2016 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker
While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2015. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.
With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.
Updated 2-16-16 (11:22am CT)
Offensive coordinators
- Chicago Bears
- Out: Adam Gase
- In: Dowell Loggains
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Out: Hue Jackson
- In: Ken Zampese
- Cleveland Browns
- Out: John DeFilippo
- In: Hue Jackson, the team’s new head coach, has added several offensive assistants, but he plans on going without an OC.
- Detroit Lions
- In: Jim Bob Cooter retained as permanent OC (had taken over in October)
- Indianapolis Colts
- In: Rob Chudzinski retained as permanent OC (had been interim)
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Out: Doug Pederson
- In: Brad Childress and Matt Nagy
- Los Angeles Rams
- In: Rob Boras retained as permanent OC (had taken over in December)
- Miami Dolphins
- Out: Zac Taylor
- In: Clyde Christensen
- New York Giants
- Out: Ben McAdoo
- In: Mike Sullivan
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Out: Pat Shurmur
- In: Frank Reich
- San Diego Chargers
- Out: Frank Reich
- In: Ken Whisenhunt
- San Francisco 49ers
- Out: Geep Chryst
- In: Curtis Modkins
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Out: Dirk Koetter
- In: Todd Monken
- Tennessee Titans
- Out: Jason Michael
- In: Terry Robiskie
Defensive coordinators
- Cleveland Browns
- Out: Jim O’Neil
- In: Ray Horton
- Indianapolis Colts
- Out: Greg Manusky
- In: Ted Monachino
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Out: Bob Babich
- In: Todd Wash
- Miami Dolphins
- Out: Lou Anarumo
- In: Vance Joseph
- New Orleans Saints
- In: Dennis Allen retained as permanent DC (had taken over in November)
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Out: Billy Davis
- In: Jim Schwartz
- San Francisco 49ers
- Out: Eric Mangini
- In: Jim O’Neil
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Out: Leslie Frazier
- In: Mike Smith
- Tennessee Titans
- Out: Ray Horton
- In: Dick LeBeau
Coach Rumors: Browns, Pep, Ravens, Bucs
New Browns head coach Hue Jackson confirmed earlier today that he’ll be retaining special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, but there have been announcements yet on Cleveland’s other coordinators. While Ray Horton and Leslie Frazier are among the names that have been linked to the Browns’ defensive coordinator job, one possible candidate worth keeping an eye on is former Dolphins DC Kevin Coyle, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).
Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reported on Wednesday that Coyle was expected to replace Vance Joseph as the Bengals‘ defensive backs coach, but there are hints he may join Jackson in Cleveland instead. Marvez tweets today that Cincinnati is interviewing 49ers defensive backs coach Tim Lewis for the same position, and Albert Breer of NFL Network tweets that the Bengals are looking at Michigan secondary coach Greg Jackson for that job, so it certainly doesn’t seem like there’s a deal in place between the Bengals and Coyle.
As we keep an eye on that situation, let’s check in on some other coaching updates from around the NFL….
- On the other side of the ball for the Browns, a former Colts offensive coordinator may be a candidate for the job in Cleveland. As first reported by Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (Twitter link), Pep Hamilton met today with Hue Jackson.
- Last week, a report suggested that the Buccaneers had turned down a Chargers interview request for defensive line coach Joe Cullen. However, after hiring Mike Smith as their new defensive coordinator, the Bucs are willing to let Cullen go. Cullen will join the Ravens as their defensive line coach, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
- To replace Cullen, the Buccaneers are hiring Jay Hayes from the Bengals, per Marvez (all Twitter links). Tampa Bay is also hiring Titans special teams coach Nate Kaczor and former Dolphins linebackers coach Mark Duffner for those same positions.
- Since the Titans are the last team without a head coach, they should take their time to make a decision, perhaps interviewing potential candidates from eliminated playoff teams after this weekend’s games, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
- Former Giants wide receivers coach Sean Ryan will head to Houston to become the Texans‘ WRs coach, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Chargers Hire Ken Whisenhunt As OC
FRIDAY, 5:16pm: The Chargers have officially confirmed Whisenhunt’s return, and announced four other changes to Mike McCoy‘s coaching staff. They are as follows:
- Craig Aukerman (special teams coordinator)
- Nick Sirianni (WR coach)
- Giff Smith (DL coach)
- Shane Steichen (QB coach)
WEDNESDAY, 2:27pm: The Chargers may not know yet where they’ll be playing in 2016, but they now know who will be running the team’s offense. According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt is returning to the Chargers to assume the same role, replacing Frank Reich.
[RELATED: Chargers fire offensive coordinator Frank Reich]
Whisenhunt previously served as San Diego’s offensive coordinator during the 2013 season, Mike McCoy’s first as the team’s head coach. The Chargers finished that year with a modest 9-7 record, but won a playoff game, and featured an extremely productive offense. After ranking 24th in the NFL in offensive DVOA in 2012, the Chargers placed second under Whisenhunt in 2013, per Football Outsiders.
In 2014, Reich’s first year as offensive coordinator, San Diego fell from second in offensive DVOA to 11th. The team slipped to 15th in 2015, and also went from scoring nearly 25 points per game in 2013 to just 20 this season, despite the fact that Philip Rivers led the NFL in passing completions (437) and attempts (661). Reich was let go by the Chargers a day after the regular season ended.
Whisenhunt, meanwhile, spent most of the last two years in Tennessee as head coach of the Titans. However, after finishing 2-14 in his first year with the club, he led the team to a 1-6 mark this season before receiving his walking papers.
With the Chargers in need of a new offensive coordinator and Whisenhunt looking for a new job, a reunion made too much sense for the two sides to pass up the opportunity.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans To Interview Ray Horton For HC Job
3:54pm: The Titans have confirmed that their interviews with Austin and Mularkey have been completed. Horton will be the fourth candidate to formally speak to the team about the job.
4:11pm: Mike Mularkey isn’t the only in-house candidate for the Titans’ permanent head coaching job. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Tennessee defensive coordinator Ray Horton is scheduled to interview for the club’s head coaching vacancy on Saturday.
[RELATED: Titans hire Jon Robinson as general manager]
Horton is expected to become either the third or fourth candidate to formally interview for the Titans’ job. The club confirmed that it met with Jaguars assistant head coach Doug Marrone on Thursday to discuss the head coaching job, and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was scheduled to meet with the team today. Mularkey, who is considered the front-runner, was also expected to sit down for an interview at some point this week.
In addition to those candidates, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been mentioned as a possible target for new Titans GM Jon Robinson. However, he and other coaches on active playoff teams aren’t eligible to interview this week.
Horton, who served as the defensive coordinator in Arizona and Cleveland prior to joining the Titans, has reportedly received interest from the Browns for their defensive coordinator job under new head coach Hue Jackson.
While the Titans will have the first overall pick this year after finishing with a league-worst 2-14 record, Horton’s defense shouldn’t bear the brunt of the blame for the team’s poor showing. The Titans’ average of 342.2 yards per game placed them 12th in the NFL, while their 229.9 passing yards allowed per game placed seventh in the league.
Dean Spanos, Stan Kroenke To Meet Next Week
4:37pm: As noted below, Spanos and Kroenke will indeed meet soon. That sit-down will happen next week, a league source tells Bonsignore (Twitter link).
2:14pm: The Chargers technically have until March 23 to decide whether or not they’ll join the Rams in Los Angeles for the 2016 season, but the team’s decision is expected well before then, writes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Vincent Bonsignore of InsideSoCal.com, the Chargers would like to decide within the next two or three weeks whether a deal can get done with the Rams, meaning there could be some sort of resolution around the time of Super Bowl 50.
[RELATED: Which teams voted no on Rams’ Inglewood proposal?]
While most NFL team owners expect the Chargers to ultimately make the move to Los Angeles, owner Dean Spanos reached out to San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer on Thursday, months after disengaging from stadium talks with the city, according to Acee. Spanos and Faulconer didn’t set a time or date for a subsequent meeting, but the mayor tells Acee that the tone of the call, which lasted about five minutes, was cordial.
“I said very clearly to him I would welcome the opportunity to get together at his earliest convenience,” Faulconer said on Friday. “I told him we can discuss a variety of different options on how to move forward.”
One league source suggests to Bonsignore that it makes sense for the Chargers to commit to San Diego for a year, rather than rushing into an L.A. deal with the Rams: “See where it gets you. Have a vote. Get finality.” In theory, that’s probably good advice, but Spanos and company may not want to fall behind the Rams and let Stan Kroenke‘s club get a leg up in L.A.
So even though San Diego remains a possibility for the Chargers, the team is expected to meet with the Rams soon, and according to Acee, multiple sources expect the Chargers to reach an agreement in principle with the Rams before seriously re-engaging the city of San Diego.
The possibility that Kroenke will play hardball with Spanos and the Chargers doesn’t look like a potential roadblock for the Los Angeles negotiations, according to Bonsignore, who writes that the Rams owner promised his fellow owners that he will “work fairly and honorably” with Spanos. NFL sources tell Bonsignore that the Chargers will essentially have 30 other partners in discussions with Kroenke, plus commissioner Roger Goodell, ensuring that they’ll avoid any pitfalls or surprises and will get a reasonable deal from the Rams.
As we wait to see which direction the Chargers go, let’s round up a few more items related to Los Angeles, the Rams, the Chargers, and the Raiders….
- Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times conducted an exclusive Q&A session with Kroenke discussing the Rams‘ relocation and the Inglewood project.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com is unconvinced that the Raiders will end up anywhere expect in the Bay Area, writing that the NFL will be reluctant to approve a move to San Diego if the Chargers head to Los Angeles, since the league won’t want its L.A. project undermined. La Canfora also believes that Texans owner Bob McNair and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would work hard to keep the Raiders out of San Antonio. For what it’s worth, other reporters have suggested the league would be okay with three teams in Southern California.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also explores the Raiders‘ options, suggesting that San Antonio is likely more of a leverage play than a realistic landing spot for the franchise.
St. Louis Rams Become Los Angeles Rams
The St. Louis Rams are officially no more, with the franchise having made its move to Los Angeles official today. The club’s official website, which is still located at the old URL for now, refers to the team as the Los Angeles Rams, as does its new Twitter account.
Of course, after the result of this week’s owners vote in Houston, none of this comes as a surprise. This is just a public service announcement to let you know that, beginning today, Pro Football Rumors will be referring to the team by its new name.
On our team lists, located in the site’s top menu and on the right-hand sidebar, the team is now known as the Los Angeles Rams, and you can click on that link to see our archive of L.A. Rams news and rumors. You can also follow all the latest L.A. Rams story using our team-centric Twitter or Facebook feeds.
Alabama DL A’Shawn Robinson To Enter Draft
Four days after winning the national championship as a member of the Crimson Tide, Alabama defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson has announced his decision to leave school early and enter the 2016 NFL draft (Twitter link). Robinson joined running back Derrick Henry as Alabama prospects officially declaring their intent today.
[RELATED: Derrick Henry to enter 2016 draft]
Robinson, who likely projects as a defensive tackle for a team running a 4-3 scheme or a defensive end for a 3-4 defense, is considered one of the top defensive linemen available this spring. A Consensus All-American in his junior year, Robinson recorded 46 tackles (7.5 for a loss) to go along with his 3.5 sacks.
Recently, ESPN’s Todd McShay (Insider link) projected Robinson to go 19th overall in this year’s draft. McShay’s ESPN colleague, Mel Kiper Jr., was even more bullish on the defensive lineman’s prospects, suggesting in his first mock draft of 2016 that Robinson will come off the board at No. 12 overall, to the Saints (Insider link).
Kiper suggests the 6’3″, 313-pound lineman is “an immediate starter who combines great awareness and strength to make plays and hold the point in the run game, as well as the ability to push the pocket.”
Buccaneers To Hire Mike Smith As DC
Earlier today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that Mike Smith is a “hot name” as a defensive coordinator candidate, with several options on the table for him. Now, one of those options has emerged as the top choice for the Falcons head coach.
Per Rapoport (via Twitter), Smith is set to become the Buccaneers’ new defensive coordinator under head coach Dirk Koetter. Koetter confirmed as much this afternoon during his introductory press conference
[RELATED: Buccaneers hire Dirk Koetter as head coach]
Smith, who is one year removed from being let go by the Falcons, interviewed for the Dolphins’ and Giants’ head coaching jobs within the last couple weeks, and was the runner-up for the job in New York, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). However, with only head coaching job still open, a defensive coordinator job looks like a solid Plan B for Smith, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that Smith is Koetter’s top choice.
As the Falcons’ head coach from 2008 to 2014, Smith led the team to a 66-46 regular season record, earning four postseason berths along the way. The club’s only playoff win under Smith came during the 2012 season, when Atlanta won its divisional contest, then narrowly lost to the 49ers in the NFC championship game. Prior to joining the Falcons, Smith served as the defensive coordinator for the Jaguars from 2003 to 2007.
Of course, Koetter and Smith have some history, with the Bucs’ new head coach having initially come to Tampa Bay from Atlanta. Koetter served as the offensive coordinator on Smith’s Falcons staff from 2012 to 2014.
Koetter announced today that most of the Buccaneers’ offensive assistants will remain on board for 2016, though it’s still unclear who – if anyone – will assume his old position as the club’s offensive coordinator. Koetter is expected to continue calling offensive plays.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bengals Name Ken Zampese Offensive Coordinator
The Bengals have officially named Ken Zampese their new offensive coordinator, the team announced today (Twitter link). Zampese, who receives a promotion from quarterbacks coach, replaces Hue Jackson in the role. Cincinnati also confirmed the previously-reported hiring of Jim Haslett as the team’s linebackers coach.
[RELATED: Browns hire Hue Jackson as head coach]
Zampese, the son of longtime NFL coach Ernie Zampese, has been the Bengals’ quarterbacks coach for more than a decade, having taking over the position in 2003. Having first worked with No. 1 overall pick Carson Palmer, Zampese has more recently played a big part in Andy Dalton‘s success — the Bengals’ current signal-caller has earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods, and has made the playoffs in each of his five NFL seasons.
The decision to promote Zampese should help Dalton keep progressing in the right direction, and is also a reflection of the Bengals’ focus on continuity. That approach is on display each offseason, when the team generally sits out free agency in favor of re-signing its own players, and it extends to many of the club’s coaching decisions as well. Jackson and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther were both position coaches in Cincinnati before receiving promotions.
The Bengals now appear set to move forward with Marvin Lewis as their head coach, Guenther as the defensive coordinator, and Zampese as the offensive coordinator for the 2016 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Giants, Tabor, M. Smith, Haslett
Ben McAdoo didn’t announce any decisions on his coaching staff during his introductory press conference this morning, but the new Giants head coach alluded to players improving in their second season in a defensive scheme, suggesting Steve Spagnuolo will be back.
Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reports (via Twitter) that Spagnuolo will, in fact, return as the Giants’ defensive coordinator. A source tell Marvez (Twitter link) that the Giants will also keep secondary coach David Merritt on McAdoo’s staff.
As for McAdoo, Giants owner John Mara said today that the club had initially scheduled a second interview for him on Thursday of this week. However, when the Giants got wind of the Eagles’ strong interest in McAdoo, they pushed that second interview up a day to Wednesday, and ultimately promoted him to head coach (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).
Here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- Browns special teams coordinator Chris Tabor has been retained by new head coach Hue Jackson, the team announced today in a press release. Tabor has been in his current role since 2011, working under Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, and now Jackson.
- The Browns are also expected to add Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson to their staff as a running game coordinator, if Minnesota approves the move, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Former Falcons head coach Mike Smith is a “hot name” as a defensive coordinator and has several options, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). We’ll see if Smith, who interviewed for a pair of head coaching jobs, has interest in returning in 2016 as an assistant.
- Jim Haslett will be named the Bengals‘ new linebackers coach, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (via Twitter). Haslett, who served as a consultant for Penn State in 2015, was replaced by Joe Barry as Washington’s defensive coordinator a year ago.
- Saints offensive line coach Bret Ingalls, offensive assistant Kyle DeVan, and secondary coach Wesley McGriff are leaving the team, with the latter two landing college jobs, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune tweets that Dan Roushar will likely move from tight ends coach to offensive line coach to accommodate new addition Dan Campbell.