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Jim Bob Cooter

Lions’ Jim Bob Cooter Won’t Interview At UT

November 29th, 2017 at 11:39am CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions offensive coordinator — and University of Tennessee alum — Jim Bob Cooter would likely be a candidate for the Volunteers head coaching position, but he will not interview for the job, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Instead, Cooter will focus on his work with Detroit in the hopes of ultimately landing an NFL head coaching gig.Jim Bob Cooter

Cooter, 33, was promoted to offensive coordinator midway through the 2015 campaign. While he led the club to a No. 15 ranking in offensive DVOA in 2016, Detroit has slipped to 21st this season. Nevertheless, Cooter is viewed as a rising star in the coaching ranks, and though he’s yet to officially interview for a head coaching job, Cooter was linked to several vacancies during the last hiring cycle. Cooter, who was a backup quarterback and a graduate assistant at Tennessee, declined to comment on his potential interest in the open position earlier this month.

Tennessee originally hired former Rutgers/Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano earlier this week, but social media backlash to the move led the university to reverse its decision. The Volunteers are reportedly interested in Jon Gruden (and are willing to pay him $10MM annually), and have also discussed ex-Vol/current Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Lions, Cards, Broncos

November 16th, 2017 at 9:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

By accepting his suspension and serving it this season, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will actually save money, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News notes (Twitter links). Elliott’s base salary increases to roughly $2.7MM in 2018, meaning a six-game ban would have cost him ~$400K more had it been pushed to next year. Instead, he’ll lose about $560K this season, and his guarantees in the 2018-19 campaigns have been voided. Elliott’s signing bonus, however, is not at risk due to his suspension.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Because the collective bargaining agreement allows for player contract language which voids salary guarantees under certain provisions, teams could hypothetically insert clauses which nullify guarantees if a player does not stand for the national anthem, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com opines. Such a provision would be similar to the so-called Carl Pickens Rule, named after the Bengals wideout who criticized management at the turn of the century. Loyalty clauses can now restrict such denunciations with the threat of lost salary, and a similar rule could speculatively have a similar effect on national anthem protests. Of course, the NFLPA (and players themselves) would likely fight such a stipulation.
  • Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter declined to comment on his interest in the University of Tennessee’s vacant head coaching position, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Cooter played and coached for the Volunteers before heading to the NFL. Under Cooter’s leadership, Detroit finished 15th in offensive DVOA in 2016, but has slipped to 21st this season. Tennessee has already expressed interest in another ex-Vol, Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.
  • Given the injury to quarterback Drew Stanton, the Cardinals could opt to start Blaine Gabbert under center on Sunday, and the club is reportedly “intrigued” by the former first-round pick, reports Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM (Twitter link), who adds Arizona believes Gabbert could be more than a bridge option for the club. While Gabbert does come with a high draft pedigree, he’s shown nothing in the NFL during his six-year career. Since entering the league in 2011, Gabbert ranks dead last in quarterback rating, touchdown percentage, and adjusted net yards per pass attempt. Both Gabbert and Stanton are scheduled to become free agents next spring, while starter Carson Palmer could theoretically hang up his cleats after flirting with retirement earlier this year.
  • The Broncos worked out free agent punter Jeff Locke on Thursday, but it doesn’t sound as though Denver is interested in signing the veteran specialist, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Denver is facing a left-footed punter in the Bengals’ Kevin Huber on Sunday, so auditioning Locke gave returner Jordan Taylor a chance to catch punts from a lefty. Locke signed a relatively large (for a punter) deal with the Colts this offseason, but has since been cut by both Indianapolis and Detroit.

La Canfora’s Latest: Jaguars, Rams, Lions, Pats

December 25th, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars are expected to consider Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Mike Smith for head coach, a source tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, while Jacksonville could also express interest in a multitude of NCAA coaches, including Ole Miss’ Hugh Freeze. Previous reports have indicated that the Jaguars and GM Dave Caldwell could also look at New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Atlanta play-caller Kyle Shanahan, while Tom Coughlin will definitively interview for the job.

Here’s more from La Canfora:

  • The Rams aren’t only targeting high-profile names such as Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels for their head coaching vacancy, according to La Canfora, who reports that Los Angeles will also look at lesser-known options as it seeks to replace Jeff Fisher. Rams management thinks highly of offensive coordinators Sean McVay and Shanahan, per La Canfora, and will probably be involved in LA’s hunt.
  • While several coaching jobs are expected to come open at season’s end, NFL front offices likely won’t see many changes, writes La Canfora. Aside from 49ers general manager Trent Baalke, most executives are on solid ground, as even clubs with poor records such as the Browns, Bills, Rams, and Jaguars are likely to opt for stability among its decision-makers.
  • Although his offensive has succeeded in Detroit, Lions play-caller Jim Bob Cooter could miss out on head coaching gigs because of his name, which doesn’t project a “corporate” image, reports La Canfora. Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia could also be denied jobs due to his shaggy look, which doesn’t fit the NFL’s CEO culture.

Coaching Rumors: Payton, Rams, Gruden

December 24th, 2016 at 6:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite rumors to the contrary, one source tells ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett there is no indication the Saints are more willing to part ways with Sean Payton now than they were in the past. That same source also refuted the notion that morale is low in New Orleans because of speculation over Payton’s future. Regardless, you can expect the Payton buzz to continue for a while. There’s now talk that Payton has “sincere interest” in the Rams’ opening.

Here’s a roundup of the latest coaching rumors:

  • Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are two to watch in the Rams‘ coaching search, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
  • There are reasons why Jon Gruden does and doesn’t make sense for the Rams, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Gruden has star power, offensive know-how, and relationships with both COO Kevin Demoff and Washington exec Bruce Allen, who could be a GM candidate for the team. He could also help the team attract Raiders fans in the area. Conversely, one could argue that Gruden was overrated as a coach since he won a Super Bowl with a defense built by Tony Dungy and run the highly-respected Monte Kiffin. Gruden also doesn’t have a rep as a player-friendly coach.
  • Panthers coach Ron Rivera has been mentioned as a possibility for the Rams‘ job, but his agent tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer there hasn’t been any contact between Rivera and Los Angeles. “There hasn’t been any contact,” agent Frank Bauer said. “Ron’s super happy where he’s at.” Of course, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. The Rams could still wait until after the season to reach out to Rivera and, even if they have already, his agent would never publicly confirm an act of tampering. If there is mutual interest between the Rams and Rivera this spring, L.A. would still have to negotiate a trade with the Panthers.
  • Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh won’t be returning to the NFL in 2017, but he could eventually be back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (link via PFT). If and when he goes back to the NFL, Rapoport says he could be a match for the Bears. Meanwhile, some league insiders have speculated to PFT that Harbaugh could eventually coach the Colts, reuniting him with Andrew Luck.

10 Coaching Candidates For The Rams

December 13th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

In an iconic scene from season nine of The Simpsons, Krusty the Klown announced his retirement to a scrum of not-so-stunned reporters. Krusty The Clown

“But Krusty,” one reporter asks. “Why now? Why not twenty years ago?”

It wouldn’t have been out of place for any Rams beat reporter to channel that sentiment and ask a similar question of COO Kevin Demoff when he addressed the media on Monday. Jeff Fisher‘s dismissal was long overdue and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of the coach’s family who disagrees.

For now, the Rams will turn things over to special teams coordinator John Fassel on an interim basis. While this is ostensibly a chance for Fassel to impress team brass and land the head coaching job for 2017, most are expecting the Rams to hire a name brand coach that will energize the fan base and give the team some additional panache in free agency.

With a few weeks to go between now and the official end of the Rams’ season, here are ten names that could be considered for the job:

Jim Harbaugh (vertical)Jim Harbaugh, head coach at the University of Michigan: Some say that living well is the best revenge. Others say that the best revenge against your former employer is setting up shop across the street and destroying them. Santa Clara-to-Los Angeles is a lengthy drive, but you get what we’re getting at.

Harbaugh, in theory, could leave his alma mater and crush the 49ers by joining up with a divisional rival. The Rams have reportedly been loafing in practice and Harbaugh is the kind of throwback disciplinarian that the team badly needs. It’s fair to assume that the Rams will get in contact with Harbaugh, but it will be tough to get him to leave his lucrative job in Ann Arbor.

With National Signing Day around the corner, Harbaugh could publicly remove himself himself from consideration if he is not at all interested in an NFL return. Alternatively, if Harbaugh wants to get sweet revenge against the Niners, Stan Kroenke better have his checkbook ready. Signing Harbaugh could cost upwards of $10MM/year and that’s before factoring in his buyout clause with the Wolverines. If Harbaugh bolts, he’ll owe U-M the prorated portion of his $2MM signing bonus. With two of the seven years served, 5/7ths of that amount comes out to roughly $1.43MM.

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Latest On Lions Coaching Situation

October 27th, 2016 at 8:37am CST by Zachary Links

Jim Caldwell‘s seat was looking pretty hot earlier this month, but talk of a coaching change in Detroit has cooled now that the Lions are on a three-game winning streak. However, things change quickly in the NFL and there’s no guarantee that Caldwell will be back in 2017 if the Lions cannot keep it up in the second half. If there is a head coaching change, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com hears that Lions GM Bob Quinn would probably consider Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Matt Patricia (vertical)

In a scenario where McDaniels was hired as the Lions’ head coach, current offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter would probably be squeezed out. Given how well Cooter has worked with quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Lions are likely eager to hang on to their OC. And, at the young age of 32, Cooter can probably be kept as OC for at least a few more years.

Of course, the Lions are going to have to make a serious commitment to keep Stafford in place as he excels in his contract year.

Lions To Retain Jim Bob Cooter As OC

January 18th, 2016 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

Few NFL coaching assistants enjoyed a better second half of the 2015 season than Jim Bob Cooter, and the Lions offensive coordinator is being rewarded for his work. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Detroit is retaining Cooter as the club’s permanent OC for 2016.Jim Bob Cooter

[RELATED: Lions retain Jim Caldwell as head coach]

Cooter took over as the Lions’ offensive coordinator when the team parted ways with Joe Lombardi in October. At the time of the move, the Lions had stumbled to a 1-6 record, and rumors about Matthew Stafford‘s uncertain future in Detroit were swirling. The quarterback had thrown 12 touchdowns to nine interceptions to go along with an 86.8 rating through seven games.

From that point on, Stafford and the Lions’ offense took off. The team won six of its final nine games, with Stafford completing 69% of his passes and putting up a 105.1 rating, along with 20 touchdowns to just four interceptions.

With Jim Caldwell having been retained as the Lions’ head coach for the 2016 season by new general manager Bob Quinn, the team hadn’t been expected to make a change at offensive coordinator, so Rapoport’s report doesn’t come as a real surprise.

Before becoming the Lions’ offensive coordinator in the fall, Cooter served as the team’s quarterbacks coach. The 31-year-old has also worked for the Colts, Chiefs, and Broncos in various assistant roles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions To Retain Jim Caldwell As Head Coach

January 15th, 2016 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions won’t become the seventh team this offseason to make a head coaching change, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Twentyman tweets that new general manager Bob Quinn and the Lions have decided to retain Jim Caldwell as the club’s head coach.Jim Caldwell (Vertical)

[RELATED: Lions hire Bob Quinn as general manager]

“After spending a significant amount of time together, it is clear that our football philosophies are very similar,” Quinn said of Caldwell, per Twentyman (Twitter link).

Quinn’s reference to spending “a significant amount of time” with Caldwell since joining the Lions is corroborated by a Thursday report which suggested that the two men had already met “on at least four different occasions.” There was some speculation when Quinn, a longtime Patriots executive, got the GM job in Detroit that he’d turn to one a New England assistant like Josh McDaniels, but it appears the Lions are opting for continuity instead.

Caldwell, a former head coach in Indianapolis, has a 44-36 record in five total seasons as a head coach, including an 18-14 mark during his two seasons in Detroit. After leading the Lions to an 11-5 record and a postseason berth in 2014, Caldwell struggled this season with a roster that no longer featured defensive difference-maker Ndamukong Suh.

Still, the Lions’ performance down the stretch, along with his players’ endorsement, likely earned Caldwell another shot. After a 1-7 start to the 2015 season resulted in the firing of GM Martin Mayhew and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Detroit finished strong, winning six of its last eight games.

While the Lions had to cope with losing Suh in 2015, there’s a chance that the club will be without one of its other longtime stars in 2016. Calvin Johnson has indicated he may elect to retire rather than continuing his NFL career, and even if he opts to keep playing, the team may have to do something to address his contract, which will feature a $24MM+ cap hit next year. Johnson’s future is just one of many storylines to watch this offseason in Detroit as we see what kind of roster Caldwell will be presiding over in 2016.

One key figure who appears to be remaining in Detroit along with Caldwell is offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, who took over for Lombardi during the 2015 season, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. That’s good news for Matthew Stafford, whose performance under Cooter was much improved and quieted speculation that the Lions could move on from their quarterback this winter.

With Caldwell hanging on to his job with the Lions, the Titans appear to be the only NFL club that still needs to make a decision on a new head coach this offseason, barring a surprise change from one of the eight remaining playoff teams. So far this month, the Browns, Dolphins, Giants, Eagles, 49ers, and Buccaneers have hired new head coaches, as our tracker shows. Tennessee could become the seventh team to make a change, though Mike Mularkey is considered a strong candidate to keep that job.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Reiff, Randle, Amukamara, Cutler

January 1st, 2016 at 12:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Lions invested a first-round pick in Riley Reiff four years ago, but haven’t found a permanent home for him on the offensive line. He has played both tackle spots, but the team hasn’t decided where his long-term future will be.

Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter hasn’t made an officialy declaration, but he suggested the team was happy with how he locked up the left tackle position down the stretch this season, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I see him locking down our left tackle spot going forward,” said Cooter.

While Reiff finds a permanent home along the offensive line in Detroit, here are a few notes about players hoping to find permanent homes with their current teams this offseason:

  • The Giants have Odell Beckham Jr. for two more years on his rookie deal, but they will need to make a decision on a different receiver this offseason, as Rueben Randle hits free agency. Whether or not the Giants prioritize keeping him, Randle says he wants to stay with the team, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Randle’s up and down play might discourage the team from pursuing him.
  • Randle isn’t the only Giant who wants to come back, as cornerback Prince Amukamara has also expressed interest in returning to the team in 2016, writes James Kratch of NJ.com. Like Randle, Amukamara has had uneven play on the field, but the former first-round pick at cornerback has also struggled with injuries off the field.
  • Jay Cutler has had to answer similar questions on whether he’ll be back with the Bears in 2016. Cutler isn’t a free agent, but his high cap number has made him a candidate for release. He does want to be back, according to Larry Hawley of WGNTV.com. “Why wouldn’t I be [back?,” said Cutler. “I definitely want to be here. I wanted to be here last year whenever things did go bad.”

North Notes: Browns, Austin, Wolf

December 13th, 2015 at 9:43am CST by Rory Parks

Browns head coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer will not both be back with the team next season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Pettine had hinted at some discord between the Cleveland front office and coaching staff last week, but apparently the situation is more toxic than originally believed.

According to Rapoport, the coaching staff believes the scouting department does not provide the team enough information to effectively execute the game plan, and the scouting department believes the coaching staff does not effectively utilize its personnel. Neither the front office nor the coaches, of course, are without fault. Farmer has blown two consecutive drafts, which has hamstrung Pettine’s efforts quite a bit, but Pettine has not been an especially savvy in-game strategist and has failed to establish the hard-nosed, defensive-minded mentality he promised when he was hired. If owner Jimmy Haslam chooses to keep one of the Pettine/Farmer duo, the smart money may be on Pettine, but it seems clear that at least one of those men will be out of a job at the end of the season, and perhaps both will be looking for a new position.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s north divisions:

  • Although Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes Lions head coach Jim Caldwell‘s fate is sealed–no one believes he will return to Detroit next season–the futures of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter are more uncertain. Austin, for the second season in a row, has done an excellent job leading the Lions’ defense, and although Cooter has less of a track record, he has successfully turned around an offense that crashed and burned under Joe Lombardi. If Austin does not get a head coaching position this offseason–he could even wind up as the Lions’ head coach–he is certainly a viable candidate to return as DC, and Meinke believes Cooter is deserving of an extended look as OC.
  • Though Austin will be a candidate for the Lions‘ head coaching position, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that current Bears OC Adam Gase will be a “top target” for the club.
  • Packers pro personnel director Eliot Wolf is a hot name among teams searching for a GM this offseason, but per La Canfora, it is highly unlikely Wolf will be leaving Green Bay. Wolf, who has steadily risen through the ranks of the Packers organization, is seen as the heir apparent to current GM Ted Thompson, and he would be exceedingly selective if he were to consider any position outside of Green Bay. La Canfora’s report does not come as much of a surprise, as Wolf has been a popular GM candidate for several years now.
  • Although Steelers tackle Mike Adams is technically in the final year of his rookie contract, he will remain under club control in 2016, according to Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Adams was placed on the PUP list before the start of training camp, he never returned to the active roster, and he was not removed from the PUP list, which means that his contract will be tolled and he will be back with Pittsburgh in 2016 at the same salary he earned in 2015 (roughly $873K). Adams could still hit the open market if the Steelers choose to cut him, of course, but given the team’s lack of depth at tackle, Kaboly does not see that as a real option.
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