Tag: Ryan Crow

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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Titans OLBs coach: Pass rush’s lack of forced fumbles in 2021 was ’embarrassing’

Forcing more fumbles is a point of emphasis for the Titans’ pass-rush in 2022.

There wasn’t much to gripe about with the Tennessee Titans’ defense in 2021 after the unit experienced a revival and helped carry the team to a 12-5 season.

However, Titans outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow did point to one issue the defense — and more specifically, the pass-rush — had: forcing and recovering fumbles.

Tennessee’s top-three sacks leaders, outside linebacker Harold Landry (12) and defensive linemen Denico Autry (nine) and Jeffery Simmons (8.5) combined for just one forced fumble and zero recoveries.

In all, Tennessee’s vaunted front four tallied just two forced fumbles, with Landry and fellow outside linebacker Bud Dupree accounting for one each.

Looking ahead to 2022, Crow is hoping the big guys upfront can improve in that area after what he calls an “embarrassing” showing in 2021.

“It was embarrassing last year, to be honest with you,” Crow said, via John Glennon of Sports Illustrated. “Those guys did an excellent job of getting to the quarterback. But we’ve got to be able to change the game, so that will be a heavy emphasis this year. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about it, spent a lot of time showing clips, and we’re absolutely spending a lot of time working on it.”

Overall, the Titans recovered just six fumbles in 2021, tied for the third-lowest total in the NFL.

However, it wasn’t all bad in the turnover department. Tennessee ranked tied for 10th in the league with 16 interceptions, and there’s no doubt a lot of that had to do with the pressure the front four brought on a consistent basis.

The Titans are already entering the 2022 season with a defense that is expected to be elite, but the fact that there is still room for improvement should be a scary thought for Tennessee’s upcoming opponents.

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Titans’ Rashad Weaver ‘became a student of the game’ while injured

Titans OLBs coach Ryan Crow talks Rashad Weaver becoming ‘a student of the game’ and how he can improve.

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Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Rashad Weaver had a fair amount of hype surrounding him entering the 2021 campaign after flashing some dominance in a preseason contest against the Atlanta Falcons.

Weaver was the story of the game, tallying 1.5 sacks in a 23-3 win over the Falcons in Atlanta. Despite not doing much else during the preseason, that game alone gave hope Weaver would be an impact player in his first season.

However, it was not to be.

Weaver, who was inactive in Week 1 before playing sparingly in Week 2, suffered a broken fibula in Week 3 that required surgery and ended his campaign.

While the Pittsburgh product wasn’t able to do much physically as he rehabbed from his injury, outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow noted Weaver “became a student of the game” with his spare time.

“He became a student of the game,” Crow said of Weaver, via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “We stayed in touch, and he was in and out of the building and we were able to watch cut-ups and send him cut-ups and just talk through some things. It was actually very beneficial because some of the stuff that’s not scheme-related, not talking about game plan, just stuff that he can focus on kind of as a young player of how to develop that he’s brought now that he’s back on the field.”

“He had a little bit of playing time, that’s always invaluable,” Crow added. “But when he went back and he was rehabbing and doing that stuff, he kept fresh and learned and watched a lot of film and just studied it from kind of an outsider’s prospective. And now he’s translating it to when he’s on the field.”

Crow praised Weaver’s work ethic and noted how he’s improving. He also gave insight into what Weaver needs to work on.

“We went through the tough deal with the injury, and that was hard for him, especially early in the season,” Crow said. “But he is a grinder; he works really hard. Excited to see where he goes. It’s good to have him back out here, and he’s improving. He’s feeling better about himself and just his mental and physical state, and he’s good to be back on the field and we’re excited to have him.

“The biggest thing for him is getting his pads down. He is a tall human being and those guys always struggle with pad level. That’s his No. 1 thing this spring is just to get his hands rock-steady and get his pad level down.

Weaver is a lock to make Tennessee’s 53-man roster, but his role is anything but certain.

The 2021 fourth-round pick is behind Bud Dupree and Harold Landry in the pecking order, and he’ll have to compete for snaps with Ola Adeniyi, who played well in limited opportunities on defense last season.

For now, it looks like Weaver is set to play a backup and special teams role, but there is an avenue for him to have a very significant role on defense if Dupree struggles once again in his second season in Nashville.

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Titans OLBs coach: Bud Dupree’s IR stint ‘was kind of a blessing in disguise’

Titans OLBs coach Ryan Crow believes Bud Dupree’s IR stint might have done him some good.

Since returning from a three-game stint on Injured Reserve, Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Bud Dupree has looked good, notching a sack in each of the two games he’s been back.

On Tuesday, Titans outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow noted that Dupree has looked better since coming back from injury and believes the IR stint he had due to an abdominal injury might have done him some good, including with his surgically-repaired knee.

“It was kind of a blessing in disguise,” Crow said, per Ben Arthur of The Tennessean. “It gave him time for his knee to heal, for his ab to heal, for his whole body to heal and his mind. I think he came back looking better than ever since he’s been here. He’s been ripping and roaring.”

Dupree admitted earlier in the season that he had experienced some setbacks with his knee, which led to his missing games. It’s also possible the knee has been a cause of his lackluster production when he was on the field earlier in the season.

Crow says that Dupree’s “get off” was something that showed up in his film from his time with the Steelers, and the outside linebackers coach is seeing that “get off” from Dupree since his return from injury.

“The first thing I saw was his get off,” Crow explained. “When I watched (his film) when we first signed him, the first thing I noticed was his get off and his ability to just attack off the ball with speed. You saw that kind of dwindle toward the beginning of the year. Fatigue issues on the knee, just gaining trust on it. His first game back off IR I saw that back. And that’s exciting.

“Part of it is shaking off the rust. It’s been a couple of games in, a couple games out… Now it’s just shaking off the rust and being able to sustain what he’s seeing and how he’s reacting. All that stuff, which will come. And it has been coming.”

If Dupree, who is currently on the COVID-19 list, can continue to move in the right direction and provide the kind of play the Titans were hoping for when they signed him, an already impressive pass-rush will become even more dangerous for the stretch run of the season.

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