in touches per game (19.8). The only players ahead of him are Saquon Barkley (22.1), Josh Jacobs (21.3), and Derrick Henry (20.7). Someone needs to step up, and it’ll fall on their next running backs coach to find them.

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Jets to hire ex-NFL defensive back Chris Harris (no, not that one)

The Jets will hire ex-NFL defensive back Chris Harris as their DBs coach and passing game coordinator. He’s not to be confused with CHJR.

Former NFL defensive back Chris Harris just landed a new coaching position. No, not CHJR.

The New York Jets hired former NFL safety Chris Harris, 42, as their new defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. He spent eight years in the NFL as a defensive back, spending time with four teams.

Harris then switched to coaching after hanging up his cleats and the Jets mark his fifth stop as a coach. Before landing in New York, he previously served as the Tennessee Titans’ defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach.

The Jets’ Harris is not to be confused with former NFL cornerback Chris Harris Jr., 35. CHJR played cornerback from 2011-2022, spending the majority of his career with the Denver Broncos. He won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos and earned four Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro selections during his time in Denver.

The younger Harris might become a coach one day, but it’s not the former Broncos cornerback that was just hired by the Jets.

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High-profile coach returns to NFL with Broncos’ division rival

The Broncos will face a Chip Kelly-coached offense when they play against the Raiders in 2025.

Chip Kelly is returning to the NFL.

The offensive guru has joined the Las Vegas Raiders as their new offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports (via Raiders Wire). Kelly is set to earn an average of $6 million per year in Las Vegas, according to The MMQB’s Albert Breer, making him the highest-paid coordinator in the NFL.

Kelly, 61, has an extensive background in college football. He left Oregon to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach in 2013. Kelly was fired after going 26-21, then he landed with the San Francisco 49ers. After going 2-14 in San Francisco, Kelly was fired again and returned to the NCAA level.

Kelly served as UCLA’s head coach from 2018-2023, going 35-34. He then served as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024, helping the Buckeyes win a College Football Playoff National Championship.

The Denver Broncos faced the Eagles once when Kelly was their head coach, with the Broncos winning that game 52-20 in 2013. He will now coach a Raiders offense that is set to face Denver twice each season.

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Ian Rapoport says pending Broncos coaching hire is ‘likely’ to happen

The Saints are expected to hire Kellen Moore after the Super Bowl. After that happens, the Broncos will likely hire Darren Rizzi.

Immediately after the Denver Broncos fired former special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica in January, speculation started that Sean Payton could hire Darren Rizzi as the club’s new special teams coach.

Last week, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported that Rizzi “is in line” to get the ST job in Denver if he does not become the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints. That report has since been confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Saints are expected to hire Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach after the Super Bowl. That would leave Rizzi available to land with the Broncos.

“As the #Saints zero in on Kellen Moore, slated to have another conversation with him after the Super Bowl, interim coach Darren Rizzi is likely to become the new #Broncos special teams coordinator, sources say,” Rapoport tweeted last week.

Rizzi, 54, served as a special teams coordinator under Payton in New Orleans and he was promoted to interim head coach last fall after the Saints fired Dennis Allen. He is now expected to reunite with Payton in Denver sometime after the Super Bowl.

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Why Steelers fans should be concerned about Art Rooney II’s 2025 plan

Steelers fans should brace for a frustrating 2025, as Art Rooney II remains committed to a wait-and-see approach with Mike Tomlin’s staff.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, a playoff win cannot come soon enough—and the supposed plan for the 2025 season leaves little hope for one anytime soon.

Steelers President Art Rooney II shot down the idea of cleaning house within the Black and Gold coaching staff—a change that desperately needs to happen, especially regarding DC Teryl Austin, with the 2024 defensive struggles falling squarely on his shoulders.

Rooney also touched on the offensive staff, claiming that the team had reworked the offense more than ever before last offseason—and he remains optimistic about what it will look like under Arthur Smith again in 2025.

Rooney’s plan for the Steelers’ 2025 season is rather simple—continue trusting Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff.

The standard Tomlin once spoke so highly of has shifted from winning championships to accepting mediocrity—and Rooney practically gave him the greenlight for this to continue.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers should honestly prepare for the worst heading into 2025, as Rooney expects change without making any significant changes.

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Wil Lutz reacts to Broncos losing assistant special teams coach

“Loved playing for this dude the last two years,” Wil Lutz wrote. “So much respect for Banjo during our time as teammates, and as my coach!”

The Denver Broncos have lost all three special teams coaches from the Sean Payton era.

Assistant head coach Mike Westhoff retired last November, special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica was fired earlier this month and assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo just left to become the new ST coordinator of the New York Jets. All three coached under Sean Payton from 2023-2024 in Denver.

Broncos kicker Wil Lutz took to Twitter/X on Wednesday to react to the news of Banjo leaving for a promotion elsewhere.

“Loved playing for this dude the last two years,” Lutz tweeted. “So much respect for Banjo during our time as teammates, and as my coach! He changed our special teams as a player in New Orleans, and brought energy and knowledge as a coach in Denver. NYJ got a good one!”

Banjo, 34, was a safety and special teams ace in the NFL from 2013-2022. His 10-year career included a stint with the New Orleans Saints, and he joined Payton’s staff in 2023 immediately after hanging up his cleats. Banjo’s quick rise as a coach has landed him a promotion in New York.

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Broncos have to fill 5 positions on Sean Payton’s coaching staff

The Broncos need to fill five positions on Sean Payton’s coaching staff this offseason.

The Denver Broncos were hit hard by other clubs poaching coaching staff talent this offseason.

The Broncos lost assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo to the New York Jets, passing game coordinator John Morton to the Detroit Lions and tight ends coach Declan Doyle to the Chicago Bears.

The 2025 Broncos are the first team since the 2021 Los Angeles Rams to have three coaches poached for coordinator jobs, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Additionally, Denver fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica and inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky. That gives the team five total positions on Sean Payton’s staff that need to be filled this offseason.

Broncos coaching staff openings

  1. Special teams coordinator
  2. Assistant special teams coach 
  3. Tight ends coach
  4. Passing game coordinator
  5. Inside linebackers coach 

Ex-senior personnel executive David Shaw also left for a coaching role with the Lions, but his old position is not necessarily one that needs to be filled.

Former New Orleans Saints interim coach/special teams coach Darren Rizzi is considered a top candidate to get the special teams coordinator job in Denver, and Phil Galiano could join him as an assistant.

Former New England Patriots tight ends coach Bob Bicknell could be a potential candidate to fill the TEs coach position in Denver, per Klis. Bicknell coached with Broncos senior offensive assistant Pete Carmichael with the New Orleans Saints from 2022-2023 when Carmichael was an offensive coordinator.

We will track all of Denver’s coaching staff moves on Broncos Wire.

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Comparing the Steelers coaching staff to the elite of the NFL

The Steelers have a much smaller coaching staff than the two teams playing in the Super Bowl.

One of the questions the media asked Pittsburgh Steelers President Art Rooney II recently was about the size of the Steelers coaching staff size. It’s fairly common knowledge that the Steelers coaching staff is one of the smallest in the NFL and a point of contention for fans.

Rooney downplayed the disparity but we wondered just how much of a difference there is between the Steelers and the best of the NFL. And by best, we are using the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. The two teams squaring off in the Super Bowl in less than two weeks.

The Steelers list 19 coaches on their website not counting the team’s strength and conditioning coach. By comparison, the Chiefs have 28 coaches on their site and the Eagles have 25 coaches.

Is this enough to make a difference? The results on the field say yes. A greater division of labor between the offense and the defense seems to yield better results on the field. In particular, both the Chiefs and Eagles have their own individual run game and passing game coordinators while the Steelers have neither. Given how much the Steelers offense struggles, these positions feel like a no-brainer.

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