Front Office Notes: Jets, Giants, Titans, Lions
Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan filled his season-ending press conference with “generalities and overall nothingness,” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Still, the executive did elaborate on several topics, including free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“We’d like very much to get him back… We’ll see how this thing works out.”
“Bryce [Petty] has made a lot of progress. We’re kind of excited to have another offseason with him… With Geno [Smith], he’s under contract. We like the progress he’s made.”
Maccagnan also noted that “it’s not impossible” to keep all of their top defensive linemen, including Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison and Leonard Williams.
Let’s check out some more notes from the league’s front offices…
- Giants general manager Jerry Reese understands that it’s his job to improve the roster, and he said he puts it on himself if the team doesn’t perform well. “At the end of the day, it’s my responsibility,” he said (via Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News). “If somebody doesn’t get it right, if somebody doesn’t pan out, it’s the GM’s responsibility.”
- While candidates have been interviewing for the Titans head coach vacancy, ownership has made it clear that they have no desire to sell the team, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
- The Lions have fired senior personnel executive Scott McEwen, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The former Director of College Scouting was the longest tenured scout in the organization.
- According to Schefter (on Twitter), the Lions have hired Kyle O’Brien as their Director of Player Personnel.
Coaching Notes: Buccaneers, Titans, Coughlin
Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers will hire Jon Hoke as their defensive backs coach. The 58-year-old has spent much of his career in the NCAA, where he was the defensive backs coach for Missouri, Florida, and South Carolina (among many others). Hoke also had a seven-year stint as the Texans DB coach, and he also spent five seasons with the Bears.
Let’s take a look at some more coaching notes from around the league…
- Dirk Koetter is overjoyed to be the Buccaneers new head coach, writes Rick Stroud of TampaBay.com. The 56-year-old has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, and he’s thrilled to finally get an opportunity to lead the entire operation. “First, you know, it’s emotional, a day like this. It’s one of the happiest days of my life but also one of the most humbling,” Koetter said. “It’s been a long time, a long time in the making. There’s 32 of these jobs in the world. I know I can do the job, even though I’m whimpering around a little bit up here today. I’m a little tougher than I’ve been coming across so far. I’m ready for it. Nothing that is said here today is going to affect us one bit in wins and losses. That all comes later. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
- Defensive coordinator Ray Horton is meeting with the Titans today, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it will the organization’s last scheduled interview for their head coaching vacancy. The reporter notes that the position could be filled today, and he believes the job is “Mike Mularkey‘s to lose.” If the interim head coach does get the full-time position, Rapoport expects it to be on a short-term contract.
- Giants co-owner John Mara admitted that he didn’t want to see former head coach Tom Coughlin take the same gig with the Eagles. “I’m not going to lie, it would’ve bothered me a lot,” Mara said (via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). “It would’ve been like watching Bill Parcells walk out onto the field with a (Dallas) star on his shirt. That was tough to see at the time. That would’ve bothered me. I want him to be happy, but I certainly didn’t want to see him happy in green.”
Colts Hire Joe Philbin As OL Coach
8:31pm: Philbin won’t be regressing from head coach to position coach entirely. Part of the Colts’ offer includes the title of assistant head coach, which may have been the reason the former Dolphins boss chose Indianapolis over the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
4:52pm: Former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has found a new home, and despite the rumors and speculation this week, he didn’t land in New York. The Colts announced today in a press release that they’ve hired Philbin as their offensive line coach.
[RELATED: Colts hire Rob Chudzinski as permanent offensive coordinator]
As recently as Thursday, following the hiring of Ben McAdoo as the Giants’ new head coach, multiple reports indicated that Philbin would likely land on McAdoo’s staff, possibly in the role of assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. However, it seems Philbin – and the Giants – are going in another direction. Mike Garafolo FOX Sports tweets that Philbin strongly considered the Giants before opting for the Colts.
Philbin, who was hired by the Dolphins as their head coach in 2012, led the team to a 24-28 record up until he was fired earlier this season. His tenure in Miami didn’t result in any postseason trips, but he enjoyed success in Green Bay before heading south, serving as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that, Philbin coached the team’s offensive line.
In Indianapolis, Philbin will be tasked with coaching an offensive line that may need to be upgraded this winter. Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort look like a solid pairing on the left side, and Joe Reitz played reasonably well this year, but the Colts will want the group of players responsible for keeping Andrew Luck upright and healthy in 2016 to be more than just passable.
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.
Giants Hire Ben McAdoo As Head Coach
FRIDAY, 10:26am: McAdoo received a four-year contract along with his promotion, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The Giants’ new head coach was officially introduced at a Friday morning press conference.
THURSDAY, 2:05pm: The Giants have officially hired McAdoo as their new head coach, the team announced today in a press release.
“Ben is an outstanding young coach who has great experience and has done a good job as our offensive coordinator these past two years,” John Mara said in a statement. “Jerry [Reese] and I interviewed six impressive candidates, and when we were through with that process, we had another conversation with Ben, as did Steve and Jon Tisch. We were all impressed with his energy, his enthusiasm, his vision and his desire.”
McAdoo is reportedly prepared to promote quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan to be his new offensive coordinator.
WEDNESDAY, 7:22pm: The Giants are closing in on a deal to hire offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo as their next head coach, a source tells Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, meanwhile, appears likely to serve as his offensive coordinator on the revamped Giants staff (link). 
McAdoo, who was hired as the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2014, has helped Eli Manning enjoy perhaps the most productive two-year stretch of his NFL career. Although the club has posted a 6-10 record in consecutive seasons, Manning has thrived, averaging 4,423 yards and about 33 touchdowns per season over the last two years, to go along with a 92.9 rating. The Giants finished in the top eight in the NFL in terms of both yards per game (372.3) and points per game (26.3) in 2015.
Manning was vocal in his support of McAdoo and told a New York radio station earlier this month that he felt that McAdoo reminded him a lot of predecessor Tom Coughlin. Manning’s endorsement alone did not get McAdoo the job, but there’s little doubt that it was a major help.
Prior to hiring McAdoo, the Giants interviewed a wide range of candidates, as shown in the 2016 PFR NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker. The Giants also interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, their own DC Steve Spagnuolo, ex-Bills head coach Doug Marrone, and ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith. As for right now, the plan is for Spagnuolo to remain on staff as the team’s defensive coordinator, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
Apparently, the Eagles were dangerously close to swooping in and stealing McAdoo away from New York. Two NFL sources tell Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter) that the Eagles were set to hire McAdoo. One has to imagine that lit a fire under the Giants and pushed them to turn away from their other candidates.
The Dolphins were 1-3 and lost back-to-back games by a combined score of 68-28 when Philbin was axed in October. Philbin is generally regarded as one of the kinder coaches in the game, but his agreeable demeanor did not save his job in Miami as the team entered the season with very high hopes for 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Community Tailgate: Best Head Coach Hire?
As the NFL postseason begins, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
With the NFL postseason in full swing, and four intriguing divisional playoff games on tap for this weekend, the league would probably like the focus to be on those games, and on the build-up to Super Bowl 50. Instead, this week’s news cycle has been dominated by Los Angeles relocation and head coaching changes, with several teams announcing new head coaches within the last few days.
In today’s Community Tailgate, we’re looking for your thoughts on those head coaching hires. Did any teams make mistakes by firing their previous coaches, or by not choosing a different replacement? Which hire do you like most? Are there any candidates who didn’t get a shot at a head coaching job this time around that you think would have been better choices for the teams making changes?
Here’s a recap of the changes made so far, via our tracker:
- Cleveland Browns hired Hue Jackson to replace Mike Pettine.
- Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase to replace Dan Campbell (interim)/Joe Philbin (permanent).
- New York Giants hired Ben McAdoo to replace Tom Coughlin.
- Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Doug Pederson to replace Pat Shurmur (interim)/Chip Kelly (permanent).
- San Francisco 49ers hired Chip Kelly to replace Jim Tomsula.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Dirk Koetter to replace Lovie Smith.
What do you think of the hires? Which moves do you like the best, or the least? Which coaches that didn’t get a shot should have received stronger consideration? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!
Coach Rumors: Giants, Jags, Titans, Marrone
As the divisional round of the NFL postseason inches closer, the coaching carousel continues to spin for many of the clubs that have been eliminated from Super Bowl contention. Here are the latest coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- While there probably won’t be an official announcement until Friday at the earliest, sources expect the Giants to head into 2016 with Mike Sullivan at offensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo at defensive coordinator, and Joe Philbin coming aboard the assistant head coach and QBs coach, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Jaguars are interviewing Lou Anarumo, who finished 2015 as the Dolphins’ interim defensive coordinator, for their defensive coordinator opening, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets. Jacksonville is taking its time identifying a replacement for Bob Babich, having interviewed Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel earlier this week.
- Doug Marrone completed his interview for the Titans‘ head coaching position today, and Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link) hears that the former Bills head coach made a good impression.
- The Chargers have hired former Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson for the same position in San Diego, the team announced today in a press release.
- In addition to confirming their previously-reported hiring of linebackers coach Jim Herrmann, the Colts have announced that they’ve fired offensive line coach Hal Hunter, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
Giants Expected To Promote QB Coach Mike Sullivan To OC
The Giants are expected to promote quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan to offensive coordinator, sources tell Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Joe Philbin, who was previously rumored to be in line for the job, will be given a different title, perhaps assistant head coach. 
[RELATED: Giants hire Ben McAdoo as head coach]
Sullivan was the Giants’ quarterbacks coach in 2010 and 2011 and they circled back to him prior to the 2015 season to hire him in the same capacity. In between those two stints with Big Blue, Sullivan served as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013. When head coach Greg Schiano was shown the door, so was Sullivan.
The Dolphins were 1-3 and lost back-to-back games by a combined score of 68-28 when Philbin was axed in October. Philbin is generally regarded as one of the kinder coaches in the game, but his agreeable demeanor did not save his job in Miami as the team entered the season with very high hopes for 2015.
While Sullivan is expected to get the offensive coordinator title, new head coach Ben McAdoo figures to continue calling plays, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tom Coughlin Withdraws From Eagles HC Search
1:37pm: Coughlin could have landed the Eagles’ head coaching position had he not removed his name from consideration, sources tell Gary Myers of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). With most of his assistant coaches still under contract in New York, Coughlin didn’t want to start over with a new staff and the Giants weren’t about to let all those assistants join him.
12:11pm: Tom Coughlin is withdrawing his name from consideration for Eagles head coaching job, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran coach feels that he’s not the right fit for the job. Coughlin had concerns about the Eagles job, including who the offensive coordinator would be, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
In theory, Coughlin taking himself out of the running in Philly could signal something happening with the 49ers, where he has been said to be a strong candidate. However, the Niners are said to be down to Chip Kelly or Mike Shanahan for their own vacancy, which would leave Coughlin on the outside looking in.
As PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Trackershows, Coughlin was one of many candidates to be connected to the job in Philadelphia. So far, the team has also interviewed interim head coach Pat Shurmur, running backs coach Duce Staley, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo (before he was hired by the Giants), and Chiefs OC Doug Pederson. The Eagles were reportedly closing in on McAdoo before the Giants locked him down on Wednesday evening. Shurmur, Staley, and Pederson have not interviewed with any other teams to date.
Coughlin, who previously served as head coach of the Jaguars, led the Giants to a 102-90 record during his 12 seasons with the team. He also added eight victories in 11 postseason contests, with all of those wins coming in two seasons – 2007 and 2011 – during which the Giants won the Super Bowl.
In recent years, however, Coughlin’s Giants struggled, having failed to earn a postseason berth since that 2011 Super Bowl season. After going 9-7 in 2012, New York has had three straight losing years, finishing 6-10 in a weak NFC East in 2015 and sealing Coughlin’s fate — the Giants were expected to make a change if the veteran head coach hadn’t resigned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Hire Hue Jackson As Head Coach
2:34pm: The Browns have officially announced the hiring of Jackson in a press release. The team’s new head coach will arrive in town today and meet with reporters tonight at 5:30pm CT.
“[Jackson] is highly experienced, deeply passionate about winning, and relentless in trying to find ways to put his players in the best position to succeed,” owner Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “He possesses that unique ability to reach the entire locker room in a way that demands accountability while getting the buy-in and team-first mentality that leads to positive results. I think our players will love playing for him.”
11:59am: Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is heading to a division rival, and will become the next head coach of the Browns, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Jackson confirms the move to Michael Silver of NFL Media, telling Silver that Cleveland “made me feel comfortable” (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Browns add Paul DePodesta to front office]
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links) was the first to report that Jackson and the Browns were working on finalizing a deal. According to Schefter, the Browns will lock up the former Raiders head coach before he gets on a flight to New York — Jackson had been scheduled to interview with the Giants today or tomorrow.
Since 2003, Jackson has held four separate offensive coordinator jobs, in Washington, Atlanta, Oakland, and Cincinnati. He also served as a position coach for several of those clubs, as well as the Ravens, where he coached the quarterbacks in 2008 and 2009.
Jackson’s only previous shot at a head coaching job came in 2011, when he led the Raiders to an 8-8 record. Despite the respectable result, Jackson was let go after one season when Oakland hired GM Reggie McKenzie, who preferred to bring in his own head coach.
Although he also drew interest from the 49ers and the Giants, Jackson was pursued most aggressively by the Browns, who made a “big push” this week to land him. Although the organization has a reputation as a dysfunctional one, and there’s some skepticism about how the new analytics-oriented front office will perform, the Cleveland job was somewhat appealing to candidates, since it came with more personnel say than some of the other head coaching positions around the NFL.
Jackson is expected to report directly to owner Jimmy Haslam, and will work with a front office that features Sashi Brown and former MLB executive Paul DePodesta. Neither Brown nor DePodesta have any real experience making NFL personnel decisions, and while Brown is expected to make the final call on those decisions, Jackson should have some level of influence over the team’s roster. For instance, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link) hears that Jackson “made it clear he’d want to move on” from Johnny Manziel.
With Jackson off the market, the Giants may turn to candidates like Mike Smith, Doug Marrone, or Ben McAdoo for their head coaching vacancy, while the 49ers – who reportedly backed off on their pursuit of Jackson yesterday – figure to consider Chip Kelly, Dirk Koetter, and Tom Coughlin, among others. Earlier today, I checked in with those head coaching searches to see where they stood.
The Browns are the second team this month to hire a new head coach, joining the Dolphins, who brought Adam Gase aboard.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.