Tag: Ron Milus

Colts’ assistant coach tracker: Who’s joining Gus Bradley’s staff

Tracking all of the Colts’ assistant coaching hires under new DC Gus Bradley.

The Indianapolis Colts already announced the hiring of new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who is replacing former coordinator Matt Eberflus after he became the new head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Bradley’s first task is to assemble an entirely new defensive coaching staff. Only one assistant coach remains from Eberflus’ old staff: assistant defensive line coach Matt Raich. It isn’t clear if he’ll be retained under the new regime.

Here’s a list of Bradley’s coaching staff. Some of these are unofficial and as we learned with Josh McDaniels, nothing is official until the Colts announce it as so.

We’ll keep updating this as hirings are announced or reported:

Colts hire Ron Milus, looking to hire LB coach Richard Smith

The Colts have hired Ron Milus and are looking to hire LB coach Richard Smith.

The Indianapolis Colts have made their first hire on the defensive coaching staff under new coordinator Gus Bradley and are working on bringing another in quickly.

Though it had been reported that the Colts were expected to hire former Las Vegas Raiders defensive backs coach Ron Milius, multiple reports confirmed that has now become official. It isn’t yet clear the exact nature of his role but expect it to be with the secondary.

While Milus is now confirmed, the Colts are also “working on” hiring former Raiders linebackers coach Richard Smith likely for the same role, per Mike Chappell of Fox59.

Smith has been the linebackers coach under Bradley ever since the latter was hired in 2017 as the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers. Smith then followed Bradley to the Raiders for the 2021 season.

Smith has been coaching the NFL since 1988 when he started out holding various roles for the Houston Oilers. He began working with linebackers in 1997 with the San Francisco 49ers and has held that role ever since with his various stops along his journey.

Smith has been the linebackers coach for the 49ers (1997-2002), Detroit Lions (2003-2004), Carolina Panthers (2009-2010), Denver Broncos (2011-2014), Los Angeles Chargers (2017-2020) and Raiders (2021).

Smith has also served as a defensive coordinator three times in his career with the Miami Dolphins (2005), Houston Texans (2006-2008) and Atlanta Falcons (2015-2016).

The Colts still need to hire a defensive line coach, which will be the most important of them all, but it appears Bradley’s staff is beginning to come together.

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Report: Ron Milus likely to join Gus Bradley’s staff with Colts

Former Raiders DBs coach Ron Milus ‘likely’ to join Colts’ staff under Gus Bradley.

The Indianapolis Colts officially announced the hiring of Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator and it appears the coaching staff under him is being assembled.

Though nothing is official until the team announces it, former Las Vegas Raiders defensive backs coach Ron Milus “looks likely” to join Bradley’s defensive staff with the Colts, per Stephen Holder of The Athletic.

It isn’t yet clear the nature of his role should Milus join the Colts’ staff.

Milus has been one of the highest-regarded defensive backs coaches in the NFL and he’s been with Bradley since the latter took over as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.

Milus has had a long history of coaching in the NFL. He started working as the defensive backs coach for the Denver Broncos in 2000 and has had several roles all over the league since.

In 2013, he was named the running backs and secondary coach for the Chargers. Then he was solely named the secondary coach in 2014. He held that role (later switched to “defensive backs coach”) with the Chargers through the 2020 season, which wound up being the entirety of Bradley’s tenure with the team.

Milus then followed Bradley to Las Vegas when the latter was named the defensive coordinator of the Raiders. With Patrick Graham now taking over as the new defensive coordinator there, it makes sense that Milus would follow Bradley to Indy.

The Colts have a strong secondary when it comes to their starters and adding Milus would be a strong move for the entire unit.

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Raiders new DB coach Ron Milus got Johnathan Abram to ‘turn the volume down’

Raiders new DB coach Ron Milus got Johnathan Abram to ‘turn the volume down’

You don’t have to be a Raiders fan to know Johnathan Abram is a loud human being. You’d just have to have watched the 2019 Hard Knocks to know that. He talks. A lot. One might say constantly.

Early on the Raiders players said several times that they fed off of Abram’s energy. The problem, however, is it hasn’t ever really translated to the field. Whether with Abram’s performance or his supposed effect on the defense as a whole. In fact, the defense seemed lost last season and no one seemed more lost than Abram. So, perhaps it’s time for a different approach.

Enter Ron Milus.

The Raiders new DB coach brings with him a proven track record of getting outstanding performances from his players. One of his biggest projects since taking over the job is to try and get the best out of the Raiders former first round safety.

“John has done everything we’ve asked him to do,” said Milus. “We asked him ‘hey John, can you come in a little bit lighter’? What did he do? He came in a little lighter. John, you guys know John, he chirps a little bit, right? Turn your volume down, just a little bit, John.’ He’s done that.

“I think it’s going to make him a better player. That’s just me. When it’s all set and done, he’s got to do it on Sundays in September to December. But John has gotten better in my opinion. Just doing the little things right, trying to get his body in the right position. You’re asking me? I think John’s going to have a great year.”

Abram wants to be great. There’s no question about that. Milus — who coached the DB’s with the Chargers the past eight seasons — said he is not judging any of the Raiders’ young corners by what they did last season. That they all get a clean slate. Abram is clearly trying to take advantage of the fresh start.

There is an opportunity here for Abram to turn things around. Gus Bradley’s defense is more about simple concepts as opposed to the volume of packages that Paul Guenther ran. It’s also, as Rod Marinelli puts it, and “effort-based defense” which should fit Abram’s style perfectly if he can seize it.

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