Tag: Leigh Torrence

Saints to hire Maryland coach Cory Robinson to defensive staff

The New Orleans Saints are expected to hire Maryland Terrapins coach Cory Robinson, a respected defensive assistant from the college ranks.

The New Orleans Saints appear to have filled the vacancy left by assistant defensive backs coach Leigh Torrence, with Maryland defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Cory Robinson set to join them. News of Robinson’s addition was first reported by AL.com’s Matt Zenitz, which was confirmed by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Torrence left for a higher position with the New York Jets, rejoining defensive coordinator Gregg Williams (who Torrence once played for when they were both with the Saints, back in the early 2010’s). It’s a bit of a surprise that the Saints added someone to replace him this late in the game, but they obviously value having as many eyes as possible on the back end of the defense. He’ll work with secondary coach Aaron Glenn and senior defensive assistant Peter Giunta.

But let’s circle back to Robinson. He joined Maryland coach Michael Locksley’s staff just a year ago, having first worked as the Terps’ director of player personnel back in 2015. Sandwiched in-between were stops at Toledo (2016), Temple (2017), and Rutgers (2018), as cornerbacks coach.

This feels similar to the addition of defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen back in 2017. Like Robinson, Nielsen was a highly-regarded position coach who had earned a promotion to the NFL by successfully recruiting and developing talented athletes. Nielsen has done a great job coaching up inexperienced players like David Onyemata and Marcus Davenport; now, Robinson will get the same opportunity.

The Saints will go into the 2020 season with their coaching staff largely intact. While linebackers coach Mike Nolan was hired away by the Dallas Cowboys as their new defensive coordinator, the Saints made an in-house promotion to elevate Michael Hodges into that spot. With Robinson filling in for Torrence, New Orleans is poised to run it back one more time.

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Jets hire Air Force coach with ties to Gregg Williams

Chip Vaughn, who coached Air Force’s defensive backs for the past two seasons, will join the Jets as a defensive assistant.

The Jets went to the college ranks to add an assistant for Gregg Williams’ defensive staff.

Chip Vaughn, previously an Air Force defensive backs coach, joined the Jets as a defensive assistant and assistant defensive backs coach, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. Vaughn coached the Falcons’ defensive backs the previous two seasons.

This offseason, the Jets lost assistant defensive backs coach Steve Jackson, who became the new Cincinnati Bengals cornerbacks coach. Just two weeks ago, the Jets added Leigh Torrence as their assistant defensive backs coach. On Tuesday, the team added Vaughn, in addition to Torrence, to help assist Dennard Wilson, the team’s passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach.

Torrence played cornerback during his football career, while Vaughn played safety. It’s likely the two will help assist those two positions, respectively.

After playing college football at Wake Forrest University, Vaughn was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round in 2009. There, he played under Williams.

Vaughn was waived after spending the entire season on injured reserve, but he did earn a Super Bowl ring with New Orleans. Vaughn would go on to play two more seasons in the NFL, with stints in Philadelphia, Indianapolis and Carolina. From there, Vaughn played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL.

In 2015, Vaughn began his coaching career, overseeing safeties and assisting with special teams at Winston-Salem State University through the NFLPA Coaching Internship program. He was promoted to an assistant coach after the internship ended.

The following season, Vaughn joined Fayetteville State University football, where he was hired as defensive backs coach, defensive passing game coordinator and videotape exchange coordinator.

Now he’s in the Big Apple, reunited with Williams.

Jets hire Leigh Torrence as assistant DB coach

The Jets have hired Leigh Torrence as their assistant defensive backs coach.

The Jets have found their replacement for Steven Jackson.

The team announced Tuesday that it has hired Leigh Torrence as the new assistant defensive backs coach. Jackson left the Jets to become the Bengals’ cornerbacks coach earlier this offseason.

Torrence has spent the last four seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He was a coaching intern in 2016 before being promoted to a defensive assistant in 2017.

Torrence played in the NFL from 2005-2011. He was an undrafted cornerback out of Stanford that was signed by the Packers. Torrence didn’t make the Packers roster but was claimed on waivers by the Falcons and played in 10 games in 2005.

He was then picked up by Washington, where he spent the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons. After three seasons in the nation’s capital, Torrence moved onto the Saints, who he was with from 2009-2011. Torrence made two final stops in Washington and Jacksonville before calling it a career.

In eight seasons, Torrence recorded 108 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, nine pass defenses, two interceptions and a touchdown.

The 38-year-old will primarily work with Jets defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson.

Saints assistant coach Leigh Torrence leaves for job with Jets DC Gregg Williams

New Orleans Saints assistant coach Leigh Torrence joined the New York Jets for a job with Gregg Williams, his old defensive coordinator.

The New York Jets announced Tuesday that they hired Leigh Torrence for their vacant assistant defensive backs coach job, creating another hole on the New Orleans Saints coaching staff; the Saints have yet to name a replacement for linebackers coach Mike Nolan, who left for the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator gig back in early January.

Torrence was first hired by the Saints as a coach back in 2016, when he joined their staff as a coaching intern. He was promoted to a defensive assistant coaching position in 2017, and held it through 2019. Before that, he played three years for the Saints from 2009 to 2011. He appeared in more games for the Saints (38) than any other team, which included stops with the Washington Redskins (25) and Atlanta Falcons (10).

Now, Torrence is reunited with the defensive coordinator he once played for in New Orleans: Gregg Williams. Williams holds the same position with the Jets beneath head coach Adam Gase, and this is a great opportunity for Torrence to continue to advance his career.

But why didn’t he stay with the Saints? There probably wasn’t room for promotion in New Orleans, where defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn has been developed as a key member of their staff. He’s commonly grouped with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and head coach Sean Payton during games, and has rebuffed offers from both the New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals in recent years. With Glenn so entrenched, Torrence probably had to consider other opportunities, and the Jets were a logical fit.

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