Tag: Jim Hostler

USC hires former NFL offensive coordinator as defensive analyst

Jim Hostler is another voice in the room for USC.

Former NFL offensive coordinator Jim Hostler is joining Lincoln Riley and the USC football staff as a defensive analyst, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported Thursday. Hostler was the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2007.

Hostler previously was a wide receiver coach for the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, and Washington Commanders.

He also coached quarterbacks for the Jets and San Francisco 49ers, and coached tight ends for the Colts.

Last season’s struggles on defense under Alex Grinch prompted Lincon Riley to completely overhaul the staff by hiring D’Anton Lynn, the former UCLA defensive coordinator. The decision to hire Hostler fits with Riley’s other offseason moves, in that he really does want a collection of voices in the room, part of a collaborative model in which several smart football men bounce ideas off each other and no one has too much autonomy, which was a big part of the problem with Grinch the past two seasons at USC. Hostler is another voice with a unique vantage point, adding to USC’s wisdom and knowledge. Hopefully it will pay off in the Big Ten.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

Dre Bly, John Fox among the coaches moving on from the Lions

Dre Bly, John Fox among the coaches moving on from the Lions after the 2023 season

In light of the official hiring of three new defensive coaches, the Detroit Lions also had to subtract a few coaches from the team.

A couple of the departures were already known. Defensive line coach John Scott was replaced during Senior Bowl week by new DL coach and run game coordinator Terrell Williams. DBs coach Brian Duker left for the Miami Dolphins last week.

One more positional coach has also been let go. Cornerbacks coach Dre Bly no longer appears on the team’s coaching roster. Like Scott, Bly was brought in from the college ranks for the 2023 season. His group didn’t show a lot of progress, and his departure is not exactly a surprise.

Defensive quality control coach Wayne Blair is also no longer with the team. His contract expired and was not renewed.

Two senior assistant coaches have also moved on. Former NFL head coach John Fox won’t be back in 2024 after one season as a defensive assistant. Longtime NFL coach Jim Hostler is also out after one year as a senior offensive assistant in Detroit.

The Lions finalize their 2023 coaching staff, announce 3 new official additions

The Lions finalized their 2023 coaching staff and announced 3 new official additions to Dan Campbell’s staff

The Detroit Lions announced via press release their full coaching staff for the 2023 NFL season. The team made official the reported signings of three new coaches in the process.

Two of the newcomers were widely known. New senior defensive assistant John Fox coming to Detroit was something head coach Dan Campbell confirmed during his 2023 NFL Scouting Combine interview. New DL coach John Scott Jr. also broke last week during the combine.

The one new name that was revealed is the new senior offensive assistant, Jim Hostler. He comes to Detroit to replace John Morton, who is now with the Denver Broncos. Hostler spent the last two seasons in the same role with the Washington Commanders. He’s got 24 years of NFL coaching experience, primarily working with receivers and quarterbacks along with one season (2007) as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.

All other newcomers, such as cornerbacks coach Dre Bly, were previously announced.

From the team’s media department, the list of the coaching staff from Campbell on down through the strength and conditioning coaches.

[lawrence-related id=88685]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx8sj47vkwrznr player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Commanders Jim Hostler not returning to staff in 2023

Jim Hostler will not be back in 2023.

Washington Commanders offensive assistant coach Jim Hostler has been relieved of his duties.

Washington Times reporter Matthew Paras was the first with the breaking news.

It is believed that newly hired offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy would have control of the offensive staff. Thus, this is the beginning of Bieniemy choosing who remains on the staff and whom he replaces.

Hostler came to Washington in 2020 after having served as wide receivers coach for the Panthers (Ron Rivera) in 2019. In 2021, he became the senior offensive assistant, serving as Scott Turner’s primary aid in forming weekly game plans.

Hostler has coached in the NFL for the past 23 seasons, breaking into the league in the 2000 season with the Kansas City Chiefs as part of Gunther Cunningham’s staff.

He has also worked for the following head coaches: Mike McCarthy (Packers), Jim Haslett (Saints), Herman Edwards (Jets), Mike Nolan (49ers), John Harbaugh (Ravens), Doug Marrone (Bills) and Chuck Pagano (Colts).

Hostler, age 56, prior to his NFL coaching, also gained ten years of coaching experience from 1990-99 at Indiana (PA) and Juniata.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbykgy681k112p8 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Commanders assistant Jim Hostler busy behind the scenes

Washington senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler explains his role on the coaching staff. And he loves Washington’s wide receivers.

Commanders senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler constantly has himself involved in two projects.

“I spend a little bit more time on game planning ahead of the teams we play. That allows [OC] Scotty [Turner] obviously to be in the moment of the game he’s calling that week, and I’m just a little bit ahead of him when we start on Monday and Tuesday with the game planning.

Secondly, Hostler helps out with the wide receivers helping coach the routes, and the concepts if they have any questions. He is glad to free up Turner in both ways.

Hostler likes the depth that’s developed at the wide receiver position.

“I feel good about it. I think we’ve done a good job of bringing the players in, drafting the young players that we have, and defining what they could do before we got ’em here. Then the ability for us to try to use ’em in their capacities. We’ve got a group that any of ’em can play. Even the young down-the-line guys. We don’t have any fear right now of putting ’em in the games.”

Hostler was asked about his scouting teams in advance.

“I’m not really looking at numbers or anything like that. I’m just looking at them as a defense. What do they do? How we’re gonna attack it. Obviously, when you start game planning next week, Scotty’s window of preparation for the game planning is a lot smaller than mine is because I can spend two or three days from the previous week working on the next opponent.”

Hostler is comfortable in this role, having much NFL experience doing the same type of activity.

I’ve done this several times. I did it in Buffalo for [Broncos Head Coach] Nathaniel [Hackett]. That’s where I first started doing it. It’s the same role, and I did it in Green Bay. When I was in Green Bay that was my role there, so that’s kind of the reason why we sort of did what we did. Obviously, we did what we did because we loved [wide receivers coach] Drew [Terrell] and know how good of a coach Drew is as a young coach.”

The role means, for Hostler, forcing himself to move on to the next opponent by midweek.

“We spend Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then obviously you’re practicing Wednesday, early down kinds of things. Then you’re practicing situational offense on Thursday and Friday and usually that’s all done by Wednesday night. There’s a little bit of stuff done on Thursday, but usually after Wednesday nights the meetings are over, and I’m on to the next opponent.”

Jim Hostler says ‘no idea’ who starting WRs are outside of Terry McLaurin

Washington’s new WR coach used complete honesty when saying that he has no idea who the starting WRs will be alongside Terry McLaurin.

One of the biggest concerns in Washington comes on the offensive side of the ball, where there is a major lack of talent and depth at the wide receiver position.

Terry McLaurin led the way in 2019 as the only player who was worth talking about at WR, and going into the 2020 season, it seems that he will have to do the same, at least to start.

That question of who will join McLaurin at the top has been common among fans all offseason, but the team has done little to improve the situation, as far as major moves go. They drafted Antonio Gandy-Golden and signed both Cody Latimer and Dontrelle Inman in free agency, but those were the only additions. On Thursday,  Washington’s new wide receiver coach had complete honesty when talking to the media when he admitted that even he has no idea which player will fill the WR2 role next to McLaurin.

There are several candidates, with the aforementioned Gandy-Golden having high hopes from fans, and Inman seemingly the most suited to fill that veteran role, however, it seems that Steven Sims Jr. will have the best chance. He was easily the second most impressive WR in Washington last season, and many believe that he will thrive in Scott Turner’s offense.

There will be a lot of competition in camp though, and all eyes will be on the WR position.

[vertical-gallery id=39291]

New Redskins WR coach Jim Hostler has interesting connection to Alex Smith

Some interesting links have popped up along the new Redskins coaching staff.

Jim Hostler is one of the more interesting names the Washington Redskins hired on for Ron Rivera’s staff.

The wideouts coach has an intriguing history, to say the least, in part because he worked with quarterbacks in the past.

And one of those was Alex Smith.

Here’s a breakdown from Redskins.com’s Zach Selby:

“Smith was only one of four quarterbacks who saw the field in his first season. He battled injury and was placed in and out of the starting lineup throughout the year, and the 49ers finished with a 4-12 record. Smith was the full-time starter in the following season, playing all 16 games while throwing for 2,890 yards with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.”

Smith’s career remains in limbo as he attempts his comeback and the Redskins happily have Dwayne Haskins as the future of the position.

But what’s interesting is this is what many teams are doing now — gobbling up as many quarterback guys as possible across an offensive staff.

Call it a critical element of doing everything they can to make sure Haskins succeeds.

[vertical-gallery id=28703]