Tag: NFL Coaching Changes

2021 NFL coaching changes: Los Angeles Chargers

Rams defensive coordinator takes over as Chargers new head coach

The Los Angeles Chargers move on from head coach Anthony Lynn after four seasons, and that included the coordinators. Shane Steichen had one season running the offense and Gus Bradley ended his three-year stint directing the defense. The amount of change in the roster was already significant in 2020 with a new rookie quarterback and compensating for the loss of Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon.

Lynn topped out with his 12-4 record in 2018 when the Chargers lost in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. That was the only season with January games and after posting 5-11 in 2019, the franchise only managed 7-9 last year. Lynn was there for all four years that the Chargers have played in Los Angeles. They won their final four games but that wasn’t enough to let Lynn return.

The Chargers offense still ranked No. 12 overall last year with Top-10 marks in all passing categories thanks to the rookie phenom Justin Herbert. They ranked below average in most defensive categories, however, and that influenced the selection of a head coach. The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy was the only serious interview with an offensive-minded resume’. They interviewed defensive coordinators in the Colt’s Matt Eberflus, Bills’ Brian Daboll, and Rams’ Brandon Staley. They opted for Staley fresh from directing the Rams defense to a No. 1 ranking against quarterbacks and tight ends, and Top 5 in most other categories.

Coaching tendencies

Head Coach Brandon Staley – The entirety of Staley’s 14 years in coaching was on the defense. That recently featured being the Bears’ outside linebackers coach (2017-18), the Broncos’ outside linebacker coach (2019), and the Rams defensive coordinator (2020).  Staley spent four years as the defensive coordinator at both John Carroll University and James Madison University, but had only been a position coach in the NFL until the one year with the Rams when he kept Wade Phillip’s aggressive base 3-4 defense.

Defensive Coordinator Renaldo Hill  – The Chargers brought on ex-NFL safety Hill to help install Staley’s defense. Hill spent the last ten seasons as a position coach on defense including as the defensive backs coach for the Steelers (2015-2017), Dolphins (2018), and Broncos (2019-2020). He brings in a background that should mesh well with Staley’s forte – the secondary.

The Chargers were roughly Top-10 in all passing categories in 2020 thanks to solid play from cornerbacks Casey Hayward, Michael Davis and Chris Harris. Staley comes over from the Rams where they owned the No. 1 ranking against the pass with elite play from Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill and Darious Williams. Bringing in the 3-4 will address the coverages first, even if it comes at some expense versus the run. Better play from the safeties can overcome any shortcomings against the run.

While Staley enjoyed stellar players with the Rams defense, the cupboards are not bare for the Chargers and there is an expectation that the draft will further mine for defensive backs, if only after spending the first pick on a top lineman to protect Justin Herbert.

There will be adjustments and new assignments to learn shifting from three years with Gus Bradley who used more Cover-3 and far fewer split-safety coverages. Staley inherits safety Derwin James and Joey Bosa can help any move towards a 3-4 defense. There is enough talent here that even learning a new scheme shouldn’t see any real drop in production and sooner than later, improved play from the defense.

The focus on the secondary makes more sense considering the success of the passing game last year using a rookie quarterback. The Chargers were only 7-9, but they lost several close games and blew four big leads. Any improvement in the secondary will spell more wins considering the offensive firepower already on the team.

Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi – The grandson of Vince Lombardi takes over as the offensive coordinator and he’ll be in charge of the new scheme. Joe Staley will have input, but since he’s a defensive guy turned head coach, Lombardi will control the offense.  Lombardi has coached on both sides of the ball, but primarily has been on offense.

He was the Saints offensive assistant (2007-2008), then their quarterback coach (2009-2013). He became the Lion’s offensive coordinator (2014-2015) before returning to the Saints again as the quarterback coach (2016-2020). That’s two years with the Lions and then a total of nine as the quarterback coach under the Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.

Lombardi is a good selection, having spent a great deal of time with Drew Brees and now coaching Justin Herbert who is yet another hard-working, cerebral quarterback with elite passing skills. Herbert turned in a tremendous rookie season after being almost immediately thrown into the fire with the injury to Tyrod Taylor.

Herbert should easily adapt to playing in more no-huddle situations with spread formations. Lombardi will seek to optimize how smart of a quarterback he has in Herbert who already set the NFL rookie record with 31 passing touchdowns and just missed setting the rookie passing yardage mark.

While Lombardi won’t import the exact same offense of Pete Carmichael, he heads to a team with similarities in talent to the Saints and spent the better part of the last decade in New Orleans. The only potential negative is that Lombardi tried to adapt the Saints-style of offense in Detroit with marginal success but that was impacted by the personnel. His two seasons there had the top running backs of Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah. He had Calvin Johnson but only in his final two seasons when he slowed down.

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Personnel changes

Lombardi inherits a formidable set of players with Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, and Austin Ekeler. Hunter Henry is a free agent but he’s never been more than a 650-yard, five-TD receiver that gets dinged up every season. The offense that Lombardi leaves behind in New Orleans never used that position for more than moderate production anyway.

The expectation is that the Chargers spend their draft picks shoring up the offensive line and defensive secondary. Henry is the only notable skill player that becomes a free agent. Kalen Ballage was signed only for last year and also could leave but the Chargers will get back a healthy Ekeler who missed half of last season and forced the backfield to spin through  six different running backs during the season.

The offense will remain nearly intact from last year and improve if Ekeler can last a full season. No. 2 running back Joshua Kelley should be better after a rookie season that saw him decline in the second half of the season.

Fantasy football takeaway

The offense exceeded all expectations last year when they passed, thanks to Justin Herbert’s impressive debut. The Chargers passed for right around 4,600 yards as they had in 2019 but increased from increased from 24 to 31 passing touchdowns. The backfield was a disappointment with Austin Ekeler injured much of the season.

There is some concern that Hebert won’t take as many downfield shots with the installation of the Saints offense since Alvin Kamara feasted on those short passes. And that would be great for Ekeler. But that’s as much about the declining arm of Drew Brees than an offensive direction. Herbert threw a 50-yard completion in half of his games. Lombardi isn’t going to ask him to check down unless everyone is covered.

Keenan Allen has already proven to be an elite wideout and would have turned in his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season had he not missed two games. The new offense won’t look that much different than the old. The Saints passing scheme went shorter with Brees less able to connect deeply. But Lombardi and Staley have already spoken to how much they want to help Herbert become an even better quarterback in his second season, and there’s every reason to expect 2020 was just the start.

2021 NFL coaching changes: Detroit Lions

Detroit hired Dan Campbell to replace Matt Patricia. What does it mean for fantasy football?

There’s a great amount of real estate to cover with the Detroit Lions hiring a new head coach and coordinators for both sides of the ball. This offseason also will introduce massive changes at quarterback and wide receiver, in all likelihood.

Former Lions tight end Dan Campbell was hired away from the New Orleans Saints to replace Matt Patricia as the newest head coach of this long-standing franchise. Campbell brought former Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn to the Motor City as the incoming defensive coordinator, and recently dismissed Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn will pilot the offense.

Campbell played in the NFL from 1999 until the 2009 season, operating mostly as a blocker. He laced up his cleats for the New York Giants (1999-2002), Dallas Cowboys (2003-05) and, as mentioned, Detroit (2006-08), appearing in only three games. Campbell signed with the Saints in ’09 but tore a knee ligament and missed the entire season.

As a coach, he entered the league’s intern program and was hired by the Miami Dolphins in 2011. The following year, Campbell was promoted to coach his former playing position. In 2015, he was named interim head coach after Joe Philbin was fired prior to the team’s fifth game. Campbell would win five of his 12 contests.

The next season, he’d be reunited in New Orleans with Sean Payton for the fourth time. Payton was his offensive coordinator in New York for a few seasons and also an assistant in Dallas. The injury-ruined 2009 season as a player found the pair together for the third time, and Payton has been Campbell’s boss since 2016 (assistant head coach/tight ends coach).

Coaching tendencies

Dan Campbell

We’ve already beaten the Payton connection to death, so there’s no need to go into great detail there. Campbell was fortunate enough to learn from one of the best coaching minds the game has seen, but we’ve also witnessed plenty of examples of that not working out for a first-time head coach (ahem, Patricia).

Philbin helped orchestrate the Green Bay Packers offense under Mike McCarthy from 2007-11 and again in 2018 — the year he’d replace McCarthy. While Philbin was not a great head coach in his own right, that’s not to say Campbell didn’t learn something from him in South Beach. The offensive designs were modified West Coast offenses, or the same base system Payton has polished to a brilliant luster with the Saints.

Despite being known for his no-nonsense approach, Campbell brings a player-friendly blend of leadership to the Lions. One of the chief issues with Patricia, aside from the lack of wins, was his inability to connect with players due to the implementation of a stringent, Bill Belichickian culture, minus the street cred. As a former NFL player for a decade, the blue-collar Campbell is said to know which buttons to press and when, as well as recognizing the appropriate time to be “one of the guys.”

We could deep dive that side of things until Lions actually win a game, but the point of its inclusion is that fantasy footballers shouldn’t have to worry about Campbell alienating his players or pushing them to the point of wanting out.

Expect a tough, disciplined approach from Campbell. Look for an offense that wants to be physical for a change, and count on his players being motivated to run through a brick wall for the guy.

Aaron Glenn

A former cornerback, Glenn has two coaching stops and as many job titles as a coach in his seven years on the sidelines. He was an assistant defensive backs coach for Cleveland from 2014-15 before joining the Saints as a full-fledged DBs coach until this season. He was a heck of a football player in his day, and the Saints have been one of the best secondaries in football under his leadership, but Detroit has major holes to fill.

Successful fantasy defenses almost always start and end with a pass rush. Detroit’s was second-to-last in 2020 (24 sacks) and only ninth from the bottom in 2019 (28). Merely one of the past five seasons has produced more than 35 sacks, and Detroit has managed exactly seven interceptions in three straight campaigns after generating 19 in 2017 alone.

The likelihood of Detroit turning around from being among the weakest fantasy defenses for years running to a consistently useful commodity is practically zero. The reasoning mainly comes down to a lack of personnel and also a first-time defensive coordinator in Glenn. Unless this unit drastically upgrades its personnel via free agency and the draft, it’s tough to even see them being a streaming unit more than a few times all season in 2021.

Anthony Lynn

Campbell will call the shots overall, but from a fantasy football perspective, Lynn is the more important character of this ensemble. Lynn entered the coaching world back in 2000 following his retirement as a player. He worked his way up the ranks mostly as a running backs coach, his former position. Lynn was the assistant head coach of the New York Jets under Rex Ryan and followed him to Buffalo. From 2009-13, while with the Jets, Lynn’s backfield generated an NFL-best 137 rushing yards per game.

In Buffalo, Lynn was named interim offensive coordinator after Greg Roman was fired in September of 2016. The Bills would finish second in rushing attempts, first in yardage, first in rushing touchdowns, first in yards per attempt and last in passing attempts. He would parlay that success into the head job with the Chargers from 2017 until his recent firing.

The Bolts didn’t resemble the rushing powerhouse Lynn oversaw in Buffalo for that partial season, nor did the play selection skew so heavily in favor of the ground game. Keep in mind, “balanced” in today’s NFL means a team is throwing it roughly two-thirds of the time, compared to the 50.93-49.07 percent run-first ratio in ’16. The highest percentage of rushing vs. passing plays in LA during his tenure was 43.8 percent in 2018.

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Now, we could get into myriad reasons why the Chargers passed so much more — and it’s not necessarily a bad thing that they did — but Lynn wasn’t the full-time playcaller during his four years. He had two legitimate offensive coordinators in Ken Whisenhunt and Shane Steichen. The Bolts shocked the league with the 2020 play of rookie quarterback phenom Justin Herbert, and the defense struggled in the past couple of years, primarily due to injuries. Nevertheless, Austin Ekeler was a top-five PPR back in 2019, and Melvin Gordon was No. 8 overall among RBs in 2018 while playing just 12 games. He was the fifth-best rusher the year before, so we have plenty of positives, even with the team not running with the same frequency.

Lynn’s success with running backs is remarkable. In four of the seasons with the Jets, his backs produced personal highs in rushing yardage. In New York, he was a frequent user of two-back sets. The resume of productive RBs under his tutelage is extensive. Jamal Lewis enjoyed a resurgence with the Cleveland Browns. Dallas RBs Marion Barber III and Julius Jones combined for more than 1,500 rushing yards in consecutive seasons. Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor’s personal-high 1,572 yards and two of the four best rushing yardage seasons in Jaguars history came while Lynn was guiding him.

No matter how good the system may be, it all comes down to having the right people to do the job on the field.

Personnel changes

Here’s were the rubber meets the road for Detroit. Quarterback Matthew Stafford will be traded away, barring some unexpected twist to the developing plot. The Lions’ top-three wideouts — Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola — are set to become unrestricted free agents in March. Running back Adrian Peterson has been an effective role player, but he, too, is a free agent. Kicker Matt Prater also is available to sign elsewhere.

Make no mistake about it, this will be among the youngest teams, at least on offense, in the NFL in 2021. In all probability, the starting quarterback will be a rookie. The youngest of those impending free agents is the 28-year-old Golladay.

All of this change will, in theory, offer increased chances for young talents, like RB D’Andre Swift, wide receiver Quintez Cephus and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

The offensive line has a couple of blue-chip pieces to build around, but otherwise, the cupboard projects to be awfully barren in Motown.

Fantasy football takeaway

There’s hardly anything to say of substance without knowing the quarterback and his primary weapons. As for the few names mentioned above, Swift is the best bet to lead this offense from a fantasy perspective. The to-be second-year back is dynamic and explosive, offering help as a dual-threat weapon. Lynn loves himself some ground game, which helps Swift’s chances, so long as there’s room to roam. The Lions may give Kerryon Johnson a real shot at pairing with Swift, but another veteran addition, like Peterson, isn’t out of the question.

Next up in terms of helping gamers would be Hockenson, especially if he has a rookie quarterback throwing his way. Tight ends tend to be BFFs for inexperienced passers. Hockenson already mostly broke out in 2020, so there’s not going to be much in the way of draft value, unless gamers perceive a QB change as being a major blow to his outlook.

Cephus is an intriguing option as a late-round flier. He brings a 6-foot-1, 202-pound frame to the mix and has enough separation ability to get deep, despite not being a burner. He’s a classic example of a wideout who plays faster than he times.

Expect the Lions to look extremely different in 2020, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing after all of this time of substandard play. We’ll provide a comprehensive update as the roster begins to take shape over the coming months.

2021 NFL coaching changes: Dallas Cowboys

Can the Cowboys defense make a turn-around from a dismal 2020?

The first season for head coach Mike McCarthy was hardly a success with a 6-10 record and missing the playoffs in a division that contained no winning records. The Cowboys had been 8-8 last year and 10-6 the previous season, so no positives emerged from 2020. McCarthy gets a second shot at leading the storied franchise. Even his first season saw dissension that the coaching staff failed to prepare properly for games and the team was embarrassed in most matchups outside of their own division.

Losing Dak Prescott punt a major dent in the offense after Week 5 but they were already 2-3 on the season and had just barely beaten the Falcons and Giants. At least they scored points until Prescott left. Without the high-scoring, the Cowboys season was realistically over by mid-season.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore finishes his second season and was considered for the head coaching job at his alma mater Boise State and interviewed for the same opening at the Eagles. The offense posted 30+ points in the four weeks leading up to Prescott’s injury and that was with the offensive line ravaged by injuries. The Cowboys were happy to retain Moore despite the eventual decline in productions for reasons aside from his coaching.

The defense was never adequate. Mike McCarthy chose former Saints linebacker coach Mike Nolan to become the new defensive coordinator last season. Nolan was a former head coach who was saddled with a bad defense that had lost several key players which were not adequately replaced. The result was the worst defense in the Cowboys’ 60-year history in several metrics, including a franchise-record 473 points allowed. Nolan’s complicated scheme simply lacked the needed personnel and he became the scapegoat.

The Cowboys opted for ex-Falcons head coach Dan Quinn whose lengthy resume dealt entirely with defense until running the Falcons for six years.

Coaching tendencies

Quinn brings significant experience, especially with defensive lines that he coached for the 49ers (2003-04), Dolphins (2005-06), Jets (2007-09), and Seahawks (2009-2010). After a two-year stint as the defensive coordinator for the University of Florida, he returned to Seattle as the defensive coordinator and spent two seasons running what was considered one of the best defenses of all-time (“The Legion of Boom”). The Seahawks were loaded with talent and went to the Super Bowl in both 2013 and 2014. They were the first team since the 1985 Bears to lead the league in takeaways, fewest points allowed, and fewest yards allowed.

While he’s worked in different defensive schemes, he is mostly considered a 4-3 coach as he was during those two years in Seattle. But the difference in talent between the 2013 Seahawks defense and the 2021 Cowboys is immense. Mike McCarthy has leaned towards experience over “up-and-comers” on his staff and Quinn certainly fits that mold.

He’ll bring flexibility to the defensive scheme which alone should help after last year’s attempt to fit the wrong players into the wrong scheme. Quinn will consider his players first and then fit the scheme to them – that makes for a less predictable result though with the quality of players he inherits. His success will be more tied into bringing in new players than relying heavily on the lackluster crew already there.

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Personnel changes

Last year, the Cowboys lost their best cornerback Byron Jones and best pass-rusher in Robert Quinn. Their impact was never replaced.  They used their 3.18 pick on DT Neville Gallimore who showed improvement over the final games as did 2.19 pick cornerback Trevon Diggs who was picked on constantly and battled through a broken foot that made him miss four games. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch missed six games due to injury. Injuries and underperforming players doomed the squad.

This is a defense that needs new players and free agency and the NFL draft have to net more talent for any improvement, particularly since they are installing yet another defense. Both safety Xavier Woods and cornerback Chidi Awuzie are free agents after very shaky seasons. The linebackers Sean Lee and Joe Thomas are both free agents as well.

Attempts to upgrade the secondary with safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and cornerback Daryl Worley both flopped last year. The secondary is where the Cowboys need help the most. Dan Quinn was the defensive coordinator for the Legion of Boom in Seattle when cornerback Richard Sherman was there and there is speculation that the two could be reunited in Dallas.

Chasing free agents could be a challenge this year since the Cowboys will  sign Dak Prescott to a painfully expensive contract that impacts how many 2021 dollars there are to spend. Their track record on bringing in veterans hasn’t been the greatest in recent years as well.

The Cowboys spent their second and fourth-round picks on cornerbacks last year and hope their second years show improvement. There’s expectations that they will use their first round pick on an offensive lineman since that is also a glaring need. But they also have a second round, two third-round and two fourth-round picks that should be primarily, if not exclusively, spent on the defense.

 Fantasy football takeaway

In fantasy terms, the Dallas Cowboys defense was a blessing in 2020 giving up plenty of yards and scores to both rushers and receivers. While Dak Prescott was healthy, almost every game turned into a shootout and they averaged 36 points allowed over those first five games.  The Cowboys offensive line problems also drove down their ability to control the clock and maintain good field position. It was a catastrophic year for the defense, and a bounty of riches for every opponent. And a boon for the Cowboys receivers in those shootouts.

The Cowboys defense ranked No. 20 in sacks (31) and need more help reaching the opposing quarterbacks to help compensate for below-average cornerback play. The defense could be in for a major overhaul between losing free agents and acquiring new players and raiding the 2021 NFL draft. This defense ranked No. 31 with 158.8 rushing yards allowed per game which reflected not only defensive inadequacies but also the poor game situations that their offense left them in during most games.

There’s no realistic chance of this defense taking a major  leap upwards from what was one of the very worst seasons in franchise history. But Dan Quinn has been successful in optimizing what he has to work with on previous defenses. It will all come down to whatever veterans they can acquire and how well they spend their draft picks.

2021 NFL coaching changes: Chicago Bears

Can new defensive coordinator Sean Desai get the Bears back on track in fantasy football?

The retirement of defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano following the Chicago Bears’ 2020 season led to the promotion of Sean Desai after he spent two seasons as the team’s safeties coach. He had been a quality control assistant for Chicago from 2013-18.

Now 37, Desai began his coaching career in 2006 as a defensive and special teams coach for Temple. He left after the 2010 season to be an assistant member of the Miami Hurricanes’ front office, a role that lasted a lone year. Desai finished his collegiate coaching tenure in 2020 as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator for Boston College.

Al Golden was Temple’s coach when Desai was first given a chance, and as many readers may recall, Golden’s first stint as a defensive boss came under Al Groh at Virginia. Which leads us to …

Coaching tendencies

The coaching tree from which Desai is rooted has a storied history of the 3-4 alignment, dating back into the late 1980s when Groh was an assistant under Bill Parcells with the New York Giants. He spent time on the same staff as Bill Belichick and later followed the coach to Cleveland.

The Bears already ran a 3-4 base alignment under Pagano, so there’s little more than nuances we should expect to change under Desai. Each coach likes to put his only twist on things, and there will be some tweaks but not wholesale changes.

On-field coaching tendencies could dramatically change: Whether he has the fortitude to be attacking vs. conservative in situational playcalling … how he’ll respond defensively to playing with a lead or from behind … preferences to bring pressure and from where on the defense, etc. Expect more of those details to trickle out as the offseason unfolds, but there’s nothing like real-world experience, and Desai has none in this role.

Desai has a doctorate in educational administration from Temple, and it will be interesting to see how he puts his intelligence to use when it comes to teaching this defense. It’s too early to tell if we’ll have a more traditional offseason program in place in the spring and summer months, so there could be an opportunity for Desai’s background to develop creative ways to teach his players in the event we have another offseason like the last one.

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Personnel changes

While we already know the offense could/should look much different due to free agency, on the defensive side of the ball all of the star players are locked up for 2021. Safeties Deon Bush and Tashaun Gipson are set to become free agents, and nickel corner Buster Skrine probably is a cap casualty. The Bears could lose reserve players in LB Barkevious Mingo and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. Defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris (shoulder) finished the year on IR but stands to defect for a more lucrative opportunity in 2021 free agency.

Sure, there’s always a chance for a significant surprise, but it’s more likely the team will seek to restructure some of the heaviest deals to provide some cap relief as the team enters the offseason just over $10.57 million in the hole, and we don’t even know yet if the upcoming cap will decrease, although it seems likely to happen. Being that much over a projected $192 million cap may appear burdensome, but 10 teams have a greater projected deficit at this time. That said, where it hampers the Bears is being able to lure in a big-name free agent on this side of the ball, even more so considering the costly holes that will need to be addressed on offense.

Fantasy football takeaway

It’s tough to see the Bears finishing in 20th place for most fantasy points generated in 2020 as anything but a serious disappointment. Sadly, it’s actually a three-spot upgrade from the first year under Pagano.

The ’20 defense recorded 35 sacks, which was good for 17th, and Chicago was a mutually generic T-15 for fumble recoveries. Tied multi-way with 10 interceptions meant only four teams tallied fewer picks, and none of them made the playoffs.

Seven teams didn’t produce a defensive touchdown in 2020, and Chicago’s lone score on this side of the ball tied with eight other teams to represent the bottom half of the league in this category. The Bears added a safety and a special teams score for complementary points beyond the universal fantasy stat columns on defense.

This team will fare so much better in fantasy if it can increase its sack total. Sure, an actual sack doesn’t tell the whole tale, and getting pressure on a quarterback is oftentimes more indicative of a defenses potential — bringing heat tends to lead to turnovers, and smart QBs just turtle up or throw it away to avoid a mistake. The Bears pressured quarterbacks 21.8 percent of the time last year, which was the 12th-lowest rate. Only four teams blitzed at a lower frequency in 2020.

The beautiful thing about defensive success is there are multiple ways to do it, but teams rarely prosper without regularly harassing quarterbacks. Whether Desai chooses to create pressure via scheming or rely on his personnel to accentuate Khalil Mack, something has to improve over the Pagano tenure. Otherwise, the Bears will once again be an overrated fantasy asset on draft day.

Michigan State Football: Former DB Renaldo Hill named DC of the Chargers

Former Michigan State defensive back Renaldo Hill has been named the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers.

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The coaching carousel is moving in full force in the National Football League as several head coaching changes have been made. These changes have opened the door for former Michigan State defensive back Renaldo Hill to land the defensive coordinator job for the Los Angeles Chargers.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, and Chadsey High School, Hill patrolled the defensive backfield from 1997-2000 under head coaches Nick Saban and Bobby Williams. Hill was drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and turned it into a nine-year NFL career.

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Hill started his coaching career in college before making the jump to the NFL, mostly being a defensive backs coach. He spent the last two seasons as defensive backs coach of the Denver Broncos.

https://twitter.com/MSU_Football/status/1353706427001409536?s=20

 

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Report: Jets to interview 49ers DC Robert Saleh

The Jets have plans to interview spirited 49ers DC Robert Saleh on Friday.

The Jets have plans to interview spirited 49ers DC Robert Saleh on Friday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

With Gang Green in the mix, there are now five teams exploring interest in Saleh becoming their next head coach. Saleh interviewed with the Falcons on Monday and will do the same with the Lions on Thursday. He is also expected to interview with the Jaguars and Chargers.

Saleh, known for being a passionate, player-friendly coach, has been San Francisco’s defensive coordinator since 2017. He was Jacksonville’s linebackers coach and Seattle’s defensive quality control coach before heading to the Bay Area. He also spent a number of seasons with the Texans, starting off as an intern in 2005, though he has not been linked to their head-coaching vacancy yet.

Saleh is a Michigan native. 49ers CB Richard Sherman endorsed him for the Lions job in early December — and described him as the CEO-type the Jets are looking for.

“He has to get the Detroit job,” Sherman said, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “Homegrown. He’s a great leader of men. And he’s not stubborn. He doesn’t just think he has all the answers. He comes up with a great plan and evolves it with his players.”

Saleh has run a stout San Francisco defense since he arrived. Even with injuries to multiple stars, the 49ers still finished the 2020 season fifth in yards allowed, fourth in passing yards allowed and seventh in rushing yards allowed. They did, however, allow 24.4 points per game, 17th in the NFL.

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Jets head-coaching interview tracker: Who does Joe Douglas want to talk to?

Who does Joe Douglas want to talk to for the Jets’ vacancy?

Adam Gase is gone and interview requests are piling up.

The Jets are expected to cast a wide net and take their time during a thorough search for their next head coach. Joe Douglas will spearhead the search, which should include a variety of candidates as the Jets try to turn things around after a 2-14 season.

With so many candidates expected to be involved, Jets Wire put together this helpful tracker for all of Gang Green’s requests and eventual interviews. You can scroll through for the full list or click on the link below each picture for more information on each prospective candidate.

Report: Jets request interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy

The Jets officially requested an interview with Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy for the team’s head coach opening, which was vacated last night.

As expected, the Jets are going to interview one of the hottest names on the coaching market.

After firing Adam Gase on Sunday night, the Jets have requested an interview with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, the Jets are not alone in their pursuit of Bieniemy, as the Falcons and Lions have also put in an interview request for him and will be conducting virtual interviews on Monday.

The Chiefs’ OC since 2018, Bieniemy has interviewed for at least eight head coach openings since the start of the 2019 cycle. He interviewed with the Jets before the team hired Gase.

While Bieniemy doesn’t call the plays in Kansas City, which has been a point of criticism for his candidacy, he has overseen the NFL’s best offense over the past three seasons and worked closely with Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs rank No. 1 in passing yards per game (303.4) and No. 6 in points per game (29.6).

Bieniemy doesn’t have experience as a head coach, but he’s been around the block. He spent time in the college coaching ranks with Colorado and UCLA, while also coaching with the Minnesota Vikings.

Joe Douglas and the Jets will be casting a wide net for their search and will not rush such an imperative hire. That could help Bieniemy, who’s Chiefs could play well into February.

Report: Woody Johnson won’t sit in on Jets’ head-coaching interviews

Woody Johnson is not expected to play a key role in hiring the Jets’ next head coach.

Soon, the Atlantic Ocean will no longer separate Woody Johnson from his Jets, but the owner is going to keep his distance anyway.

Johnson is not expected to participate in New York’s head-coaching interviews, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Instead, GM Joe Douglas, president Hymie Elhai and CEO Christopher Johnson — Woody’s younger brother and acting owner — will handle the search and keep the elder Johnson apprised.

Multiple reports say that Douglas’ opinion will carry the most weight, though Christopher Johnson will naturally have to sign off.

Woody Johnson is currently finishing up his term as outgoing President Donald Trump’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom. There had been plenty of speculation the last few years over how the Jets’ ownership structure could be impacted by a Trump loss in the 2020 election. For now, it looks like Johnson will not be too involved as his diplomatic responsibilities near their end and the Jets begin searching for Adam Gase’s replacement.

Report: Jets, Texans request interview with Colts DC Matt Eberflus

It looks like the Jets will at least consider hiring a defensive mind to be their next head coach.

It looks like the Jets will at least consider hiring a defensive mind to be their next head coach.

After firing Adam Gase on Sunday night, New York has already requested an interview with Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Gang Green is not alone, though, as the Texans have also asked to speak with the 50-year-old coordinator.

The Colts’ DC since 2018, Eberflus has rapidly transformed Indianapolis once porous defense into a top-10 unit. The Colts, now preparing for the playoffs, allowed 22.6 points (10th) and 332.1 yards (8th) per game this season.

Eberflus has never been a head coach before — in college or the NFL — but he has spent additional time with the Cowboys, Browns, Missouri and Toledo.

While it’s interesting to see a defensive mind emerge as the Jets’ first reported interview request, the expectation is that New York will cast a wide net and that Joe Douglas will take his time selecting his first head coach.