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2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at February 15, 2026 10:15 pm

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 2-23-26 (10:40pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Drew Petzing)

  • Nathaniel Hackett, quarterbacks coach (Dolphins): Hired

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)

  • Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected

Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)

  • Travis Switzer, run-game coordinator (Ravens): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

  • Ronald Curry, quarterbacks coach (Bills): Interviewed
  • Brian Johnson, pass-game coordinator (Commanders): Interviewed
  • Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach (Broncos): Promoted

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Greg Olson)

  • Andrew Janocko, quarterbacks coach (Seahawks): Hired
  • Frisman Jackson, wide receivers coach (Seahawks): To interview

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Mike LaFleur)

  • Dave Ragone, quarterbacks coach (Rams): Title enhanced
  • Nate Scheelhaase, pass-game coordinator (Rams): Promoted

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Klint Kubiak)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired

Cleveland Browns (Out: Jim Schwartz)

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Patrick Graham)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

  • Sean Duggan, former linebackers coach (Packers): Hired
  • Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed

New England Patriots (Out: Terrell Williams)

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)

  • Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
  • Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
  • Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
  • Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

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Browns Close To Hiring D-Coordinator

By | at February 15, 2026 6:28 pm

6:28pm: Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com named three finalists for the defensive coordinator job in Cleveland today. Per Cabot, the two external candidates are both still in consideration, but of the two internal options, Banda will not be considered moving forward. In the next day or two, the Browns will be choosing between Undlin, Tarver, and Rutenberg for their defensive coordinator position.

11:52am: Nine days since Jim Schwartz resigned as their defensive coordinator, the Browns are getting closer to naming his replacement. Head coach Todd Monken‘s decision could come “within the next day or two,” Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports.

Monken has spent this weekend conducting in-person interviews with candidates, according to Cabot. Two finalists, Texans defensive pass-game coordinator Cory Undlin and Falcons PGC Mike Rutenberg, have met with Monken.

Browns linebackers coach Jason Tarver and safeties coach Ephraim Banda are also still in contention. Thanks in part to his defensive coordinator experience with the Raiders from 2012-14, Tarver is the “stronger internal candidate” than Banda, Cabot writes.

Banda was the co-defensive coordinator at Miami from 2019-20 and the DC at Utah State between 2021-22, but he has spent all three of his NFL seasons coaching safeties. If professional coordinator experience is preferred, Banda and Rutenberg may fall behind Undlin (the Lions’ DC in 2020) and Tarver in the pecking order.

Rutenberg has combined for 15 years in the league with Washington, Jacksonville, San Francisco, the Jets and Atlanta, but the longtime Robert Saleh colleague has never run a defense. He has also never been on the same staff as Schwartz. Considering Monken intends to keep Schwartz’s system in place, that may be important.

With Schwartz then the Eagles’ DC, Undlin spent four years under him (2016-19) as their defensive backs coach. They won a Super Bowl together in 2017. In addition to his experience with Schwartz, Undlin has also worked with Monken. The two overlapped as Jaguars assistants from 2009-10.

Tarver and Banda helped Schwartz’s defense finish 2025 fourth in scoring and 14th in yards. With a record 23 sacks, Myles Garrett steamrolled his way to Defensive Player of the Year honors. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, Tarver’s pupil, was a tackling machine (156) who chipped in 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. That was enough for the second-rounder from UCLA to collect the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

The Browns have a lot of problems to fix on the offensive side of the ball, but Garrett and Schwesinger help make their DC job an attractive one. With the Browns in the final stages of their search, here’s a refresher on the other names they’ve considered:

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Browns Request DC Interview With Falcons’ Mike Rutenberg

By | at February 9, 2026 5:34 pm

Another name has joined the growing list of candidates for the Browns defensive coordinator job. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Browns have requested an interview with Falcons defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Rutenberg.

Rutenberg had a long stint in Jacksonville to begin his NFL coaching career. Following seven seasons with the organization, he caught on with the 49ers as their passing game specialist. That move reunited him with Robert Saleh after the two worked alongside each other during their time with the Jaguars.

When Saleh got the Jets head coaching job in 2021, Rutenberg followed him to New York as the team’s new linebackers coach. He spent four years with the organization, three of which saw the Jets finish in the top-five in total defense. As the Jets revamped their coaching staff ahead of the 2025 campaign, Rutenberg left for the Falcons, where he was named the defensive pass game coordinator. Atlanta’s pass defense was generally middle-of-the-road this past season, although they did rank sixth in interceptions.

The 44-year-old’s stock has recently been climbing. He was a candidate for the Titans DC job that eventually went to Gus Bradley, and Fowler notes that Rutenberg was actually the runner-up in that process. Now, he’ll get another crack at a coordinator gig in Cleveland.

Another name that’s definitively connected to the Browns job is Texans passing-game coordinator Cory Undlin, who was previously mentioned as a potential candidate for the gig. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, Undlin met with the Browns this past weekend. This would be a bit of a homecoming for the veteran coach, who had a four-year stint in Cleveland early in his coaching career.

Since then, he’s coached defensive backs in stops with the Jaguars, Broncos, Eagles, and 49ers. He also had a one-year stint as the Lions defensive coordinator under Matt Patricia, although Detroit ranked as the worst defense in the NFL that year. He’s spent the past three seasons serving in his current role on DeMeco Ryans‘s staff in Houston.

With Jim Schwartz resigning from his post in Cleveland, the Browns list of DC candidates continues to grow. The team’s other options include:

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Browns DC Jim Schwartz Resigns

By | at February 7, 2026 7:42 pm

FEBRUARY 7: Monken contacted Schwartz three days after his hire, attempting to arrange a partnership between the two. As The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required), Schwartz “was not enthused” with the timing of the communication, something which further explains his resignation decision. ESPN’s Dan Graziano confirms Schwartz is likely to spend the 2026 season out of coaching before resurfacing elsewhere.

FEBRUARY 6: Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz was a finalist to become their head coach, but the job ultimately went to Todd Monken on Jan. 28. Schwartz made it clear afterward that he wanted to leave Cleveland, and he’ll do just that a little over a week later. Schwartz has resigned, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network was among those to report.

In announcing Schwartz’s departure, the Browns stated: “Yesterday, Jim Schwartz submitted his letter of resignation as defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns. We’d like to thank Jim for his contributions to our organization over the last three seasons. Our search for a new defensive coordinator will begin immediately.”

The Browns tried to retain Schwartz as their defensive leader for a fourth season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Although they were unable to do it, they continue to hold his rights, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes. The 59-year-old is not expected to coach anywhere in 2026, per Garafolo. He stepped down with two years left on his contract.

Schwartz was the Lions’ head coach from 2009-13, but he hasn’t gotten another shot since he guided the team to a 29-51 record and one playoff berth in five seasons. While his time in Detroit didn’t go well, Schwartz was a top-tier defensive coordinator with the Titans from 2001-08. He has thrived in that role with the Bills (2014), Eagles (2016-20) and Browns (2023-25) since the Lions let him go. Schwartz won Super Bowl LII in Philadelphia.

After returning to Tennesee as a senior defensive assistant from 2021-22, now-former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski brought him in to replace Joe Woods as their D-coordinator. The Browns earned their most recent playoff berth in Schwartz’s first season, and his defense was a major contributor. The unit topped the league in total defense and ranked 13th in points allowed. Schwartz subsequently picked up AP Assistant Coach of the Year honors.

The Browns’ win total plummeted from 11 to three in 2024, during which their defense submitted below-average marks in yards (19th) and points (27th). Although the Browns struggled again during a 12-loss campaign this past season, Schwartz’s group did its best to make up for a bottom-of-the-barrel offense.

Cleveland’s defense rebounded to finish fourth in yards and 14th in scoring in 2025. End Myles Garrett set the all-time single-season sack record (23) en route to unanimous Defensive Player of the Year honors. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger also took home hardware on Thursday, the day Schwartz tendered his resignation. Schwesinger was voted the unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year after piling up 156 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions in 16 games.

Despite the success Garrett, Schwesinger and the rest of the Browns’ defense enjoyed under Schwartz, it wasn’t enough to earn a promotion. The Browns are higher on the offensive-minded Monken after his terrific three-year run as the Ravens’ play-caller. Monken, who emerged as the “strong No. 1 choice” in the Browns’ HC search, now faces the unenviable task of replacing Schwartz.

During his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Monken expressed a desire to continue with the same defensive system in the event of Schwartz’s exit. With that in mind, Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso and defensive pass game coordinator Cory Undlin are names to watch for the Browns, Rapoport relays.

Vasso and Undlin serve under Texans DC Matt Burke, a Schwartz disciple who worked with him in Detroit and Philadelphia. Schwartz also had Vasso and Undlin on his staff with the Eagles, and now either could end up replacing him in Cleveland in the coming days. Undlin is familiar with the organization, having worked as a Browns assistant from 2005-08.

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2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at February 28, 2023 2:45 pm

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired
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Texans Finalize 2023 Coaching Staff

By | at February 25, 2023 9:20 am

The Texans have made changes to most of their coaching staff this offseason, following the hire of new head coach DeMeco Ryans and then the additions of offensive and defensive coordinators Bobby Slowik and Matt Burke. Houston has since announced that the finalization of its coaching staff for the 2023 season, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. We’ve covered several of the minor staff updates as they’ve happened in real time, but here are the final updates that we have not yet reported.

On the offensive side of the ball, Houston announced a few names from former head coach Lovie Smith‘s staff that have been retained under Ryans. Running backs coach Danny Barrett will be sticking around after coaching rookie running back Dameon Pierce to an impressive first season of play. Also being retained are offensive assistants Jarrod James and DeNarius McGhee. McGhee has been with the team in this position since 2020, while James joined the staff last year.

Three other coaches were officially hired to the offensive staff. We had seen rumors that former Colts offensive line coach Chris Strausser was the favorite to coach the same position for Ryans in Houston, and that rumor was confirmed today as he was announced with the finalized staff. Also announced was assistant offensive line coach Cole Popovich, who hasn’t coached in the NFL since he parted ways with the Patriots in 2021. He spent last year as the offensive line coach at Troy. Lastly, Ryans and Slowik have brought on Bill Lazor as a senior offensive assistant. Lazor didn’t coach last year after being fired by the Bears but brings experience as someone who’s been an offensive coordinator for three NFL franchises.

On the defensive side of the ball, Houston kept a few mores names from Smith’s former staff. Cornerbacks coach Dino Vasso will return to coach a talented group that includes veterans Steven Nelson, Desmond King, and Tavierre Thomas, as well as youngster Derek Stingley. Ryans has also chosen to retain defensive assistant Ben Bolling. Other defensive assistants Ilir Emini and Dele Harding were not retained by Ryans and Burke. Lastly on defense, it had been rumored that former 49ers defensive passing game specialist and secondary coach Cory Undlin would be reuniting with Ryans in a similar role with the Texans. This latest announcement shows that Undlin will not have a position coaching role but has been officially hired as the team’s defensive pass-game coordinator.

There are a few more updates to wrap things up. We knew that special teams coordinator Frank Ross was being retained in Ryans’s new staff, but now we have word that assistant special teams coordinator Sean Baker will also be sticking around. We also have the official title for former Kent State director of football operations and Yale chief of staff Jake Olson. He will serve as assistant to the coaches in Houston. Lastly, Smith’s special assistant to the head coach for football performance, Tobijah Hughley, has not been retained under Ryans’ new staff.

There it is. The Texans are now ready to herald a new era under Ryans and his staff. The teams needs a lot of work following a 3-13-1 season, and now Ryans has the group of coaches on which he’ll rely to usher in this new age of Texans football.

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AFC Coaching Rumors: Broncos, Henry, Texans, Donatell

By | at February 15, 2023 8:14 pm

As has been expected for a little while now, Saints offensive assistant Declan Doyle will be departing New Orleans to join Sean Payton‘s new staff in Denver, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The original reports about Doyle indicated that he was in consideration for a first-time position coaching role leading the tight ends for the Broncos, but Underhill’s recent report didn’t specify what his role would be.

The Broncos made another minor coaching staff addition today, hiring someone who has a bit of a different connection to New Orleans, as reported by Zach Barnett of Football Scoop. While not a former Saints staffer, new Broncos passing game quality control coach Logan Kilgore was the offensive coordinator for new Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning during their time together at the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. Kilgore was set to rejoin head coach Butch Jones at Arkansas State as the Red Wolves’ tight ends coach after working as an offensive analyst with the team in 2021. Instead, Kilgore is headed to Denver, where he will work with many other former New Orleans coaches.

Here are a few other coaching rumors from around the AFC, starting with a new assistant coaching hire in Buffalo:

  • The Bills have hired a veteran to their staff in longtime wide receivers coach Adam Henry, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Newtork. Henry has coached the position at McNeese State, LSU, and Indiana at the college level, serving, as well, as offensive coordinator at McNeese State, passing game coordinator at LSU, and co-offensive coordinator at Indiana. At the NFL level, Henry’s first position coaching role was as tight ends coach under Tom Cable in Oakland. Since then, he has coached receivers for the 49ers, Giants, Browns, and Cowboys. An interesting aspect of this hire is Henry’s connection to free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Henry coached both Beckham and Jarvis Landry when the two were at LSU and in Cleveland.
  • The Texans have made a number of decisions recently for new head coach DeMeco Ryans‘s staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. First, Houston hired former Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin as their new linebackers coach. The younger brother of Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and former NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Chris formerly worked alongside Ryans during their time together in San Francisco. Second, the team chose to retain defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire from Lovie Smith‘s staff. Under Cesaire, the defensive line saw surprising contributions from defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and defensive tackle Maliek Collins. Third, former 49ers defensive passing game specialist and secondary coach Cory Undlin is expected to reunite with Ryans as the Texans defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach. Finally, fourth, after choosing not to retain offensive line coach George Warhop, Colts offensive line coach Chris Strausser has emerged as the leading candidate to replace him.
  • The Dolphins have requested to interview Chargers assistant secondary coach Tom Donatell for the secondary coaching position in Miami, according to a tweet by Pelissero. The son of Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, Tom is making his own way up through the coaching ranks of the NFL.
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Texans Expected To Hire Cory Undlin; Team Will Not Retain Pep Hamilton, Others

By | at February 14, 2023 4:14 pm

Former Lions defensive coordinator and two-year DeMeco Ryans lieutenant with the 49ers, Cory Undlin will come over from San Francisco to join Ryans’ staff in Houston. The Texans plan to hire the veteran NFL assistant, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports.

Previous reports pegged the Texans as interested, and Wilson notes the team intends to hire Undlin as its secondary coach and defensive passing-game coordinator. Undlin spent the past two seasons as the 49ers’ secondary coach; his contract expired after the 2022 season. He is the latest 49ers assistant to join Ryans’ Texans staff.

That staff will not include Pep Hamilton or offensive line coach George Warhop, per Wilson. The Texans retained special teams coordinator Frank Ross, who was a David Culley hire and former Nick Caserio Patriots coworker, but they will have new coordinators (Bobby Slowik, Matt Burke). While Hamilton stayed on under Lovie Smith under a different position, moving from quarterbacks coach to OC, he is out in Houston after two seasons. Warhop joined the Texans last year.

A two-time NFL OC, Hamilton, 48, turned down the opportunity to interview for the Buccaneers’ play-calling post. It will be interesting to see where the ex-Colts play-caller lands. For a second straight season, the Texans finished 30th or worse in both scoring and total offense. While the Texans were not exactly equipped with many notable starters, the team’s struggles helped key another shakeup.

Warhop, 61, has been an offensive line coach in the NFL since 1996. The Texans are eyeing former Colts O-line coach Chris Strausser for the job, Wilson notes, adding the team is also eyeing current Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin as well. A Frank Reich hire in Indianapolis, Strausser coached the Colts’ O-line for the past four seasons. Although that unit produced three Pro Bowlers at various points, it regressed in 2022. Kiffin has been with the Browns since 2020 but has interest in joining the Texans. The second-generation NFL coach was on the 49ers’ staff from 2018-19, serving as San Francisco’s pass rush specialist.

Undlin, 51, checks both boxes for the current Texans, having worked with both Ryans and Caserio. Undlin collected a Super Bowl ring in his first NFL season, working as a low-level assistant in New England in 2004, and was the Eagles’ DBs coach during their Super Bowl LII-winning season. His Lions DC stay under Matt Patricia lasted one season (2020).

Ryans has now added Undlin, Slowik, Stephen Adegoke (safeties) and Nick Kray from the 49ers. An effort to poach defensive line coach Kris Kocurek failed. Ryans’ staff will also not include tight ends coach Tim Berbenich, assistant D-line coach Kenyon Jackson, quarterbacks coach Ted White, linebackers coach Miles Smith and select other staffers, Wilson adds. This is not exactly surprising, given the Texans’ struggles and six-year commitment to Ryans.

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Texans To Hire Matt Burke As DC

By | at February 10, 2023 9:04 am

The Texans will give Matt Burke a second chance on the coordinator level. Shortly after interviewing the Cardinals’ defensive line coach, the AFC South team plans to hire him as its next defensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

While DeMeco Ryans will head up Houston’s defense, Burke will step in as the young HC’s right-hand man here. Burke previously oversaw the Dolphins’ defense from 2017-18 but has been with three teams since. Burke, 46, spent the 2022 season with the Cardinals, worked with the Eagles from 2019-20 and was with the Jets in 2021.

Ryans obviously earned the Houston HC job on the strength of his defensive acumen, but it is not a certainty he will call plays. He and Burke have not determined that key component of the Texans’ 2023 blueprint, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who suggests Burke has a legitimate chance to step into this role (Twitter link).

This process did not double as a wide-ranging search. Beyond Burke, it is believed only Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel interviewed for the position. Manuel interviewed for the gig twice, per KPRC’s Aaron Wilson, but the Texans were unable to secure meetings with Chris Harris or 49ers D-line coach Kris Kocurek. Harris interviewed for San Francisco’s DC position and received a Texans interview request; he ended up sticking with his initial offseason pledge — a Titans staff gig. Harris is now Tennessee’s cornerbacks coach.

Kocurek is expected to stay with the 49ers, with Wilson noting a title bump may be on tap. Manuel interviewed for both the Texans and Panthers’ DC posts. Unable to bring Kocurek to Houston, Ryans is also interested in former San Francisco coworker Cory Undlin. Undlin’s 49ers contract has expired, per Wilson; that could well lead the team’s passing-game coordinator/DBs coach to the Texans. Undlin, 51, spent the 2020 season as the Lions’ DC but was one of Ryans’ top assistants over the past two years.

An NFL staffer since 2004, Burke has spent much of his career coaching linebackers. He served in that role with the Lions, Bengals and Dolphins. Miami promoted Burke to DC in 2017, and he worked as Adam Gase‘s DC during the latter’s final two seasons running the Dolphins. Success proved elusive. The Dolphins ranked 28th and 25th in defensive DVOA, respectively, during Burke’s two years in charge. The Dolphins ousted both Gase and Burke in 2019, pivoting to an aggressive rebuild.

Burke just finished overseeing J.J. Watt‘s final season. The former Texans superstar rebounded from an injury-plagued 2021 to exit the NFL on a high note, producing 12.5 sacks — including two in his final game, against Ryans’ 49ers — and seven pass deflections. Perhaps more indicative of Burke’s Arizona work: Zach Allen‘s contract-year ascent. Working alongside Watt, Allen produced eight pass batdowns — a total that tied for the league lead among D-linemen last season — and registered a career-best 5.5 sacks and 20 QB hits.

The Cardinals stayed with Vance Joseph‘s 3-4 scheme in 2022, but Ryans and Burke used 4-3 looks during their seasons running defenses. It should be expected the Texans will pivot to that alignment in 2023. Houston does not have much in the way of cornerstone defensive pieces; it will be on Burke to spearhead a young group. The Texans ranked 27th in scoring defense and allowed the third-most yards last season.

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Texans Request Chris Harris, Marquand Manuel DC Interviews

By | at February 7, 2023 8:58 am

FEBRUARY 7: Houston has also put in a request to interview Manuel, reports Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. That comes as little surprise, given the Texans’ previously noted interest in him following Ryans’ HC hire. Manuel, 43, spent two years as a defensive coordinator in Atlanta, and has since worked with the Eagles’ and Jets’ defensive backs.

Wilson also notes that Kocurek is no longer on the Texans’ radar not due to a lack of interest, but rather the overwhelming belief that he will remain in San Francisco. He, along with Undlin, represent logical internal replacement candidates for Ryans with the 49ers. Undlin had been reported to be “in the mix” for that position by SI’s Albert Breer, but Wilson tweets that the 51-year-old’s contract with San Francisco has expired. As a result, he is free to explore opportunities below the coordinator level, including in Houston and elsewhere.

FEBRUARY 6: The Texans are looking to fill out their staff under new head coach DeMeco Ryans, reportedly requesting to interview former Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris for the defensive coordinator job in Houston, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Harris had reportedly been the Titans’ planned hire as defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach, but no official statement was ever made.

It seemed that Harris was off the market due to the Titans’ plans, but a little over a week later, the 49ers reportedly had interest in interviewing Harris for their defensive coordinator position. After that, it began to seem that Harris would allow his greater options to play out before committing to Tennessee. Harris did interview with San Francisco, and the 49ers’ coordinator hiring process is still ongoing, plus now Harris has been connected to Houston’s search.

Harris isn’t the only name that’s been mentioned in Houston so far. A little over a week ago, the first few names of interest were reported. Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel, 49ers passing game specialist/secondary coach Cory Undlin, and 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek were all mentioned as candidates of interest in Houston. Manuel is the only one of the four who has experience as a defensive coordinator, but with Ryans leading the team, it appears prior experience is not a requirement.

The intriguing scenario around Harris has been prolonged, as he is still receiving significant interest for open defensive coordinator jobs. In Houston he’ll be forced to compete with two of Ryan’s former San Francisco underlings in Undlin and Kocurek, but Harris has certainly been a hot name in coaching circles. His ascent up the coaching ladder is sure to continue next year whether he accepts the offer in Tennessee, replaces Ryans in San Francisco, or joins him in Houston.

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