Tag: Mike Smith

OLB coach Mike Smith takes leave of absence, Mike Pettine to coach unit

Vikings assistant head coach Mike Pettine will replace Smith, who is taking a personal leave.

Minnesota Vikings outside linebackers coach and pass rush specialist Mike Smith is taking a leave of absence from the team.

According to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, Smith is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. Assistant head coach Mike Pettine will coach the position group in his place. Defensive assistant Imarjaye Albury will help coach the unit, too.

Pettine is in his second season with the Vikings but has close to 30 years of coaching experience.

Before joining the Vikings, Pettine served in multiple NFL roles, including as the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets. Pettine was also the head coach of the Cleveland Browns for two seasons, winning ten games.

Albury has been with the Vikings since 2020 and returns to the coaching staff after one year as a pro scout. In 2021, Albury coached the defensive line in the Vikings Week 16 game in the place of former co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson.

Former Falcons’ head coach Mike Smith details Hendon Hooker ahead of NFL draft

Former Falcons’ head coach Mike Smith details Hendon Hooker ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2023 NFL draft will take place Thursday-Saturday in the plaza outside of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.

Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft will take place Thursday (8 p.m. EDT), rounds 2-3 will be held Friday (7 p.m. EDT), while rounds 4-7 are slated for Saturday (noon EDT).

Ahead of the NFL draft, former Falcons’ head coach Mike Smith discussed Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker with OLBG.

“He came close to taking Tennessee to the national championship this year, but there’s a couple of buts which will move him down a lot of boards,” Smith said of Hooker. “He’s recovering from an ACL and that’s a concern. He’s also 25 and when you invest in a quarterback in the first three rounds, you’re developing that quarterback. You’re thinking the timeline is going to be at least two contracts for a successful quarterback.

“With Hendon Hooker, you’d be looking at signing him to a second contract at the age of 29 and that is the biggest concern, but I think he’s got a great makeup off the field and I loved him in Josh Heupel’s offense. Somebody is going to take him and he might be the fifth quarterback off the board.”

Hooker transferred to Tennessee from Virginia Tech ahead of the 2021 season.

Hooker appeared in 13 games for the Vols during the 2021 campaign. He completed 206-of-303 passing attempts, totaling 2,945 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns and three interceptions, while recording 620 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 167 attempts in 2021.

In 11 games in 2022, Hooker completed 229-of-329 passing attempts for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. He totaled 430 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

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Former Falcons coach Mike Smith blasts Texans for firing Lovie Smith

Former Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith spoke out about the Houston Texans’ decision to fire coach Lovie Smith.

Count Mike Smith in as another former NFL coach not pleased with the way the Houston Texans parted with Lovie Smith.

The former Atlanta Falcons coach from 2008-14 joined the BallFather Podcast presented by Sportskeeda to talk about how the Texans have made themselves an unattractive destination for coaches, and that the Smith firing continues to reinforce that narrative.

“It’s impossible (rebuilding a franchise in one season),” Smith said. “I know everybody wants instant gratification in the NFL but it just blows my mind that there’s been two one-and-dones in the same organization.”

The Texans fired Bill O’Brien as coach and general manager on Oct. 5 after starting the 2020 campaign 0-4. Rather than retaining interim coach Romeo Crennel after the season, new general manager Nick Caserio hired former Baltimore Ravens passing game coordinator and receivers coach David Culley. The Texans fired Culley after a 4-13 finish, and then promoted Smith from defensive coordinator to coach after a month-long coaching search that concluded in February 2022.

“I just don’t understand,” Smith said. “That’s showing that you have no loyalty, no patience, and no reasonable chance to change the trajectory of an organization as a head football coach.”

The last team to hire three different coaches in as many seasons was the San Francisco 49ers. After going through Jim Tomsula (2015) and Chip Kelly (2016), the 49ers hired Kyle Shanahan, who was the offensive coordinator for the Falcons. It is worth noting that a new general manager, John Lynch, hired Shanahan. It is unprecedented since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger for Caserio to have three cracks at hiring a coach in as many seasons.

Smith went 67-50 with the Falcons and won NFL Coach of the Year in his first season with Atlanta. During Smith’s tenure, the Falcons won two NFC South titles, qualified for the playoffs four times, secured home-field advantage twice, and hosted the 2012 NFC Championship Game.

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Mike Smith goes overseas for pro ball

Best of luck to him!

Former Michigan point guard Mike Smith has landed a professional basketball contract overseas.

It was announced that Smith has agreed to sign with Astoria, who plays in the Poland basketball league. Astoria won the league title back in 2018.

The former starting point guard came to Michigan for the 2020-2021 season after playing four years for Columbia in the Ivy League.

In his one year stint with the Wolverines, Smith averaged nine points, five assists, and he shot 41% from 3. He also holds the Big Ten tournament single-game assist record with 15 assists.

Smith went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, but he played in the G-League with Sioux Falls Skyforce after being selected in the second round of the G-League draft. The 5-foot-11 point guard averages nine points and four assists in 42 games in his one year of G-League play.

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Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl deserved better in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The NHL playoffs are cruel, and Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl know it only too well.

As it turns out, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can’t do it all.

The Edmonton Oilers season ended Monday night in the Western Conference Final after being unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche. Artturi Lehkonen had the game-winner for the Avalanche in the 6-5 overtime loss, sending the Oilers home packing after a frustrating and unsatisfying end to their season.

There’s probably no one more disheartened at how Edmonton’s season ended than the team’s two star players, McDavid and Draisaitl. After all, the pair led the playoff field in points by a wide margin, with McDavid posting 10 goals and 33 points and Draisaitl right behind with seven goals and 32 points.

The next highest point total from a player in the playoffs? Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers with 24.

It’s been 32 years since the Oilers hoisted the Stanley Cup, with this trip to the Western Conference Final the first for McDavid and Draisaitl in their tenure with the team. Given how good Edmonton was for a majority of the season, there’s room for optimism with this team for the future. The Oilers finally seem to have gotten a talented supporting core around their two stars with Evander Kane and Zach Hyman, something Edmonton can build upon in the seasons to come.

And yet, McDavid and Draisaitl deserved better than what they got in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After yet another season of both McDavid and Draisaitl cresting over 100 points, the pair were the most electric players in this postseason. The Oilers were never out of it when McDavid and Draisaitl were on the ice and it showed. The two combined for just five total games out of 16 played in these playoffs where neither were able to notch a point, with the Oilers going 0-5 in those games.

Not only that, Draisaitl was clearly battling a leg injury for a good portion of these playoffs and yet still managed to put up four huge assists in the deciding Game 4 against the Avalanche.

It’s just a shame the rest of the Oilers weren’t able to rise to even a fraction of McDavid and Draisaitl’s level in the Western Conference Final. A lot of the focus will be on goaltender Mike Smith, who collapsed in key points during this series and gave up some truly awful goals this postseason. The 40-year-old goaltender had some standout moments in the playoffs, but it’s well past time for the Oilers to move on.

The problem? Smith is signed for another season in Edmonton at $2.2 million. It’s a tradable contract for sure, but it’s one that’s indicative of the process that’s still holding this team back from truly being great.

In the Oilers postgame press conference Monday night following their playoff exit, McDavid discussed the process Edmonton has gone through in recent years, which landed them in their first conference final since 2006.

“It feels like it’s steps right?” McDavid said, via NHL.com. “Every team kind of goes through it. They become a playoff team and then they get there most years and then they go on a little bit of a run and they learn that lesson and then it becomes their time to win.

“You look at a Colorado team that’s been in that situation many, many times, and obviously they’re knocking on the door right now. It’s a step in the right direction, but that’s all it is.”

That’s all it is, but it could have been so much more.

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NHL fans piled on Mike Smith after the Oilers gave up 5 goals in the third and OT in Game 4 collapse

The Mike Smith Experience ended on Monday.

It’s been a roller coaster ride of a postseason for Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith.

And now, it’s over.

The netminder has given up some bad goals, but he’s held on as the Oilers made a run to the Western Conference Finals against a super-tough Colorado Avalanche.

That is, until the Oilers faced a sweep on Monday night. Early in the third period, Edmonton was up 4-2, perhaps in line to steal one game from the Avalanche.

But then the Oilers gave up three straight goals. They tied it late … and then Artturi Lehkonen ended it in overtime.

And there was just so much talk about Smith:

Oilers goalie Mike Smith gave up the worst goal to the Flames from almost the other end of the rink

Oh no.

Mike Smith, at 40 years old, has had his share of struggles in the NHL playoffs for the Edmonton Oilers (remember when he gave up three goals to the Calgary Flames in just 6:05 of ice time in Game 1?), who continue to win games thanks a lot to their incredibly stacked offense.

He gave up three goals on Tuesday, but the Oilers won Game 4 of the Western Semifinals 5-3. And one of those goals was an awful one, with Rasmus Andersson sending a puck toward Smith from the Flames’ zone … and it went in to tie the game at 3-3 near the midway point in the third period:

Oilers goalie Mike Smith made an incredible pass to Connor McDavid to set up OT winner

What a pass from… Mike Smith???

You don’t often see goaltenders making passes like the one Mike Smith made.

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers were deadlocked with the San Jose Sharks 1-1 in overtime after the away team engineered a third period comeback. Coming off a rush, the Sharks were looking to put things away early with a shot from Brent Burns, but Smith gloved the shot with ease.

Normally, in that situation, goaltenders would either freeze the puck or play it to a corner. Instead, Smith took a few strides out of his net and… made a breakout pass in stride to Connor McDavid streaking down the far boards.

And, of course, McDavid buried the shot on the breakaway, giving the Oilers the incredible 2-1 overtime victory off Smith’s stunning assist.

What an awesome moment! I also love how McDavid points down to Smith in his celebration before the pair hug to cap off the victory. Talk about a creative play to get McDavid the puck on a breakaway for the overtime win.

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Kevin O’Connell adds three more assistants to Vikings coaching staff

Kevin O’Connell has been a busy man!

Everything is coming together for Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell as he continues adding to his growing coaching staff.

On Monday, the team confirmed the hiring of Wes Phillips as offensive coordinator and Matt Daniels as special teams coordinator, which have both already been reported on.

However, they also announced they were bringing back Daronte Jones as the defensive backs coach, along with the hiring of Ben Kotwica as an assistant special teams coach and Mike Smith as the outside linebackers and pass rush specialist.

These are exciting times for a Vikings team looking to kick-start a new era under their Super Bowl-winning head coach.

Jones served as a defensive backs coach for the Vikings during the Mike Zimmer era in 2020 before being offered a job as defensive coordinator for LSU. After a one-and-done season, he’s back in purple and ready to resume his role with the team.

Kotwica’s last job was a two-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons as special teams coordinator before he was ultimately fired in 2020. It’s important to note that he was with the Washington Commanders at the same time O’Connell was there as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. So there’s clearly some familiarity there with the Vikings head coach.

And Smith, the former Green Bay Packers outside linebackers coach, is joining O’Connell with the added responsibility as a pass rush specialist. So the opportunity for a promotion after coaching the same position for the last four years had to be enticing for the former NFL linebacker.

We’ll see if it all pays off in the 2022 season.

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Former Packers coach Mike Smith rejoins Mike Pettine on Vikings new coaching staff

Mike Smith, who coached OLBs for the Packers for 3 seasons, is joining Mike Pettine on the Vikings new coaching staff.

Former Green Bay Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith is rejoining former Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine in the NFC North.

The Minnesota Vikings hired Smith to be the team’s new outside linebackers coach and pass-rushing specialist.

Smith left Green Bay this offseason after three seasons coaching outside linebackers. He spent his first two seasons with the Packers working under Pettine, who is now the assistant head coach under Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota.

While with the Packers, Smith helped maximize the production of veterans Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith while also developing first-round pick Rashan Gary into a pass-rushing star.

Now, Matt LaFleur’s team will face pass-rushers coached by Smith twice a season.

The Packers replaced Smith on the coaching staff with Jason Rebrovich last week.

An interesting subplot of Smith landing in Minnesota: Would Za’Darius Smith follow him and sign with the Vikings if he’s released by the Packers?

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