Eagles Had Interest In Steve Spagnuolo
With Tom Coughlin resigned as the Giants’ head coach, it created some uncertainty about Steve Spagnuolo‘s future with the team. The incumbent defensive coordinator interviewed for New York’s head coaching job, but it was Ben McAdoo, the former offensive coordinator, who ended up landing the job instead.
[RELATED: Eagles hire Doug Pederson as head coach]
Despite not receiving a promotion like McAdoo, it doesn’t appear that Spagnuolo is going anywhere. Several Giants beat reporters, including Paul Schwartz of the New York Post and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links) that Spagnuolo is expected to remain the team’s defensive coordinator.
Still, it’s not as if Spagnuolo is staying put due to a lack of opportunities elsewhere. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Eagles explored the idea of bringing the Giants’ defensive coordinator to Philadelphia as Doug Pederson‘s defensive coordinator. Anthony Gargano of 97.5 The Fantatic (Twitter link) said this morning that the Eagles actually requested permission to talk to Spagnuolo, but were denied by New York.
Assuming Gargano’s report is accurate, it doesn’t come as a real surprise. Coughlin interviewed with the Eagles for their head coaching job, but withdrew from that process at least in part because he was unlikely to have the freedom to bring his old Giants assistants with him. If the Giants wouldn’t let Spagnuolo join Coughlin in Philadelphia, they weren’t likely to let him join Pederson there. Of course, it’s not clear if Spagnuolo even reciprocated the Eagles’ interest.
As our coordinator tracker shows, Jim Schwartz and Mike Pettine have been mentioned as potential defensive coordinator candidates in Philadelphia. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles appear to be closing in on a deal to make Frank Reich their offensive coordinator, while the Giants are expected to promote Mike Sullivan to their OC role.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Expected To Hire Frank Reich As OC
MONDAY, 12:22pm: Reich is expected to join Pederson’s staff in Philadelphia, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport clarifies (via Twitter) that the former Chargers offensive coordinator is expected to hold the same position with the Eagles.
SUNDAY, 1:49pm: Now that his club has been eliminated from the postseason, Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is expected to introduced as the Eagles’ new head coach at a press conference early this week. But he’s already at work filling out a coaching staff, and his first choice for offensive coordinator is former Chargers OC Frank Reich, reports Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News.
[RELATED: Eagles to hire Doug Pederson as head coach]
Reich, recently fired after three seasons leading San Diego’s offense, interviewed for the same position on Adam Gase‘s Dolphins staff, but Miami ultimately chose Clyde Christensen as their new offensive coordinator. Reich wouldn’t have called plays in Miami (Gase will do that), and it’s unclear if he would handle that responsibility in Philadelphia — or if Pederson himself will take on that role.
Pederson is also interested in bringing a fellow Chiefs staffer with him, as Hayes reports that Brad Childress is on the Eagles’ radar. It’s unknown in what capacity Childress would serve — he’s currently labeled as Kansas City’s spread game coordinator — but he has a history with both the Eagles and Pederson. Childress worked with the Eagles from 1999-2005, and his time in Philadelphia overlapped with that of Pederson’s (who was an active player) in 1999.
Incumbent Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur reportedly isn’t out the picture quite yet, as Hayes indicates that Pederson isn’t averse to keeping Shurmur on staff, perhaps even in his same role. Shurmur, of course, interviewed for the head coaching position in Philadelphia, and is respected due to his work with quarterback Sam Bradford in 2015.
On the defensive side of the ball, Pederson’s top target for coordinator is Giants DC Steve Spagnuolo, per Hayes. That could prove difficult, as all indications have been that the Giants and new head coach Ben McAdoo plan to keep Spagnuolo on as coordinator.
Pederson, who has no head coaching experience himself and has only been an NFL assistant since 2009, is clearly targeting coaches who do have experience at the top. Between them, Childress, Shurmur, and Spagnuolo offer 10 years of HC experience, which would be valuable to a first-time head coach.
Coach Rumors: 49ers, Mangini, Giants, Titans
New 49ers head coach Chip Kelly hasn’t been formally introduced by the team yet, and hasn’t made any announcements on his coaching staff, but it appears a handful of Eagles assistant coaches will be following him to San Francisco, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets, the Eagles assistants remain under contract through 2016, so Philadelphia could block some of them from heading to the Niners if Doug Pederson wants to keep them, but the Eagles’ new head coach is likely to hire many of his own assistants as well.
One notable Niners assistant who may end up remaining in San Francisco is defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Marvez tweets that there’s a “strong possibility” of Mangini, who met with Kelly on Friday, returning to head the 49ers’ defense in 2016.
As we wait to see how Kelly’s staff shakes out, here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- The Giants appear set to move on from offensive line coach Pat Flaherty and defensive line coach Robert Nunn, per reports by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Nunn will interview for the Titans‘ DL coach job, says Garafolo.
- Meanwhile, Marvez has a note on a potential incoming coach for the Giants, tweeting that ex-Rams offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is in the mix for New York’s quarterbacks coach job.
- The Titans have put in a request to interview Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie for their offensive coordinator job, sources tell Marvez and Garafolo (Twitter link).
- Doug Pederson‘s biggest decision as he takes over the Eagles‘ head coaching job will be naming his defensive coordinator, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who writes that Pederson “can’t just blindly go with one of the big-name coordinators who are available.”
Coaching Rumors: Chiefs, Eagles, Colts, Rams
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links), that offensive coordinator Doug Pederson‘s replacement is already on Kansas City’s coaching staff, and also stated that he doesn’t expect Pederson to take any Chiefs assistants with him to Philadelphia.
A report earlier today indicated that Pederson would like to add Chiefs spread game analyst Brad Childress to his staff in some capacity, but Reid’s statements make it seem like that isn’t likely. This is just my speculation, but given Reid’s comments, I’d guess that Childress would be the leading to candidate to succeed Pederson as Kansas City OC.
Here’s more from the coaching circuit:
- Former Jets/Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is a likely candidate for the Colts‘ vacant quarterbacks coach job, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Schottenheimer, who boasts nine years of NFL coordinating experience, spent this past season as Georgia’s OC.
- It doesn’t sound like Mike Mularkey will retain Titans offensive coordinator Jason Michael, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reports that Michael is in line to join the Rams‘ coaching staff. Per Kuharsky, Michael would serve as either tight ends coach or passing game coordinator.
- Longtime secondary coach — and former UNLV defensive coordinator — Tim Hauck will head to the Eagles to work as assistant defensive backs coach, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Coaching Updates: 49ers, Eagles, April
As has been widely speculated, it appears as though a number of Chip Kelly‘s assistant coaches from Philadelphia are expected to join Kelly’s 49ers staff. Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com tweets that former Eagles WR coach Bob Bicknell will become the new WR coach in San Francisco, while Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms (via Twitter) that DL coach Jerry Azzinaro and QB coach Ryan Day are also expected to follow Kelly to the Bay Area. As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com observes (via Twitter), former 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula was interested in hiring Bicknell as San Francisco’s offensive coordinator last season, but Bicknell’s preference at that time was to stay in Philadelphia.
Now let’s dive into some more coaching updates:
- Expanding upon McLane’s tweet that PFR passed along along last night, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that, with the Chiefs now eliminated from the playoffs, Kansas City OC Doug Pederson is expected to be announced as the Eagles‘ new head coach within the next week.
- As for Pederson’s new coaching staff, McLane tweets that the Eagles could keep RB coach Duce Staley, special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, and offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, assuming Pederson is amenable to retaining them.
- The Titans are prepared to hire Bobby April as their special teams coach, according to Marvez (via Twitter). April, who served in the same capacity with the Jets last season, was fired after Gang Green’s disappointing special teams performance in 2015. However, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets, April has coached a number of strong special teams units in his remarkably long career. April has worked as a special teams coach/coordinator since 1991, when he first entered the NFL as a tight ends and special teams coach for the Falcons. Since that time, he has been employed by the Steelers, Saints, Rams, Bills, Eagles, Raiders, and Jets.
Extra Points: Eagles, 49ers, Titans, Raiders
Though the hire has already been widely-reported, the Eagles still have to work out a contract with new head coach Doug Pederson, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Now that Kansas City (Pederson’s current club) has been eliminated from the postseason, McLane expects a deal to come together soon, with a possible press conference on Tuesday.
As the Eagles prepare to bring in a new head coach, they are also bracing to lose an assistant, as quarterbacks coach Ryan Day is expected to follow Chip Kelly to San Francisco, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport, Day will either serve as QBs coach or offensive coordinator with the 49ers.
Let’s take a look at some more news from around the league:
- After removing the interim label from head coach Mike Mularkey‘s title earlier today, the Titans (with Mularkey’s input) have begun to make decisions on the rest of their staff. Per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Tennessee will retain defensive assistant Dick LeBeau, linebackers coach Lou Spanos, assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan, and assistant special teams coordinator Steve Hoffman. I’d guess that the fates of the remainder of the staff should be announced relatively shortly.
- The Chargers appear to be on the verge of a move to Los Angeles, and a source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link) that it’s highly doubtful that NFL owners would block the Raiders if they seek to relocate to San Diego. Bonsignore also notes (link) that Chargers owner Dean Spanos signed an agreement waiving his rights to San Diego if his club moves to LA.
- The total outlay by the St. Louis stadium task force in its efforts to keep the Rams? $16.2MM, report David Hunn and Nicholas J.C. Pistor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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: Caldwell, Eagles, Bucs, 49ers
Within the last couple days, most teams still seeking head coaches have made their decisions, even if they haven’t made those decisions official quite yet. The Giants and 49ers formally hired Ben McAdoo and Chip Kelly, respectively, while the Eagles and Buccaneers have reportedly settled on Doug Pederson and Dirk Koetter. Philadelphia will have to wait until Pederson’s Chiefs are eliminated from the postseason to officially bring him on board, while the Bucs and Koetter are said to be finalizing the terms of his deal.
The flurry of moves leaves the Titans as the only NFL team currently without a head coach, but that could change soon. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell remains on the hot seat in Detroit, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the team has yet to make a decision on its coach, despite the fact that Caldwell and new GM Bob Quinn have met “on at least four different occasions.”
With most head coaching vacancies filled, Quinn has the luxury of being patient in making his decision, particularly if he ends up targeting candidates that survive their playoff games this weekend. Still, he likely won’t want to leave Caldwell twisting in the wind for too long, so I’d expect a decision sooner rather than later.
As we wait to see what the Titans and Lions do with their head coaching positions, let’s check in on some Thursday updates on coaching staffs around the NFL….
- With Doug Pederson lined up for the Eagles‘ head coaching job, there has been plenty of speculation today on his coordinators. Here’s a round-up of those rumors:
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) identifies in-house candidate Pat Shurmur and Chiefs assistant Brad Childress as possible offensive coordinators for Pederson.
- Anthony Gargano of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link) hears that Childress will likely become the Eagles’ new OC, though I expect the former Vikings head coach probably be a candidate for the same role in Kansas City. For what it’s worth, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets that Shurmur’s fate has not yet been decided.
- On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have interest in Jim Schwartz as their defensive coordinator, though it’s not clear if he’s Pederson’s choice or the team’s, says Don Banks of SI.com (Twitter links). Banks adds that Schwartz has job offers as a defensive assistant from multiple teams.
- Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link) also identifies Schwartz as a DC candidate for the Eagles, while McLane tweets that Schwartz and Mike Pettine could both be names to watch.
- With his odds of landing a head coaching job this year dwindling, former Falcons head coach Mike Smith is a candidate for the Buccaneers‘ defensive coordinator position, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports.
- Ryan Day, the Eagles‘ quarterbacks coach in 2015, is a name to watch as new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly considers his options for an offensive coordinator, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- If the Bengals decide to replace offensive coordinator Hue Jackson internally, longtime quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese is the most logical candidate, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/14/16
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Chiefs signed defensive backs Keith Lewis and Deveron Carr to reserve/futures contracts, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter). Teams still alive in the postseason like the Chiefs are free to sign futures deals, but can’t do them yet for players on their practice squad.
- The Eagles have signed tight end Chris Pantale, who spend most of the season on the team’s practice squad, to a reserve/futures contract, tweets Wilson.
- The Dolphins have signed offensive lineman Charles Tuaau to a reserve/futures deal, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Tuaau, an undrafted rookie in 2015, spent the summer with the Chiefs but didn’t make the team’s regular-season roster.
- The Patriots cut guard Torrian Wilson and re-signed wide receiver DeAndre Carter to their practice squad, Wilson tweets.
- As first reported by Wilson at the National Football Post, Washington has signed edge defender Willie Jefferson to a reserve/futures contract. Jefferson had 24 tackles and six sacks for the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos in 2015.
- The Colts signed defensive end Eze Obiora to a reserve/futures deal, Wilson tweets.