Tag: head coach interview

Carolina requests interview with Cowboys OC Kellen Moore for Panthers HC job

Moore was a hot prospect last year, interviewing with 4 teams. He’ll now join a list of offensive-minded candidates for the Carolina job. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Last season, the Cowboys were tops in the league in yards per game and points per game. This season, even without their starting quarterback for five full games, they ranked fourth and 11th, respectively.

Deciding they might also be interested in numbers like that for next season, the Carolina Panthers have put in a request to speak with Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore about their current head coach opening. ESPN’s Todd Archer first reported the news Wednesday morning.

Matt Rhule was fired just five games into Carolina’s season after the team started 1-4. He had coached only 38 games for the club and still had four years left on his contract. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks took over as the Panthers’ interim head coach, guiding them to a 6-6 mark the rest of the way.

Former Cowboys consultant Ben McAdoo was the team’s offensive coordinator for the entire 2022 season. Under him, the Panthers finished 20th among all teams in points per game and 29th in yards per game.

Moore, 34 years old and in his fourth season as Cowboys OC, was a popular candidate during last year’s cycle of coaches’ interviews. The ex-quarterback met with the Jaguars, Broncos, Dolphins, and Vikings in early 2022, and interviewed with the Eagles the year prior.

Asked about potential job opportunities prior to the team’s Week 18 regular-season finale, Moore said he was “not too worried about it right now.”

“If something happens, we’ll go through that process if we have to,” he told reporters on Jan. 2.

The Panthers are clearly leaning toward an offensive mind with this next hire. According to Panthers Wire, Moore’s name will be on a slate that, along with Wilks, includes former NFL coaches Jim Caldwell and Frank Reich, and Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as Carolina’s known roster of head coach candidates.

Under league rules, the Panthers may not formally speak with Moore until after the Cowboys’ wild card playoff game in Tampa on Monday night.

The Panthers will host the Cowboys during the 2023 season.

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Report: Colts request to interview Broncos DC Ejiro Evero for HC job

The Colts requested to interview Broncos DC Ejiro Evero for their HC job.

The Indianapolis Colts submitted a request to interview Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for their vacant head coach job, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Evero, 42, took over as the defensive coordinator for the 2022 season and was offered the interim head coach job following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett. Evero, however, declined the offer and remained the defensive coordinator.

Be sure to keep up with the latest details of the Colts’ head coaching search with our tracker.

Specializing at the defensive back positions, Evero has held plenty of assistant roles throughout his coaching career. Recently, he spent four seasons working as the safeties coach for the Los Angeles Rams (2017-2020) as well as the secondary coach and passing game coordinator (2021).

The head coaching search will be led by general manager Chris Ballard, but the decision ultimately resides with owner Jim Irsay.

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Colts request interviews with 4 head coach candidates

The Colts have put in requests with four head coach candidates.

The Indianapolis Colts got the ball rolling on their head coach search Monday by putting in requests with four candidates, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Those four requests include Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The Colts have the opportunity to interview all of these candidates this week. Only Steichen is among the four on a playoff team, and the Eagles secured a first-round bye so the Colts could interview him if they wanted to.

While Steichen and Johnson are two of the younger candidates that will get looks from many teams, Morris and Glenn are the more experienced candidates. Morris is the only one of the quartet that has prior head coaching experience.

The dates for these interviews haven’t been set yet, but all four appear to be solid candidates.

Be sure to check out our list of potential head coach candidates as this process gets under way.

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Report: Broncos ask permission to speak with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn about HC job

Quinn was a finalist for the Denver job a year ago. This time around, he’ll interview against Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, and others. | From @ToddBrock24f7

For the second year in a row, the Denver Broncos and Dan Quinn are going to see if they’re a match.

The Broncos have once again requested permission to speak with the Cowboys defensive coordinator about their open head coaching position, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

The two sides previously did this in early 2022 after Denver fired Vic Fangio. Quinn, the 2021 NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, was reportedly among three finalists for the job and was said to be a favorite of Broncos general manager George Paton.

Denver went on to hire Nathaniel Hackett instead. Just hours later, Quinn announced that he would remain in Dallas for a second season. But now with Hackett already gone in the Mile High City, the Broncos are shopping once again and presumably like Quinn’s familiarity with quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson was asked about multiple coaching candidates after Denver’s season-ending win over the Chargers in Week 18.

“Dan Quinn, I know him personally, too,” Wilson said. “He’s an amazing coach as well, an amazing person, an amazing soul, great leader.”

Quinn could be interviewing alongside some prominent names. Denver is said to be interested in former Saints coach Sean Payton and the University of Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, among others.

As per The Denver Post, the club has also filed formal requests to speak with Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.

Current Broncos DC Ejiro Evero is expected to also be in the running.

Since he is already under contract with a club still playing, Quinn cannot officially interview for any open coaching position until after the Cowboys’ wild-card playoff game versus Tampa Bay next Monday night.

The 52-year-old New Jersey native said recently that he was “having a blast” in his current role in Dallas.

“If, down the line, there’s an opportunity that lights me up,” he said, “we’ll discuss it then. Until then, I’m right where my feet are.”

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Kellen Moore expected to remain Cowboys OC as Miami hires McDaniel

It’s 0-for-4 for Moore and HC job offers; now he’ll return to Dallas to keep building his resume by trying to fix a struggling run game. | From @ToddBrock24f7

At various points during the 2021 campaign, it seemed a lock that the Cowboys would lose both of their coordinators to other teams this offseason. Now it looks like both of them will be back in Dallas for 2022.

Kellen Moore is expected to return as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator following Sunday’s announcement that the Miami Dolphins would be hiring Mike McDaniel as their new head coach. Moore and McDaniel had been the two apparent finalists for the job left open after the surprise firing of Brian Flores.

Moore had his second interview with Miami on Saturday; some reports say that he felt good enough about his meeting that he had begun the process of assembling a coaching staff to work under him. But the Dolphins have instead come to terms with the 49ers offensive coordinator.

Moore was a hot prospect on the interview circuit and met with no fewer than four teams- Jacksonville, Denver, Minnesota, and Miami- about their head coaching positions. Houston and New Orleans are the two NFL clubs currently with a head coach opening, but there have been no indications that Moore is in the mix for either vacancy.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said recently, “I would be upset if Kellen left,” as he was optimistic that he would be able to retain both Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn under head coach Mike McCarthy.

Quinn removed himself from head-coach consideration with several teams after multiple interviews of his own; McCarthy was said to have played in part in convincing Quinn to remain on the Dallas staff.

McCarthy and the Cowboys ownership had been similarly eager to keep Moore on the payroll for a fourth season as OC, so as to maintain continuity with quarterback Dak Prescott and continue the development of a unit that ranked No. 1 in the league last season in both yards and points.

Moore, no doubt, has work to do upon his return to Dallas. His offense hit a serious slump in the back half of 2021. In particular, the Cowboys run game was stagnant; many also faulted Moore for not getting the ball to playmakers like Amari Cooper with enough frequency.

The Cowboys offense ended their 2021 run losing two of their final three games (postseason included). Dallas averaged 19.5 points and just 304 yards per game in those losses; they averaged 31.2 points and 407 yards per game across the whole of the regular season.

Whether those January struggles left a bad taste in teams’ mouths as Moore interviewed, or clubs simply felt the 33-year-old isn’t quite ready to ascend to the top spot, it appears that he’ll have another season in Dallas to keep building not only the Cowboys high-powered offense, but his resume as well.

“I think the world of Kellen and that’s why we want him back,” Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said earlier this week, per the team website. “I’m not rooting against him to further his career. Hopefully it works out selfishly that we can keep him.”

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Report: Cowboys OC Kellen Moore expected to get follow-up HC interview with Miami

Earlier in the week, it was thought Kellen Moore might be out of the running for a HC gig; now the Dolphins may want to have another chat. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys fans were able to feel confident that their team’s coaching staff was staying intact for just a couple of hours.

On the same morning that the Broncos and Bears made their head coaching hires and Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn announced he’d be staying put in Dallas, NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore appears to still be in play for the Miami Dolphins’ HC opening.

Moore interviewed with the Dolphins late last week, one of several candidates for the job left vacant by the firing of Brian Flores. The 33-year-old Moore is reportedly on the docket to sit with the Miami search committee for a second interview.

A report earlier this week from Pro Football Network indicated that Moore was not expected to get an offer from any of the teams he had spoken to.

“At least one hiring committee came away wondering if [Moore] has the commanding personality and leadership style to stand in front of an entire team and grab players’ attention,” according to that account.

If the names now listed by Rapoport are accurate, it appears the organization is eager to lean toward an offensively-minded coach this time around. As an OC, Moore led the 2021 Cowboys to the top ranking leaguewide in both yards per game and points per game. He additionally showed a knack for creativity, getting 15 different offensive players into the end zone over the course of the season.

Moore also brings something to the table that’s rare in the game today and could be viewed as a bonus, specifically to the Dolphins. He was the last left-handed quarterback to play in the NFL before Miami starter Tua Tagovailoa came along.

The Dolphins are expected to hold their follow-up interviews next week.

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Report: Cowboys’ Dan Quinn among 3 finalists to become Broncos’ new HC

Quinn is the only finalist who’s been a head coach before and the only defensive mind of the group. He’ll likely fly to Denver this week. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Dan Quinn has made the first cut in Denver. The Broncos have interviewed ten candidates to fill their head coaching vacancy since firing Vic Fangio, but the team has apparently narrowed it down to three prospects: the Dallas defensive coordinator and two offensive specialists.

Quinn was thought to be a front-runner from the beginning, given his previous history with Broncos general manager George Paton. Quinn’s first meeting with Denver representatives came at a Dallas-area restaurant on January 18; he’s now expected to travel to the team’s headquarters for an on-site second interview, according to Mike Klis of Denver’s 9News.

The other two finalists are Green Bay offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell.

Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore also met with Denver’s search-committee on the same day as Quinn. Ed Werder says Moore “impressed” the Broncos reps, but not enough to stay in the running for the job.

Quinn is the only candidate of the remaining three with head coaching experience. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that Paton is “likely to advocate” for Quinn, and speculates that, if hired, Quinn is expected to try to bring Cowboys secondary coach Al Harris with him to the Mile High City.

The second interview between Quinn and the Broncos is thought to be on the docket for this week; Quinn was in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Monday interviewing with the New York Giants about their head coaching position after also speaking with Minnesota, Miami, and Chicago.

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Cowboys DC Dan Quinn with more HC interview requests as Bears, Dolphins get in line

The list of teams to ask permission to speak with Quinn is now up to 4, but the DC maintains he’s focused on beating the 49ers this week. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Just call him Mr. Popularity.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was run out of Atlanta just five games into the 2020 season, the most notable line item on his head coaching resume being the Falcons’ epic collapse in Super Bowl LI. But his 43-42 record on the sidelines there has been superseded by the remarkable turnaround he’s engineered with the Dallas defense, from most points ever surrendered before his arrival to the league leader in takeaways in one season.

It seems plenty of other teams are interested in seeing if Quinn can help them reverse their fortunes as well. Quinn has drawn interest from the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins for their head coaching vacancies, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The interview requests for Quinn now number four, after the Jaguars and Broncos also reached out to the Cowboys asking permission to speak with the 51-year-old New Jersey native.

The Bears dismissed head coach Matt Nagy following a 6-11 season, Nagy’s fourth in Chicago. Nagy was the AP’s Coach of the Year in 2018. But the Bears also fired general manager Ryan Pace on Monday, meaning Quinn (or any other head coaching hire) would be walking into a time of significant turnover within the organization.

Despite closing out 2021 with a winning record, the Dolphins relieved Brian Flores of his head coaching duties on Monday as well, after three seasons in Miami. The club lost seven straight games starting in Week 2, but then won seven straight games before dropping their season finale.

The Broncos asked permission to speak with Quinn on Monday after firing Vic Fangio over the weekend. Jacksonville had requested an interview with two weeks left to play in the regular season, though Quinn declined to follow through with that meeting at the time.

When asked by Dallas media on Monday about the prospect of returning to the sidelines somewhere else as a head coach, Quinn maintained- as he has all season long- that he is content with the job he has before him trying to help the Cowboys advance through the postseason.

“I’m not trying to avoid it or to be coy. There’s just simply nothing to report on on my end,” Quinn said. “When job changes happen and coaches are let go, it’s a difficult time for them, their families, the assistants, the team, everybody that goes into that. So listen, it’s nice to hear if someone is interested. That’s not lost on me. I had a difficult 2020 season that didn’t go so good, so that’s not lost on me. But there’s really nothing to add on my end. There’s not a lot of time management or anything that has to go into mind other than just kicking ass and being right where my feet are. Hopefully we can just talk Niners today because that’s really where my heart and my head are moving forward.”

Whether Quinn’s heart and head see things differently as more teams come to call- or when the Cowboys end their postseason run- remains to be seen.

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Report: Cowboys DC Dan Quinn to decline Jaguars interview for now

Jacksonville asked to interview the Cowboys defensive coordinator for their HC job; Quinn will reportedly not participate at this time.| From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was up front this week when asked about the notion of him once again becoming a head coach  in the NFL. The former Falcons coach said he wasn’t using the Dallas DC job as a stepping-stone or resume-builder after five-plus years with the Falcons, but he also admitted, “If those moments come, I’ll be ready for them if the right scenario came about.”

The Jaguars requested permission to interview Quinn during the new two-week in-season window, but according to a new report from NFL insider Adam Schefter, Quinn has decided Jacksonville is not the right scenario… at least right now.

“I wasn’t coming here to look at what my next job would be,” Quinn told reporters on Monday following the Cowboys’ 56-14 win over Washington. “I wanted to come in here and have a blast and hopefully kick ass and make an impact.”

That he has. Quinn took over a unit that was statistically the worst in franchise history and transformed it over the course of a single offseason into one of the league’s most ferocious. He even took over head coaching duties for one game while Mike McCarthy was out with COVID.

Quinn is a big believer in “being where your feet are,” as he puts it. And his feet are in the middle of prepping for two more regular season games and focusing on a promising postseason run in Dallas.

“I’m having a blast right here with this crew and going for it,” Quinn continued. “That’s where my mind is, that’s where my heart is. I don’t really spend a lot of time thinking about down the road or what’s next. I just like really being in the moment with the guys.”

Quinn, 51, may get back to being the top man in charge with another club at some point. Maybe even next season. And it could even be with the Jaguars.

Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan adds that Quinn could still interview for the Jacksonville job, but that he will more likely wait until after the regular season has been completed.

New rules this season allow teams to interview assistants from other clubs (with proper permission) during the Week 17-18 window.

“For me, kind of getting back to being in the meeting rooms, getting into the teaching, being out on the field, getting to do individual with the guys, it’s been a blast. I definitely have enjoyed it,” Quinn explained this week.  “When you get let go, some of the joy is gone. You put your heart and soul in it… by me coming here and being a part of this, I recaptured a lot of that: what I love about coaching, all of the energy that goes into it. So my wife Stacey and I are having a blast here to do it. But to get back to the level of coaching and connection with the guys, it’s been all that I hoped it would be here.”

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Giants request, granted permission to interview Jason Garrett for HC

The New York Giants interviewed several candidates early in their process, but they made it very clear the man they wanted was Baylor’s head coach Matt Rhule. Rhule is a former assistant, and was close to getting the job with the New York Jets last …

The New York Giants interviewed several candidates early in their process, but they made it very clear the man they wanted was Baylor’s head coach Matt Rhule. Rhule is a former assistant, and was close to getting the job with the New York Jets last year but decided there was too much interference in the front office for his liking. It appeared a match made in heaven.

But on Tuesday morning, Rhule agreed to terms to become David Tepper’s new head coach for the Carolina Panthers, never even making it to his scheduled interview with the Giants. Having to turn their attention elsewhere and regroup, the Giants have now requested permission of the Dallas Cowboys to interview Jason Garrett.

Garrett, despite Dallas having agreed to terms with Mike McCarthy to replace him, is still an employee of the Cowboys until his contract expires, January 14.

Garrett spent his final NFL season, in 2000, as a member of the Giants after playing seven seasons with Dallas; it would be fitting for his career as a coach to follow a similar trajectory.

As a coach, Garrett was dismissed after missing the playoffs for the sixth time in nine full seasons. He ended with an 85-67 overall record, a .559 winning percentage.

New York parted ways with Pat Shurmur after two years and a 9-23 mark. They have finished under .500 in six of the last seven seasons.

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