Tag: Rich Bisaccia

Updated list of Colts’ head coach finalists

Here’s an updated look at the remaining finalists for the Colts head coach vacancy.

The Indianapolis Colts continue their search for a new head coach and as they consider a third round of interviews, one candidate was taken off the board Sunday.

Former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who was let out of his contract with the team over the weekend, agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers to be their new defensive coordinator. He is expected to join the staff under former Colts head coach Frank Reich.

You can follow along for the latest updates with the head coach search via our tracker. All seven finalists remaining have interviewed twice with the team.

With the news that Evero is now out of the running, here’s a quick look at the seven finalists who remain in the mix for the Colts head coach vacancy:

Ranking the finalists for Colts’ head coach job

Ranking the finalists for the Colts’ head coach job.

The Indianapolis Colts have been conducting interviews with the finalists for the head coach vacancy, and the process is expected to wrap up relatively soon.

While it could take a little more time depending on who the front-runner for the job is, we know of seven candidates who are in the running to become the next head coach of the Colts.

We’ve got you covered with the latest updates in the coaching search via our tracker.

The search includes a wide variety of minds. There seems to be no emphasis on either side of the ball, and several of the candidates have experience working both with offense and defense.

If any more names are added to the list of finalists, we will adjust this ranking accordingly.

As the Colts narrow down their finalists, here’s a ranking of the candidates for the head coach vacancy:

Aaron Rodgers endorses Rich Bisaccia as head coaching candidate

Aaron Rodgers: “I would give a ringing endorsement to Rich Bisaccia. I’m a tremendous, tremendous fan of his.”

Despite being on the golf course preparing for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Aaron Rodgers managed to make his typical Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” As usual, a wide range of topics was discussed, but one that warranted a thoughtful response from Rodgers was when AJ Hawk asked him what makes someone a good coach.

Rodgers used the opportunity to endorse Green Bay’s special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia as a deserving head coaching candidate.     

“If anyone ever called me as a reference, one name that has been floating around out there, who I would give a ringing endorsement to, is Rich Bisaccia. I’m a tremendous, tremendous fan of his,” said Rodgers.

Bisaccia was hired last offseason by Matt LaFleur to revitalize a Packers’ special teams unit that had struggled for years. With two decades of coordinator experience, Bisaccia had spent the last four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. In 2021, he served as the interim head coach after the firing of Jon Gruden and led the Raiders to a 7-5 record and their first playoff appearance in four years.

However, Las Vegas did not make him the full-time head coach, instead giving the job to Josh McDaniels. That paved the way for Green Bay to make Bisaccia possibly the highest-paid special teams coordinator in the NFL.

In just one season, Rodgers said Bisaccia changed their special teams. The Packers improved drastically from the previous year, which saw them finish dead last in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings to jumping 10 spots to 22nd this season. 

Rodgers went on to rave about Bisaccia’s coaching style, calling him the “prototypical leader” who would rather be respected than liked. The four-time MVP considers that personality trait as something that can be hard to find in today’s head coaching search. 

“There’s not a lot of Rich Bisaccia types out there,” he said. 

Obviously, Green Bay would like Bisaccia to remain on staff, but that may be out of their hands if he if the Indianapolis Colts hire him for their vacant head coach position. Rodgers believes Bisaccia is deserving after having a second interview on Monday. 

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Colts will hold second head coach interview with Rich Bisaccia

The Colts will hold a second head coach interview with Rich Bisaccia.

The Indianapolis Colts will hold a second head coach interview with Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, according to NFL Network.

Bisaccia is now one of six coaches to make it to the second round of interviews with the Colts. They have already conducted interviews with four of the finalists and have at least two more on the way with Bisaccia and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen.

There have been four reported candidates to make it to the second round of interviews. It’s a list that includes interim head coach Jeff Saturday, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

The first three interviews have been confirmed while Martindale was scheduled to hold his second interview over the weekend, but a date wasn’t specified.

After coaching in the college ranks from 1983-2001, Bisaccia made the jump to the NFL, getting his start as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers special teams coordinator for six seasons (2002-2007). He added duties of assistant head coach and running backs coach in 2008 before holding the role of assistant coach and special teams coordinator for two seasons (2009-2010).

Bisaccia then became the special teams coordinator for the San Diego Chargers (2011) and then added assistant head coach duties in 2012.

After his stint with the Chargers, Bisaccia was the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys (2013-2017) and then held the same role with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2018-2021).

After John Gruden was fired as the Raiders head coach, Bisaccia took over as the interim head coach, leading the team to a 7-5 record and a playoff berth. He was the first interim head coach to lead their team to a playoff berth since Bruce Arians did it with the Colts in 2012.

Bisaccia was then hired as the special teams coordinator for the Packers in 2022.

The process is still very much ongoing for the Colts but with the second round of interviews getting underway, we should get closer to a conclusion.

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Ranking the Colts’ head coaching candidates after first interviews

With the first round of interviews complete, he’s a ranking of the Colts’ head coach candidates thus far.

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten through their first round of interviews as they search for a new head coach entering the 2023 season.

The process is going to take as long as it takes, but the Colts seem to be leaning on the thorough side of the search when it comes to the number of candidates. We’ve got you covered with the latest updates in the coaching search via our tracker.

In total, the Colts have interviewed 13 candidates since the end of the regular season, two of which were in-house interviews (Bubba Ventrone, Jeff Saturday). One candidate, DeMeco Ryans, was scheduled to interview but canceled/postponed it as the San Francisco 49ers were preparing for their playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. It isn’t clear if the interview will take place.

The Colts also interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but he informed the team he’s remaining with his current role.

The search includes a wide variety of minds. There seems to be no emphasis on either side of the ball, and several of the candidates have experience working both with offense and defense.

As the Colts look to finalize their search, here’s a ranking of the candidates following the first round of interviews.

Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia completes head-coach interview with Colts

The Indianapolis Colts completed a head-coaching interview with Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia on Friday.

The Indianapolis Colts completed a head-coaching interview with Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia on Friday, the team announced.

Bisaccia, 62, spent the 2022 season coordinating the Packers’ special teams back to respectability. In Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings, the Packers jumped from 32nd in 2021 to 22nd in 2022.

Before coming to Green Bay, Bisaccia went 7-5 in the regular season and 0-1 in the postseason as the interim head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.

A veteran coach, Bisaccia has been in the NFL overseeing special teams for over two decades. He’s also been an assistant head coach for several teams, including the Chargers, Cowboys and Raiders.

The Packers improved in several important areas of special teams in 2022, including returning kickoffs and covering punts and kicks. Keisean Nixon emerged as an All-Pro kickoff returner, and veteran kicker Mason Crosby converted 86.2 percent of his field goal attempts.

The Colts are looking for a head coach after firing Frank Reich this year. Former Packers center Jeff Saturday served as the interim coach over the final eight weeks and finished 1-7.

If hired by the Colts, Bisaccia would leave behind an important coordinator role for Matt LaFleur – who was not expecting to make staff changes next year – to fill in 2023. The Packers have Byron Stoner and Micheal Spurlock as special teams assistants, but it’s possible Bisaccia would bring both to Indianapolis if he becomes the new Colts head coach.

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Colts complete head coach interview with Rich Bisaccia

The Colts interviewed Rich Bisaccia for their head coach vacancy Friday.

The Indianapolis Colts completed their head coach interview with Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, the team announced Friday.

This one comes as a bit of a surprise considering there were no reports about the Colts having interest in Bisaccia as a candidate. However, it makes sense the Colts wanted to reach given his reputation around the league in terms of how players view him.

You can follow along with the latest updates regarding the Colts’ head coaching search through our tracker.

After coaching in the college ranks from 1983-2001, Bisaccia made the jump to the NFL, getting his start as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers special teams coordinator for six seasons (2002-2007). He added duties of assistant head coach and running backs coach in 2008 before holding the role of assistant coach and special teams coordinator for two seasons (2009-2010).

Bisaccia then became the special teams coordinator for the San Diego Chargers (2011) and then added assistant head coach duties in 2012.

After his stint with the Chargers, Bisaccia was the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys (2013-2017) and then held the same role with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2018-2021).

After John Gruden was fired as the Raiders head coach, Bisaccia took over as the interim head coach, leading the team to a 7-5 record and a playoff berth. He was the first interim head coach to lead their team to a playoff berth since Bruce Arians did it with the Colts in 2012.

Bisaccia was then hired as the special teams coordinator for the Packers in 2022.

 

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Packers improve 10 spots, finish 22nd in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings for 2022

The Packers jumped from dead last in 2021 to 22nd overall in 2022 in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings.

Veteran coordinator Rich Bisaccia, the surprise ascendence of Keisean Nixon and a new emphasis on roster building helped the Green Bay Packers improve by 10 spots in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings in 2022.

After finishing 32nd – or dead last – under Maurice Drayton in 2021, the Packers jumped to 22nd in 2022.

Gosselin uses a number of relevant special teams statistics to rank the 32 teams by overall performance.

While still below average overall, the Packers improved significantly in covering punts and kicks, returning punts and kicks and converting field goals. The addition of All-Pro returner Keisean Nixon helped down the stretch, but the Packers also got important contributions from newcomers Dallin Leavitt, Rudy Ford and Eric Wilson, and young players such as Isaiah McDuffie, Patrick Taylor and Tyler Davis improved.

The Packers still allowed four blocked kicks, the most in the NFL, and Amari Rodgers fumbled five times as a returner before being released. While Mason Crosby improved his conversion rate on field goals, the Packers still finished in the bottom half of the rankings in field goals made, touchback percentage and scoring. Green Bay also ranked 31st in yards per punt and 30th in net yards per punt under veteran Pat O’Donnell.

The Packers still only have one finish in the top half of the special teams rankings since ending up 12th in 2012.

Packers in Gosselin’s special teams rankings

2021: 32nd
2020: 29th
2019: 26th
2018: 32nd
2017: 16th
2016: 29th
2015: 17th
2014: 32nd
2013: 20th
2012: 12th

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Packers get special teams turned around in Year 1 under Rich Bisaccia

The addition of Rich Bisaccia and the emphasis on special teams from Brian Gutekunst created big improvement for the Packers special teams in 2022.

In one year, Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia accomplished what he always accomplishes: an immediate turnaround.

With a new coordinator and some roster help from general manager Brian Gutekunst, the Packers special teams went from worst to the middle of the pack under Bisaccia’s leadership.

“I really like what we did as a teams unit this year,” Gutekunst said. “A lot of respect for Rich and how he goes about things. I think the thing I liked the most was the play style of those guys. Not only the effort and intensity but then the pride they took in it. The cover teams were as good as they’ve been here in a long time.”

The Packers finished 17th in special teams DVOA in 2022 after a dead-last, 32nd-place finish in 2021.

Bisaccia got the Packers to approach special teams the right way, and Gutekunst added key players such as Keisean Nixon, Rudy Ford, Dallin Leavitt and Eric Wilson to the roster.

Nixon was a first-team All-Pro kickoff returner, Ford and Leavitt were key players all season and Wilson – who was added in October – ended up being the team’s highest-graded special teamer at Pro Football Focus.

Expect the emphasis on veterans for special teams to continue in Green Bay.

“The way we approached it was a little different from a roster-building perspective, and I think that will continue,” Gutekunst said.

Kicker Mason Crosby made 25 of 29 field goals (86.2 percent), Pat O’Donnell averaged 40.0 net yards per punt, Nixon led the league in kickoff return yards and the Packers allowed 9.5 yards per punt return and 23.2 yards per kickoff return.

Coach Matt LaFleur is confident his special teams are “going the right way” coming out of 2022.

“I thought you saw improvement,” LaFleur said. “You saw a lot of young players improve throughout the course of the season. I think as a team, in terms of that phase of the game, we are definitely trending in the right direction.”

The Packers finished 32nd in Rich Gosselin’s special teams rankings under Maurice Drayton last year. The result – and the finish against the 49ers in the postseason – led to Drayton’s dismissal, the hiring of Bisaccia and the new-found roster-building emphasis for Gutekunst. In 2022, the Packers special teams won’t be found at the bottom of the barrel in the NFL.

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Bisaccia: ‘Big game’ coming up for Packers long snapper Jack Coco

Packers ST coordinator Rich Bisaccia said Friday’s preseason game against the Saints will be a big one for long snapper Jack Coco.

Yes, this is a long snapper story. The Green Bay Packers are still searching for the right one, but the long snapper currently on the roster has an opportunity to take a big step toward winning the job on Friday night.

Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said Friday’s preseason game against the New Orleans Saints will be a “big” one for Jack Coco, who beat out Steven Wirtel and was effective during the joint practices but is still competing for the roster spot in Green Bay.

“I think he’s been a little bit of a rollercoaster, but we’re excited about where he is at this particular point. This will be another big game for him,” Bisaccia said Thursday. “I think he understands that he’s competing against 31 other teams. Just because there’s not another one here doesn’t mean we’re not looking at everyone around the league or guys that may not be playing now. So, I think he knows he’s in constant competition.”

Coco snapped for two punts and four field goals or extra points during the Packers preseason opener last Friday night in San Francisco and didn’t have a notable issue.

Achieving some level of trust through consistency is the next step. And a chance to snap during a live preseason game is the perfect stage.

General manager Brian Gutekunst said the Packers could still acquire a veteran long snapper if the need arises, but the team is otherwise happy with Coco’s progress at this point in training camp.

Bisaccia said the Packers liked Coco’s size, history as a position player (tight end) and “tremendous” work ethic coming out of Georgia Tech.

The Packers don’t have many question marks entering the 2022 regular season on offense and defense. The starters are fairly well-defined on both sides. The special teams are a different story, especially with Mason Crosby still recovering from knee surgery and the long snapper battle still unfolding. Amazingly, Coco’s snaps will be something worth watching at Lambeau Field on Friday night.

It’s unclear who the Packers would target at long snapper if Coco isn’t the answer, although Bisaccia’s special teams experience and connections around the league probably mean he has a long list of potential candidates.

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