Tag: Doug Marrone

Former Saints OL coach Doug Marrone has a new college coaching job

Former Saints offensive line coach Doug Marrone has a new job working under Bill O’Brien at Boston College:

It didn’t take too long for Doug Marrone to land on his feet — he’s returned to the college level after being hired by Boston College as their new senior analyst, where he’ll work under head coach Bill O’Brien, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He’ll be focusing on football strategy and research.

Marrone was let go along with most of the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coaching staff in February. Before he arrived for his second stint with the team (he was also Sean Payton’s offensive coordinator back in 2006), Marrone worked at Alabama and Syracuse in-between other stops in the NFL, so he knows the college game well. He and O’Brien coached together at Alabama in 2021.

He isn’t the only former Saints offensive line coach working at the collegiate level. Dan Roushar held the position for a long time and is still in New Orleans coaching at Tulane. Their predecessor Bret Ingalls is a coach at Michigan. The Saints’ current offensive line has fallen on hard times, but it’s always been a well-coached unit respected around the league. Hopefully incoming coaches John Benton, Rick Dennison, and Klint Kubiak can get it back on track.

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Buccaneers hire their new offensive line coach from the Saints’ staff

The Buccaneers hired their new offensive line coach from the Saints’ staff, reuniting a couple of ex-Rams assistants:

It’s another offseason with opposing NFC South teams poaching talent from the New Orleans Saints. ESPN’s Dan Graziano first reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hiring their new offensive line coach from the Saints’ staff — Kevin Carberry is joining them after working as an offensive line assistant in New Orleans last year.

That isn’t surprising. Carberry was previously the Los Angeles Rams offensive line coach before coming to the Saints, where he had worked with new Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen. The two know each other well and it makes sense for Coen to bring in someone who’s done the job before.

On top of that, the Saints are reportedly targeting former San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach John Benton for the same position on their staff. After dismissing Doug Marrone, it’s unclear whether they wanted to retain Carberry with Benton possibly favoring his own assistants (to say nothing of Klint Kubiak’s input as the incoming offensive coordinator). What this means for Jahri Evans, the Saints’ other assistant offensive line coach, is unclear. Hopefully the future Hall of Famer can work well in a new system, but we’ll have to wait and see if he’s being retained.

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Saints dismiss veteran offensive line coach Doug Marrone

The New Orleans Saints are dismissing veteran offensive line coach Doug Marrone. Incoming OC Klint Kubiak will hire his own help:

The New Orleans Saints are dismissing veteran offensive line coach Doug Marrone, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. The Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Luke Johnson confirmed Marrone’s departure.

Marrone was the first assistant Dennis Allen hired in 2022; his arrival was talked up as a former two-time NFL head coach who first came to New Orleans with Sean Payton back in 2006. While Marrone’s influence was positive for right guard Cesar Ruiz’s development, left tackle Trevor Penning did not make enough improvement through his first two years and the New Orleans offensive line as a whole deteriorated.

Change was needed. We’ll see whether Marrone’s assistant coaches Jahri Evans and Kevin Carberry are retained moving forward.

So this means that incoming offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak hire his own help. In addition to hiring a new offensive line coach, the Saints must hire position coaches to work with the running backs and wide receivers after Joel Thomas left for a new job and Kodi Burns was let go. It remains to be seen whether quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry and tight ends coach Clancy Barone figure into Kubiak’s plans, but it’s worth noting Barone worked with him on the Denver Broncos in 2022.

Who could Kubiak bring in to take Marrone’s place? One name to watch is San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive line coach James Cregg, who previously worked at LSU. Another one is Rick Dennison, the former Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach who worked with Kubiak earlier in his career.

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Podcast: Dennis Allen, Saints promise changes this offseason. Here’s what to expect

Dennis Allen and Saints leadership have promised changes ahead of the 2024 offseason. Here’s what to expect:

The Saints Wire podcast is back with managing editor John Sigler (@john_siglerr) and our host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG) recapping the New Orleans Saints’ dominant win over the Atlanta Falcons — and all the drama that followed it.

Dennis Allen and Saints leadership have promised changes in the offseason, but what might those look like? Will there be as much turnover in the coaching staff as on the roster? Could Jon Gruden take over as offensive coordinator from Pete Carmichael, and get more out of Derek Carr? Are top assistants like offensive line coach Doug Marrone on the way out the door? Tap in and get up to speed. Here’s what to expect.

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Mickey Loomis previews ‘important offseason’ for Trevor Penning

Mickey Loomis previewed an ‘important offseason’ for Trevor Penning, suggesting changes are needed to help the left tackle succeed:

What can the New Orleans Saints do to help Trevor Penning? That’s a major question that general manager Mickey Loomis must grapple with in the days and weeks ahead, and he says the team has a responsibility to do right by the young player.

“It’s an important offseason for him,” Loomis told WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak. “We’ve got to put him in a situation to be successful. We’ve got to help him with his development, his confidence. He’s got the ability to be a really good player in our league, but we’ve got to enable that by putting him in the right environment, giving the right development, and we’ll do that.”

We’re only reading the tea leaves here, but that doesn’t sound like a bright endorsement for offensive line coach Doug Marrone or his assistants Jahri Evans and Kevin Carberry. Evans is someone players like right guard Cesar Ruiz have pointed to as a positive influence, but the line as a whole has regressed since Marrone took over two seasons ago.

If Loomis doesn’t feel that Marrone (and either, or both, of his assistants) is the right coach to develop Penning and other young linemen the team has drafted, a change makes sense. That sure seems to be what he’s suggesting.

But it’s possible the Saints could look at moving Penning to a different — and hopefully more advantageous — position. Could he slide inside to guard? It’s not something he’s done much of before and his flaws might be highlighted there. Penning struggles with leverage and getting to his marks out in space, both of which stem from his choppy feet. For someone who is such a gifted athlete he doesn’t have a great efficiency of movement. Asking him to pull and block on the move more often isn’t something he’s suited to right now.

Of course that could change. At this point the Saints need to see something — anything — from Penning to justify what they paid to acquire him. Multiple picks in the top two rounds were spent on getting a player Loomis hoped could contribute right away. Obviously things haven’t gone as hoped or expected for Penning so far, but he has time to turn it around. Maybe moving to a new position or changing his position coach (changing the environment, as Loomis said) could help him come into his own in the NFL.

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75 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 75 for New Orleans

75 days until Saints season opener: Every player to wear No. 75 for New Orleans

The New Orleans Saints will kick off their 2023 regular season against the Tennessee Titans at home in the Caesars Superdome on Sept. 10, which is now 75 days away.

We’ll be counting down the days until kickoff by looking back on every Saints player who wore the corresponding jersey number.

Who stands out in No. 75? Defensive end Bruce Clark (1982-1988) was a key player for the Saints in his day, having won a Pro Bowl nod in 1984. Lately it’s been used by left guard Andrus Peat (2014-2023) who has been selected for three Pro Bowls as an alternate. Peat’s own position coach Doug Marrone wore No. 75 in his single game appearance for the Saints back in 1989. Here’s the full list from Pro Football Reference:

Saints hire former Rams offensive line coach Kevin Carberry

ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the Saints are hiring former Rams offensive line coach Kevin Carberry as an assistant for Doug Marrone:

Here’s another addition to the New Orleans Saints coaching staff, per ESPN’s Field Yates. Yates reports that the Saints have hired former Los Angeles Rams offensive line coach Kevin Carberry as an assistant for Doug Marrone. Carberry spent the last two years with the Rams; before that, he was Stanford’s run game coordinator and offensive line coach, having previously worked as an assistant in Dallas and Washington.

Carberry was dismissed after the Rams offensive line took a step back in 2022, and to be fair they were a mess up front. But that’s largely due to injuries that kept the unit from ever playing together as envisioned: at least three different players started games at left tackle, left guard, center, and right guard over the course of the season, with right tackle Rob Havenstein being the only starter to suit up for every game. It’s hard to coach up a group that can’t keep anyone on the field.

Maybe a full-time role being solely responsible for the offensive line was too much for him. Either way, Carberry is an experienced position coach at the pro level and he should be an asset in New Orleans working with Marrone. He’s replacing Zach Strief, who left the Saints for a promotion on Sean Payton’s coaching staff with the Denver Broncos.

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Report: Former Saints assistant Dan Roushar to be named Tulane OL coach

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reports former Saints assistant Dan Roushar is expected to be hired as Tulane’s offensive line coach, via @MaddyHudak_94:

As the coaching staff for the New Orleans Saints continues to shape up, former assistant coach Dan Roushar has found a new local home in the college ranks. As first reported by the Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, the Tulane Green Wave is finalizing a deal to hire Roushar as their offensive line coach.

Roushar was one of the first significant departures on the staff following an underwhelming 7-10 season under Dennis Allen. The longtime Saints coach became the running backs coach in 2013 and was the offensive line coach for five seasons until being moved to tight ends in 2021 when Allen hired Doug Marrone.

Often at the facility on Airline Drive themselves, the Green Wave are looking to capitalize on their unprecedented success in the 2022 season where they accomplished the greatest single-season turnaround in college football history – culminating in a Cotton Bowl victory against the USC Trojans to finish 12-2.

As is the case in college football success, Tulane saw some turnover on their coaching staff, including offensive line coach Eman Naghavi who joined the Houston Cougars. One of the most critical position group hires of last season, Naghavi’s turnaround of the Green Wave’s offensive line was miraculous.

While Roushar was ultimately let go by New Orleans and not poached by Tulane, head coach Willie Fritz values longtime experience – and Roushar has that in spades. It’s worth noting that his work with tight ends may prove equally valuable with the promotion of former Tulane tight ends coach Slade Nagle to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

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Zach Strief leaves the Saints coaching staff to join Sean Payton’s Broncos

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Zach Strief is leaving the New Orleans Saints coaching staff to join Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos:

It didn’t take long for Sean Payton to start poaching from his old team. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Zach Strief is leaving the New Orleans Saints coaching staff to join Payton with the Denver Broncos as offensive line coach. Strief worked as an assistant line coach with New Orleans in recent years and he played a big part in the development of young players like Cesar Ruiz, Landon Young, Calvin Throckmorton, Lewis Kidd, and Trevor Penning.

Strief spent his entire career as a player with the Saints and briefly worked in radio covering their games before he joined Payton’s staff. He’s quickly climbed the ranks and is widely respected around the league. It’s a major loss for the organization.

Could the Saints replace one of their former offensive linemen with another? Doug Marrone is their full-time offensive line coach, but he and Strief were joined by Jahri Evans last summer as a training camp coaching intern. If Evans enjoyed the experience and wants to continue his coaching career, it would make sense for the Saints to bring him on as an assistant like Strief. It’s something to watch out for in the days ahead — as is the possibility of Payton siphoning more talent out of New Orleans as he settles in with Denver.

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Saints’ Cesar Ruiz is finally coming into his own at right guard

His New Orleans Saints career didn’t start out as many hoped, but Cesar Ruiz is finally coming into his own as a dependable right guard:

It’s taken some time, but Cesar Ruiz is beginning to turn the corner. The third-year New Orleans Saints right guard didn’t exactly hit the ground running — his first two years in the starting lineup were full of frustration for him and his team’s fans, and his name was brought up in trade talks early in the offseason. But nothing came of it, and Ruiz has since gone on to play the best football of his pro career.

Right now, Ruiz ranks fourth in total snaps played at right guard (479) around the NFL going into Week 8, and seventh in pass-blocking snaps among players at his position (289). He’s been penalized just once all season, and that was on a bogus foul for being an ineligible receiver downfield (which didn’t hold up under postgame video review, but wasn’t a play that could be challenged during the game). Pro Football Focus play-by-play charting found he’s allowed just 5 pressures (2 sacks) on those reps in pass protection, which is kind of stunning. Ruiz is tied with Pittsburgh Steelers left guard Kevin Dotson for the fewest pressures allows among the top 21 guards (left or right) in total pass-blocking snaps.

The gulf between Ruiz at No. 17 and New York Jets right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker at No. 21 is just as wide as that between Vera-Tucker and the No. 22-ranked player in pass pro snaps played at guard (New York Giants right guard Mark Glowinski), hence the sample size. But let’s get back to Ruiz.

The former Michigan Wolverine is playing really well right now, and not just as a pass blocker. New Orleans is averaging 5.2 yards per carry as a team, and 5.8 on runs to the right side where Ruiz and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk are most responsible for paving the way. He’s moving well on both gap and zone running plays. It’s taken a lot of patience and some coaching changes — the Saints brought back Doug Marrone as their offensive line coach this spring, retaining Zach Strief as his assistant, with former All-Pro right guard Jahri Evans joining them for training camp as a coaching intern — but Ruiz is finally coming into his own.

So good for him. Sure, the Saints are 2-5 and struggling in some facets of the game, but Ruiz has been a surprising bright spot for them. He’s looking like a dependable player who can hold down his spot and continue to work well between Ramczyk and longtime center Erik McCoy, who just signed a multiyear contract extension. The Saints have a decision to make on Ruiz’s contract in March 2023 with his fifth-year option coming up, which Over The Cap estimates will be valued at more than $13.9 million for the 2024 season (those options must be picked up a year in advance). If Ruiz keeps this up, he’ll make that decision an easy one for New Orleans, and maybe earn a long-term contract.

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