Tag: kris richard

Saints interview Lions secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant for DC job

Saints interview Lions secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant for DC job

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Here’s something we didn’t anticipate. With Dennis Allen moving on up to head coach for the New Orleans Saints, a vacancy opened up at defensive coordinator. And while the Saints have a couple of promising candidates for that job already in the building, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported Wednesday that the Saints quickly met with Detroit Lions assistant Aubrey Pleasant to discuss the opportunity.

Pleasant is an up and comer on Dan Campbell’s Lions staff, having developed the team’s best unit last year as defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. He navigated a series of injuries to the secondary to find some success, and he’s well-regarded as a teacher who can develop young talent. He also recently interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings’ open defensive coordinator position.

As for the in-house options for New Orleans: secondary coach Kris Richard would be a natural fit for the Saints, having worked before as a passing game coordinator. He also interviewed for defensive coordinator jobs with the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Indianapolis Colts in recent weeks but wasn’t hired. It feels like only a matter of time until another team picks him up.

Another name to consider is defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, who Sean Payton named assistant head coach last season after the LSU Tigers made a strong run at him. Nielsen also interviewed for the Green Bay Packers coordinator job a few years back, so he’s got aspirations beyond being a position coach. If Allen and the Saints turn their attention to coaches already on the roster, these two feel like the most likely candidates. But Pleasant would be an intriguing outside addition.

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Colts’ defensive coordinator tracker: Who has interviewed for vacancy

Tracking the Colts’ interviews for their defensive coordinator vacancy.

The Indianapolis Colts are already on the search for a new defensive coordinator with Matt Eberflus taking the over as the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

With the Colts looking to bring in a replacement, the majority of interviews thus far have come from the outside. Current safeties coach Alan Williams appears to be in the mix but no interview for the vacancy has been reported yet.

With it being likely that the next defensive coordinator will come from the outside, the Colts are looking at an extensive overhaul of the entire defensive coaching staff. This is the first time in Frank Reich’s tenure that he’ll be working with a defensive coordinator of his choosing.

So as the interview process begins, here’s an updated tracker on who the Colts have interviewed or will interview for the vacated role:

Colts to interview Kris Richard, two others for DC vacancy

The Colts will reportedly interview Kris Richard, Gus Bradley and Joe Whitt Jr. for the defensive coordinator vacancy.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to interview three more candidates for their defensive coordinator vacancy on Monday and Tuesday, per Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star.

Those three new candidates include New Orleans Saints secondary coach Kris Richard, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and Dallas Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr., according to Erickson.

This brings the total to six candidates thus far for the defensive coordinator vacancy left by Matt Eberflus. The Colts interviewed Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen and Washington defensive backs coach Chris Harris over the weekend.

The Colts have also reportedly interviewed or will interview Tennessee Titans senior assistant Jim Schwartz.

Both Richard and Bradley have experience as defensive coordinators. Richard was a big part of the Legion of Boom with the Seattle Seahawks from 2015-2017 while Bradley has had three separate stints in the role.

Whitt Jr. has bounced around the league over the last few seasons holding the role of defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator in several areas.

It will be interesting to see what happens with this vacant role but this is the first time head coach Frank Reich will be allowed to assemble a defensive staff since he joined the Colts in 2018.

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7 options for Colts to replace former DC Matt Eberflus

Here are seven options the Colts have to replace DC Matt Eberflus.

The Indianapolis Colts now have to look for a new defensive coordinator as Matt Eberflus has been hired to be the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Two offseasons in a row now the Colts have lost a coordinator. First, they lost Nick Sirianni to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. Now, they will watch Eberflus take over the job at Halas Hall.

When Sirianni left, the Colts promoted from within. They opted to go with Marcus Brady, who just completed his first season as the offensive coordinator under Frank Reich.

They will have similar options to work from on the defensive side of the ball. Some have experience as a defensive coordinator in the NFL while others just recently joined the staff.

The Colts will also have their options outside of West 56th Street if they wanted a more experienced defensive coordinator. That would likely mean a shake-up with the entire defensive coaching staff and it isn’t clear if that’s a direction the Colts want to go.

Here is a look at seven options the Colts could replace Eberflus with:

Ravens reportedly interview two candidates for vacant DC position

The Baltimore Ravens reportedly interviewed two candidates for their vacant defensive coordinator position

The Baltimore Ravens recently parted ways with now-former defensive coordinator Don Martindale. It was a move that surprised many, however it made sense for a few different reasons, including reported “philosophical differences”.

Baltimore has been lining up candidates to interview, and on Tuesday it was reported that the team completed two interviews with Saints secondary coach Kris Richard as well as Ravens defensive line coach and run game coordinator Anthony Weaver.

Richard was the Seattle Seahawks’ secondary coach during their “Legion of Boom” era, coaching players such as Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas III, Kam Chancellor and more when they were in their primes. Richard was promoted to Seattle’s defensive coordinator after Dan Quinn left for the Atlanta Falcons, and his defenses ranked first, third and thirteenth in points during his three years holding that position. After his departure from Seattle, Richard has had stops with the Dallas Cowboys and most recently with the New Orleans Saints, where he is currently.

Weaver played for Baltimore from 2002-2005 after being a second round pick of the organization. He returned to the Ravens as a coach during the 2021 season, and was a big part in their top-rated rushing defense. Weaver has play-calling experience, as he was the defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans during the 2020 season.

Ravens interviewed Saints secondary coach Kris Richard for DC opening

Ravens interviewed Saints secondary coach Kris Richard for DC opening

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Sean Payton might not be the only one leaving the New Orleans Saints coaching staff this offseason. Secondary coach Kris Richard is drawing attention too, having received an interview request for the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator job — and USA Today’s Josina Anderson reports that he’s also already spoken with the Baltimore Ravens for the same opportunity.

Of course that Ravens interview was held virtually over Zoom, so it’s possible that Baltimore circles back for an in-person meeting to discuss it further. It’s unclear when he’ll interview with Pittsburgh.

But the Saints could very well hold onto Richard by promoting him to defensive coordinator if Dennis Allen ends up the next head coach. And that’s a very real possibility in the wake of Payton stepping away. There are a lot of moving parts involved here and plenty of time to sort it all out, so all fans can do now is watch and wait. Whatever comes next, hopefully the team is better for it.

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Steelers request interview with Saints secondary coach Kris Richard

Steelers request interview with Saints secondary coach Kris Richard

Well that’s distressing. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday evening that the Pittsburgh Steelers requested an interview with New Orleans Saints secondary coach Kris Richard concerning their vacant defensive coordinator position — a post Richard has held before with the Seattle Seahawks, prior to his successful run with the Dallas Cowboys as their defensive passing game coordinator.

Richard took the 2020 NFL season off and joined New Orleans last year to replace Aaron Glenn, who followed Dan Campbell to become the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator. If Richard interviews well and gets this job, it would mean a third secondary coach in as many years for the Saints. Obviously that’s not where you want to be with young starters like Paulson Adebo developing on the back end.

Hopefully the Saints can find a way to retain Richard, just as they worked out a compromise with coveted defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen last summer. He’s been a big part of their recent success and they’ll need all the quality assistants they can get with Dennis Allen interviewing for the Chicago Bears head coach job and Sean Payton mulling retirement. Continuity is key for good teams in the NFL.

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10 DC candidates the Eagles could target if Jonathan Gannon lands a head coaching job

10 defensive coordinator candidates the #Eagles could target to replace Jonathan #Gannon if he lands a coaching job

Jonathan Gannon is set to be this year’s Nick Sirianni, as the Eagles defensive coordinator has become the hot name on the coaching circuit.

It was initially assumed that Gannon would get an interview and then return to the Eagles for more seasoning and experience, but he’s now interviewed for three vacancies – Denver, Houston, and Minnesota.

It seems that general managers for all three interviewing organizations believe Gannon’s struggles in Philadelphia were due to a lack of playmakers at key positions, and poor linebacker play.

If Gannon does land one of the coveted vacancies, we’ve ID’d 10 potential targets that could lead the Eagles defense in 2022.

Bears head coach search adds Saints DC Dennis Allen to list of candidates

Bears head coach search adds Saints DC Dennis Allen to list of candidates

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There we go: NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported that the Chicago Bears have scheduled an interview with Dennis Allen for their vacant head coaching job next week, adding the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator to their list of candidates.

Allen has put together some outstanding defenses with the Saints in recent years and it was only a matter of time until he started getting more looks as a potential head coach. Here’s what I wrote of him earlier this offseason in previewing potential Saints losses on the coaching staff and front office:

“Allen, 49, interviewed for the open Miami Dolphins job in 2019 and the vacant Philadelphia Eagles position in 2020, and he has only seen his star rise higher since then. His defense was among the NFL’s best this season and he should draw more attention in the days and weeks ahead. His three-year run as the then-Oakland Raiders head coach didn’t go well (his Raiders teams went 8-28, and Allen was dismissed four games into his third season) but he’s obviously learned a lot from the experience and from returning to Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans.”

Losing Allen would hurt, but Payton has assembled a strong group and could take the hit, depending on who leaves with him. Secondary coach Kris Richard has worked as a defensive play caller before, and defensive line/assistant head coach Ryan Nielsen seems poised to get another promotion sooner or later.

And while we’re really putting the cart before the horse here, let’s remember that one of Payton’s closest friends (and an old coworker on Bill Parcells’ Dallas Cowboys staff) is a free agent: former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, whose current NFL future is up in the air.

Interestingly, the Bears also interviewed Saints college scouting director/assistant general manager Jeff Ireland for their open G.M. position. It’s possible he and Allen could end up being a package deal in Chicago, though it’s worth noting Ireland has not received a second interview like other candidates.

As for Allen: he’s facing an uphill battle entering this late in the process. The Bears have already scheduled a second interview with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, one of seven head coach candidates to already speak with Chicago about the job. He’ll have to make a strong impression when he meets with team brass next week.

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Dennis Allen headlines potential Saints losses to 2022 hiring cycle

Which Saints coaches and execs could depart in the 2022 hiring cycle? Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has to top the list, ass does assistant GM Jeff Ireland:

Few coaching staffs were hit harder last year than the New Orleans Saints, who lost a number of key position coaches to other teams around the league — including their former tight ends coach Dan Campbell, who took secondary coach Aaron Glenn with him to go rebuild the Detroit Lions. Longtime quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi and defensive assistant Michael Wilhoite both joined Brandon Staley’s first-year Los Angeles Chargers regime.

Now the cycle is beginning again, and the Saints could experience more upheaval. So which of their coaches and executives could be on the move as jobs open up across the NFL? Whether they’re considered for a head coach position or a bigger role as a coordinator or assistant, the Saints have some attractive candidates on their roster. Let’s dig in, starting with the most obvious possible departure: