It looks like Mike McCarthy is considering going very young for his offensive coordinator position, as Kellen Moore appears to be a top candidate to return to the Dallas Cowboys. The same can’t be said for the lead dog in the race to become McCarthy’s defensive coordinator.
That honor appears to belong to Mike Nolan, longtime NFL coordinator and current linebackers coach for the New Orleans Saints. Nolan has coached in the league for 33 years, 21 as a coordinator or head coach, and is the son of Dick Nolan, one of Tom Landry’s assistants.
Saints LB coach Mike Nolan has been named as one of McCarthy’s targets as the next #Cowboys DC.
He was being congratulated by family & friends in the Saints parking lot today.
When @sayneykid asked if he was headed to Dallas, Nolan’s response was:
“I think so.”
— Andrew Doak (@AndrewDoak_WWL) January 6, 2020
Many have connected Nolan to the opening over the last 24 hours. Nolan actually has some head coaching experience, being the famous suit-wearer when the league went in that direction during his stint as the man for the San Francisco 49ers.
During his 21-year stint as HC or DC, his defenses have finished in the Top 10 in points allowed on eight different occasions, including a No. 1 ranking his first year as a DC, 1993 with the New York Giants. In addition to New York – with both the Giants and Jets- and the 49ers, he’s also spent time in Miami, Baltimore, Atlanta, Washington and Denver.
Over half of his seasons (11) have resulted in his unit ranking in the Top 11 in takeaways, something the Cowboys have struggled with on their defensive units for the last several seasons.
Nolan has also spent seven seasons in the leagues’ bottom 10 in points allowed, including two when he was head coach in San Francisco.
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Nolan has been the linebackers coach in New Orleans since 2017 and was also the linebacker coach in San Diego for one season in 2015.
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