Updating the NFL Coaching Carousel
After a flurry of activity of Black Monday, here is an update to the NFL coaching moves. There are still five head coaching vacancies, plus an open GM position with the Jets.
Arizona Cardinals:
HC Ken Whisenhunt fired
Who has interviewed: Ray Horton, Jay Gruden, MikeMcCoy
Rumored to interview: Todd Haley
Buffalo Bills:
HC Chan Gailey fired
Doug Marrone hired as new Head Coach
Chicago Bears:
HC Lovie Smith fired
Who has interviewed: Mike McCoy, Bruce Arians
Rumored to interview: Keith Armstrong, Mike Sullivan, Joe DeCammilis, Tom Clements, Pete Carmichael, Darrell Bevell, Mike Singletary, Mike Priefer, Rick Dennison, Bruce Arians
Cleveland Browns:
HC Pat Shurmur fired
Rob Chudzinski hired as new Head Coach
Jacksonville Jaguars:
HC Mike Mularkey fired
Who has interviewed: Brian Schottenheimer
Rumored to interview: Bengals OC Jay Gruden, Greg Roman, Keith Armstrong
Kansas City Chiefs:
HC Romeo Crennel fired
Andy Reid hired as new Head Coach
Philadelphia Eagles:
HC Andy Reid fired
Who has interviewed: Bill O'Brien (staying at Penn State), Mike Nola, Keith Armstrong, Chip Kelly (staying at Oregon), Mike McCoy, Brian Kelly, Lovie Smith
Rumored to interview: Jay Gruden, Bruce Arians, Greg Roman, Gus Bradley
San Diego Chargers:
HC Norv Turner fired
Who has interviewed: Doug Marrone (hired by Bills), Lovie Smith, Jay Gruden
Rumored to interview: Bruce Arians, Ken Whisenhunt, Gus Bradley, Bruce Arians, Mike Zimmer
Other NFL coaching and front office transactions:
Arizona Cardinals:
GM Rod Graves was fired
The entire offensive staff of former HC Ken Whisenhunt (with the exception of TE coach Freddie Kitchens) was fired: Mike Miller, John McNulty, Tommie Robinson, Russ Grimm, and Frank Reich. McNulty is rumored to soon rejoin Greg Schiano in Tampa Bay as a WR or QB coach.
Safeties coach Tony Gibson let go.
VP of Player Personnel Steve Keim promoted to GM
Buffalo Bills:
The entire staff of former HC Chan Gailey dismissed
Russ Brandon hired as CEO/President, with full authority on football operations
Nathaniel Hackett (Syracuse OC) hired as OC
Mike Pettine (Jets DC) hired as DC
Anthony Weaver (Jets DL coach) hired as DL coach
Carolina Panthers:
Ernie Accorsi hired as consultant to conduct GM search
Dave Gettleman (Giants senior pro personnel analyst) hired as GM
LB coach Warren Belin dismissed
WR coach Fred Graves dismissed
RB coach John Settle dismissed
Cleveland Browns:
GM Tom Heckert fired
Dallas Cowboys:
DC Rob Ryan fired
Monte Kiffin (USC, Tampa Bay) hired as DC
All defensive assistants will need to re-interview with Kiffin
RB coach Skip Peete was dismissed
Detroit Lions:
Two former Patriots – WR coach Shawn Jefferson and RB coach Sam Gash – were fired
OL coach George Yarno dismissed
ST coach Danny Crossman dismissed
Curtis Modkins (Buffalo OC) hired as RB coach
TE coach Tim Lappano to become WR coach
Jeremiah Washburn promoted from ass't OL coach to OL coach
Bobby Johnson (Jacksonville ass't) hired
Indianapolis Colts:
ST coach Marwan Maalouf dismissed
Jacksonville Jaguars:
GM Gen Smith fired
David Caldwell (Falcons Director of Player Personnel) hired as GM
Kansas City Chiefs:
GM Scott Pioli dismissed
OC Brian Daboll dismissed
John Dorsey (Green Bay director of operations) hired as GM
Bob Sutton (Jets ass't HC/LB coach) hired as DC
Eric Bieniemy (U of Colorado OC) hired as RB coach
Several former Eagle coaches followed Reid to the Chiefs:
DL coach Tommy Brasher
QB coach Doug Pederson hired as OC
WR coach David Culley
TE coach Tom Melvin
Offensive QC coach Matt Nagy hired as QB coach
Strength and conditioning coach Barry Rubin.
Strength and conditioning assistant Travis Crittenden
Statistical analytics coordinator Mike Frazier
Assistant to the HC Corey Matthaei
Britt Reid (Temple) hired as QC coach
New England Patriots:
Brian Daboll (Chiefs OC) hired
New Orleans Saints:
Sean Payton signed a 5-year extension as Head Coach
New York Jets:
GM Mike Tannenabaum fired
OC Tony Sparano fired
DC Mike Pettine fired
QB coach Matt Cavanaugh fired
Strength coach Bill Hughan fired
DL coach Anthony Weaver left for Buffalo
Oakland Raiders:
OC Greg Knapp fired
LB coach Johnny Holland fired
OL coach Frank Pollack fired
ST coach Steve Hoffman fired
Philadelphia Eagles:
Several assistants followed Andy Reid to Kansas City (see the KC listing above)
San Diego Chargers:
GM A.J. Smith fired
Former Packers GM Ron Wolf was hired as a consultant to aid in the search for a new GM, and then a new HC
Tom Telesco (Colts VP of Operations) hired as GM
St. Louis Rams:
LB coach Blake Williams fired
Tampa Bay Bucs:
QB coach Ron Turner left to become HC at Florida International
DB coach Ron Cooper left to become DB coach at South Florida
This Day In Patriots History
January 14, 2006:
Denver Broncos 27, New England Patriots 13 at Mile High
New England's pursuit of a three-peat ended in a division round loss at Denver. Highlight (and controversy) of the game was Ben Watson racing the length of the field to knock the ball out of Champ Bailey's hands at the goal line and through the back of the end zone after he intercepted Tom Brady. Officials incorrectly ruled that Bailey had crossed the goal line, making it Denver ball on the Pats 1-yard line rather than a touchback, and Pats ball at the 20.
The pats out-gained Denver 420 yards to 286, but turned the ball over five times while recovering just one Bronco turnover. Deion Branch had 8 receptions for 153 yards, and David Givens had a touchdown catch for the Pats.
January 14, 2007:
New England Patriots 24, San Diego Chargers 21 at Qualcomm Stadium
The Patriots rallied from 8 points down in the 4th quarter with 11 points in a span of 3:26 to beat the favored 14-2 Chargers on the road, and advance to the conference championship game.
The game may well be best known for LaDainian Tomlinson infamously whining after the game about the Pats celebrating by doing the Shawne Merriman 'lights out' sack dance; apparently Mr. Classy felt it was not disrespectful for Merriman to do that, but it was disrespectful for the Pats to do the same.
San Diego head coach Marty Schottenheimer was also second guessed for some curious decisions: going for it on fourth-and-11 from the New England 30, and later attempting a field goal from 54 yards out.
Jabar Gaffney had 10 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Reche Caldwell 7 catches for 80 yards and a TD.
There was a critical play in which San Diego's Marlon McCree intercepted a Tom Brady (28 yards, 2 TD) pass, seemingly sealing a victory for the Chargers. McCree inexplicably elected to try and return the pick rather than just going down, and Troy Brown alertly knocked the ball out of his hands. Caldwell recovered the fumble and the Pats maintained possession; five plays later Brady hit Cldwell for a touchdown. The Pats converted the 2-point conversion on a direct snap to Kevin Faulk, and he ran it right up the gut past a surprised San Diego line. That tied the game with 4:36 t0 play, and the Pats won it on a 31-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 1:10 to play.
January 14, 2012:
New England Patriots 45, Denver Broncos 10 at Gillette Stadium
Denver fans crowing that they lost the regular season meeting only because of fumbles were shut up, when the Pats put what should have been an end to Tebowmania in convincing fashion in the division round of the playoffs. It was the 9th straight win for New England, and should have quieted all the critics and mediots who kept putting the Pats down for owning the 31st ranked defense based on yardage.
Tom Brady threw for 363 yards and six - SIX! - touchdowns, while Rob Gronkowski had 10 receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Aaron Hernandez had 61 yards rushing plus 55 yards receiving and a touchdown, Deion Branch had 85 yards and a touchdown, and Wes Welker had 55 yards and a TD.
The Pats defense sacked Tim Tebow five times while limiting him to 9 completions on 26 attempts, and 136 yards. Still to this day Bronco fans whine about a play in which the Pats lined up as if they were going to go for it on 4th down, and Brady made a beautiful punt of 48 yards with no return, pinning the Broncos deep in their end of the field.
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