HEADLINES

Cannon Matthews

Coaching Updates: Cowboys, Bears, Vikings, Steelers, Browns

March 23rd, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys announced a number of staff updates recently. We’ve tracked many of the initial changes to occur with the departure of Dan Quinn and a few assistants across the division to Washington, but with the staff filled out, head coach Mike McCarthy opted to hand out of few promotions.

Firstly, Al Harris, who serves as the team’s defensive backs coach has had the title of assistant head coach added to his title, per Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. Dallas had blocked Harris from interviewing for a lateral move to follow Quinn and opted to sweeten the deal after keeping him from another opportunity. ESPN’s Todd Archer tells us that, also on defense, assistant defensive backs coach Cannon Matthews has been granted the title of safeties coach for 2024, making him a full position coach.

On offense, wide receivers coach Robert Prince has added the role of pass game coordinator to his position. Likewise, Chase Haslett, previously the assistant tight ends coach, will serve as the pass game specialist next season. Lastly, game management and offensive assistant Ryan Feder has replaced “offensive assistant” in his job title with “assistant quarterbacks coach” for the 2024 season.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the NFL:

  • The Bears made a couple of adjustments to their front office recently. Vice president Corey Ruff was promoted by the organization to senior vice president of strategy and analytics and chief of staff. Chicago also hired Tanya Dreesen as the team’s senior vice president of strategy and global affairs and chief of staff, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
  • We’ve tracked a number of Vikings staff changes throughout the offseason, but we have a new promotion and an update to an earlier report. First, 2023’s assistant quarterbacks coach and chief of special projects Grant Udinski earned a promotion, replacing “chief of special projects” in his job title with “assistant offensive coordinator,” according to Kevin Seifer of ESPN. Udinksi will assist new quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. We had originally reported that former quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara had been moved to pass-game specialist with McCown’s addition, but we now see that Minnesota has him listed as senior offensive assistant.
  • The Steelers will add veteran defensive assistant Anthony Midget to their 2024 staff, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Midget has experience as the Texans former secondary coach and most recently served as the defensive backs coach in Tennessee. After being fired by the Titans following the 2022 NFL season, Midget sat out in 2023. He rejoins the ranks of NFL coaching as the assistant secondary coach in Pittsburgh.
  • Finally, the Browns will add an intriguing young name in Nick Charlton, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Charlton made history at Maine, where he became the youngest head coach in Division I history at 31 years old. Following a three-year stint with the Black Bears, Charlton accepted the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coaching job at UConn. He’ll leave the Huskies to serve as the new offensive assistant and run-game specialist in Cleveland.

Cowboys Announce Remaining Coaching Staff Moves

February 24th, 2023 at 9:13pm CST by Ely Allen

In an offseason that threatened to take away both coordinators, the Cowboys have finalized their coaching staff for the 2023 season. We’ve reported on every staff change up to this point, but a few final updates were declared along with the final announcement.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn chose to remain in his current role with the Cowboys, withdrawing his name from consideration for multiple head coaching jobs around the NFL. With the departure of Kellen Moore to Los Angeles, the Cowboys promoted Brian Schottenheimer to offensive coordinator and made a few resulting staff changes.

The biggest announcement came for Jeff Blasko, who served last season for the Cowboys as assistant offensive line coach. Blasko will be taking over for Skip Peete, who was not renewed after last season, as the Cowboys running backs coach. Although running back Tony Pollard faces free agency and Ezekiel Elliott remains under contract, it is widely believed that Blasko will definitely be coaching Pollard and only possibly Elliott next season. Blasko has a history coaching offensive lines and has plenty of experience under head coach Mike McCarthy. This will be Blasko’s first opportunity working with running backs as a position coach in the NFL.

Another staffer from last year is receiving a promotion to position coach. Last year’s coaching assistant Scott Tolzien has been promoted to quarterbacks coach. The former NFL passer has moved quickly up the ranks of coaching. His first coaching role was in 2019 at Wisconsin, where he served as an analyst for the Badgers. He spent the next three years in his previous role with the Cowboys before receiving this new opportunity.

A defensive quality control coach last year for the Cowboys, Cannon Matthews is the next coaching assistant to receive a promotion, earning the assistant defensive backs coach job. Additionally, Ryan Feder switched sides of the coaching staff this offseason. After working with the defensive staff last year as a quality control and analytics coach, Feder will work in the position of game management and offensive assistant coach.

Finally, the addition of two other assistants rounds out the staff. Evan Harrington has joined the staff as an offensive assistant. Lastly, Pete Ohnegian has been hired in the role of quality control and defensive assistant. After an offseason that threatened much more change, the Cowboys have rounded out their staff with plenty of time to prepare for the 2023 season.