Tag: Ryan Crow

Cowboys to interview Dolphins assistant for DC opening

A week after interviewing for the Patriots’ DC vacancy, the Dolphins’ OLB coach has another high-profile interview.

Miami Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow will interview for the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator vacancy, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Crow previously interviewed for the New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator position shortly before the team decided to hire Terrell Williams for the role. The Cowboys introduced Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach earlier Monday.

The Dolphins hired Crow in 2024 after he spent the previous six seasons on Mike Vrabel’s staff with the Tennessee Titans. Last week, Vrabel was announced as the new head coach of the Patriots, but opted against reuniting with his former assistant.

Schottenheimer, 51, began his NFL coaching career in 1997, but hasn’t crossed paths with Crow previously.

In his first season with the Dolphins, Crow spent most of the year working with young pass rushers while Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips were rehabbing injuries. First-round pick Chop Robinson made impressive growth as the season went on, transforming into one of the NFL’s most productive pass rushers in the second half of the year.

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Report: Patriots request to interview division rival assistant for DC job

The Patriots have requested to interview Dolphins OLB coach Ryan Crow

The New England Patriots have reportedly requested permission to interview Miami Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their defensive coordinator position, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Monday.

There is a connection between Crow and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. He coached under Vrabel as an outside linebackers coach when the two were with the Tennessee Titans.

Vrabel has done his due diligence in trying to round out his coaching staff. There has been at least one from the previous staff already announced with the news that special teams coach Jeremy Springer will return to the Patriots for the 2025 season.

The defensive unit struggled under Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington this season. There’s hope that a fresh perspective can get the most out of a unit that is underperforming.

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Patriots to interview Dolphins assistant for defensive coordinator vacancy

Mike Vrabel may poach a member of the Dolphins’ coaching staff as he builds his staff in New England.

The New England Patriots requested permission to interview Miami Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their vacant defensive coordinator position, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Crow joined the Dolphins in 2024 after spending the previous six seasons on Mike Vrabel’s staff with the Tennessee Titans. Last week, Vrabel was announced as the new head coach of the Patriots.

While the Patriots requested permission, the Dolphins can only block assistants from interviewing for lateral positions. As a defensive coordinator appointment would be a promotion for Crow, Miami has no choice but to grant the request.

Crow, who was once a walk-on linebacker at Bowling Green, had brief coaching stints at Purdue, Baldwin Wallace, and Ohio State before joining the Titans in 2018 as a defensive assistant.

In his first season with the Dolphins, Crow didn’t get to work much with Bradley Chubb or Jaelan Phillips, as the pair of veteran pass rushers dealt with serious injuries. But 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson improved as the season went on, transforming into one of the NFL’s most productive pass rushers in the second half of the year.

The Patriots defense finished 2024 with the No. 22 ranked defense in the NFL.

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2 more former Titans coaches hired by other teams

Two more former Titans coaches have reportedly been hired by other teams.

A pair of former Tennessee Titans coaches have reportedly found new homes with other teams.

According to MMQB’s Albert Breer, the Miami Dolphins are hiring ex-Titans outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow to the same role. Breer notes that Crow is thought to have defensive coordinator potential down the line.

In addition, former inside linebackers coach Bobby King is being hired to a similar role with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to ESPN’s Tim McManus.

Crow was hired by the Titans in 2018 as a defensive assistant coach. He then moved over to an assistant special teams coach in 2020 before being promoted to outside linebackers coach in 2021.

King was hired by Tennessee in 2022 to replace former inside linebackers coach Jim Haslett. Before coming to Nashville, King spent five years with the Houston Texans, serving as a linebackers coach and then defensive line coach.

While Tennessee has reportedly filled the linebackers coach role with Frank Bush, they have yet to make a hire for Crow’s former role with the team.

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Dolphins to hire former Titans OLB coach for the same role in Miami

Miami adds another defensive coach to their staff.

The Miami Dolphins, after hiring Anthony Weaver to be their new defensive coordinator, are continuing to build out their defensive coaching staff before the start of the new league year in March.

According to the MMQB’s Albert Breer, the Dolphins are hiring Ryan Crow as outside linebackers coach.

Crow had been with the Tennessee Titans since 2018, holding defensive assistant (2018-19), assistant special teams coach (2020) and outside linebackers coach (2021-23) roles during his time with the team. He was let go after Tennessee decided to fire head coach Mike Vrabel.

During his time with Titans, there was some crossover with Dolphins David Long, who played for Tennessee from 2019-22.

Crow will be taking over for Ryan Slowik, who was a candidate for Miami’s defensive coordinator job. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s David Furones, Slowik will remain on the staff but in a different role.

Titans part ways with OLBs coach Ryan Crow

Titans outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow has reportedly been let go.

Yet another member of former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel’s coaching staff has been let go.

According to Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky, the Titans have parted ways with outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, who had been in that position since 2021.

Prior to taking over at outside linebackers coach, Crow was a defensive assistant for two seasons before moving to assistant special teams coach.

As of right now, the only coach from Vrabel’s staff who appears to have a shot to stay is defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who the team is reportedly holding on to for now as it looks at candidates.

Crow, who did a solid job during his stint in Tennessee, has garnered interest for a role elsewhere after the Cleveland Browns requested to interview him for their defensive line coach job.

Crow will also likely be a candidate to have a job if Vrabel lands another gig in 2024.

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Titans grant Browns permission to interview Ryan Crow for DL coach job

Titans OLBs coach Ryan Crow is the fourth coach from Mike Vrabel’s staff to receive an interview with another team.

Another Tennessee Titans coach who was part of former head coach Mike Vrabel’s staff is garnering interest for an open position with another team.

According to Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky, and as confirmed by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Titans have given permission for the Cleveland Browns to interview outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their defensive line coach role.

The Browns have not officially made a move with their current defensive line coach, Ben Bloom, but Cabot notes he could be reassigned to another position on the team.

Crow has a connection in Cleveland, as Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz served as Tennessee’s senior defensive assistant in 2021 and 2022, which were Crow’s first two years as the Titans’ outside linebackers coach.

Here’s more on Crow, per the Titans’ official website:

Ryan Crow is in his sixth season with the Titans. He arrived in Tennessee in 2018 following seven seasons in the collegiate coaching ranks. After serving as a defensive assistant for his first two seasons with the Titans, he was the assistant special teams coach in 2020 and moved to outside linebackers coach in 2021.  

In 2022, Crow worked with versatile defender Denico Autry, who led the defense with eight sacks and a career-high 45 quarterback pressures despite being limited to 12 games. With starter Harold Landry III missing the entire campaign due to an injury, Autry, Rashad Weaver (5.5) and Bud Dupree (four) combined for 17.5 of the defense’s 39 sacks. 

In 2021, Titans outside linebackers accounted for 19 total sacks, including 12 sacks by Landry, who led the team, set a career high and ranked 10th in the NFL. Landry, who was named to his first career Pro Bowl, became the first Titans player to record double-digit sacks in a season since Brian Orakpo (10.5) in 2016 and the first Titans player with 12 sacks in a season since Jason Babin (12.5) in 2010. With 75 tackles, Landry joined Micah Parsons, Aaron Donald and Cameron Heyward as the only NFL players in 2021 to post at least 75 tackles and 10 sacks. Crow also worked with Autry, who tied his career high and finished second on the team with nine sacks.

Before becoming Tennessee’s outside linebacker’s coach, Crow served as a special teams assistant.

He’s the fourth coach from Mike Vrabel’s staff to receive an interview from another team, a list that includes tight ends coach Tony Dews, cornerbacks coach and defensive pass-game coordinator Chris Harris and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

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Jim Schwartz meeting with Titans connection about potential Browns DL coach job

Jim Schwartz may be looking for his own guy at defensive line coach, a post already occupied by Ben Bloom.

Ryan Crow, a Jim Schwartz connection from their time with the Tennessee Titans, is meeting with the Cleveland Browns about a potential spot on their defensive staff.

Currently the outside linebackers coach of the Titans, he can interview with other teams as they look for a new job. According to Paul Kuharsky, Crow will meet with the Browns to discuss their job as the defensive line coach.

The one issue, however? The Browns do not currently have an opening at defensive line coach as Ben Bloom holds the post. Bloom was a holdover from the previous regime though, so Schwartz might be looking to bring his own guy in to coach the engine of his defense: the defensive line.

Similarly to the offensive side of the ball, the Browns are looking to improve. For the offense, that was overhauling the staff on that side of the ball. For Schwartz, this is looking to upgrade an already strong unit by getting a new voice in the room.

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5 Titans make annual list of ‘NFL coaches to watch’

Five Titans made an annual list of assistant coaches to watch for future head coach openings.

Every year, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero releases a list of assistant coaches to watch when it comes to head-coach openings in the following offseason and in the years that follow.

On this year’s list, which featured a ton of names, five Tennessee Titans coaches made the cut, highlighted by defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who was mentioned as a coach to watch for the upcoming hiring cycle.

Here’s what Pelissero had to say about Bowen, who he notes is “well-regarded” around the league:

A former Georgia Tech linebacker whose playing career ended early because of injury, Bowen is now in his eighth season as an NFL coach and third as Tennessee’s defensive play-caller. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has a defensive background and has input on everything in the building, but Bowen runs the show on his side of the ball, from game planning to installs to meetings. Despite personnel challenges and a slim margin for error due to offensive struggles, Tennessee’s defense remains a top-10 unit in points allowed. And Bowen is well-regarded within the league.

Along with Bowen, outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow, defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Chris Harris, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and run game coordinator and running backs coach Justin Outten were listed as coaches to watch in cycles beyond 2024.

It’s true the Titans sport a top-10 scoring defense, but that does not tell the story of the unit’s disappointing performance overall this season.

Tennessee’s pass-rush has been inconsistent and disappeared at times, the secondary is a sieve and even the once-elite run defense has gone by the wayside — and those issues won’t help some of the coaches under Bowen, either.

Of course, Bowen deserves at least some credit for the defensive success the team saw in 2021 and 2022, but many wonder if former senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz, who is now running an elite defense with the Cleveland Browns, is the one who deserves more.

Whatever the case may be, I don’t see Bowen landing a head coach job in the upcoming cycle, barring an epic turnaround from the Titans and their defense; although, I do think he could get an interview.

As for the rest of the coaches, Harris and Crow will almost certainly need stints as coordinators first before they can set their sights on bigger things, which puts them a few years away, at least, from being considered

Outten has had an offensive coordinator job before, but that was with the awful 2022 Denver Broncos and he only called plays for a few games.

Kelly is further ahead of those three, seeing as how he’s in his second stint as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. However, his first season in charge of Tennessee’s offense has not gone too well, which will make 2024 a crucial campaign for his hopes of one day becoming a head coach.

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4 Titans coaches listed among potential future head coach candidates

Four Titans coaches were listed as potential head coach candidates down the road.

Out with the old, in with the new; such is the life of a coach in the National Football League.

The day after the last regular season game is known as “Black Monday,” or when many NFL head coaches are given their walking papers.

While it’s unfortunate for anyone to lose their job, it’s a performance-based business. However, that also opens the door for other NFL coaches to step into a new role.

NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero recently put together his annual list of the young coaches to watch for future head-coaching vacancies based on conversations he’s had with NFL executives, coaches, and others around the league.

And the Tennessee Titans are well-represented, with four members of their coaching staff making the cut.

While he may not be well-liked among Titans fans, offensive coordinator Todd Downing is the first listed, and the only one from Tennessee who Pelissero lists among potential candidates for the 2023 hiring cycle.

Of course, his recent run-in with the law presents a challenge, not only with his current team but any future prospective teams that would undoubtedly have concerns about the possibility of a repeat offense.

Here’s what Pelissero had to say about Downing:

Now in his 18th season as an NFL assistant, Downing is known as a grinder with the right demeanor for the job, and he has shown he can be successful in different ways. Yes, the Titans’ offense currently ranks 26th in points and 32nd in yards. But as coach Mike Vrabel said after one recent win, “That is going to have to be how we play. It is a battle.”

Only 35 years of age, Bowen is in his fifth year with the Titans organization. After a rough 2020 season, the Titans’ defense has been borderline elite over the last two seasons. Anchored by playmakers in Kevin Byard, Jeffery Simmons, and Harold Landry (before the ACL injury), the Titans also have several promising young players in Kristian Fulton, Roger McCreary, and Amani Hooker roaming in the secondary.

Part of Bowen’s staff, Ryan Crow is also in his fifth year with the organization and his second year as the outside linebackers coach. Rising through the collegiate ranks, he’s helped develop Harold Landry and Ola Adeniyi into superstars while rejuvenating Denico Autry’s career. He also has a hand in Rashad Weaver’s development, who looks to be on the cusp of being something special.

Kelly is the latest former Houston Texans coaching staff to head for Nashville under Mike Vrabel. He’s in his first year with the Titans and ninth overall in the NFL. The 36-year-old had a huge hand in a Texans’ passing attack that finished with the second-most yards in 2020. Kelly will look to do the same in his time with Nashville for Ryan Tannehill and, eventually, Malik Willis.

To be quite frank, it’s surprising Downing was listed here at all after the poor job he has done overall since 2021. Also surprising is that Bowen, who has been sensational since 2021 (and far better than Downing), isn’t the one considered for the coming coaching cycle while Downing is.

It’s safe to say Downing is one coordinator Titans fans wouldn’t mind having poached, but Bowen is on quite the opposite end of the spectrum.

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