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Jim O’Neil

Lions To Add Mike Kafka, Retain Jim O’Neil

By | at January 26, 2026 3:06 pm

The Lions made their offensive coordinator choice recently, tabbing Drew Petzing to call plays in 2026. But they are adding another seasoned play-caller to their staff.

Mike Kafka is joining Dan Campbell‘s staff for an unspecified “high ranking” position, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The recent Giants interim HC called plays for most of his OC tenure in New York. Rather than hit the coordinator carousel, Kafka will step back and hold a key non-play-calling role in Detroit.

Campbell also reached an agreement to retain Jim O’Neil, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. A former NFL DC who interviewed for the Jets’ DC post, O’Neil has been in place as a defensive assistant in Detroit since 2024. The Lions also announced their Petzing hire Monday.

The Lions had interviewed Kafka for the job ultimately given to Petzing, and the former also met with the Eagles during their long-running OC search. Prior to that, the Buccaneers brought in Kafka about their OC vacancy. Other OC positions have opened and will open soon, as the HC carousel still spins, but Kafka will settle in Michigan for the 2026 season. This will be Kafka’s third NFL employer (as a coach), after stints with the Chiefs and Giants.

Taking what amounted to a courtesy Giants HC interview after being their interim leader to close the season, Kafka went 2-5 in that role. Though, the Giants’ two wins came over disinterested Raiders and Cowboys teams; the latter benched Dak Prescott midway through the Week 18 Giants matchup.

Kafka, 38, still received HC consideration during multiple previous cycles. He met with the Bears and interviewed twice with the Saints last year. He met with the Titans in 2024 and spoke twice with the Seahawks that year, later being blocked from interviewing for Seattle’s OC job. The Cardinals, Colts and Panthers met with Kafka in 2023, on the heels of the Giants’ surprising divisional-round trek.

The Giants have been unable to approach that level of success since, leading to their $20MM-per-year John Harbaugh contract. New York did show some promise with Jaxson Dart, even if it rarely translated to wins. The team ranked 17th in scoring offense and 13th in yardage, with Kafka taking back the play sheet in 2025 — after Brian Daboll called the shots in 2024. The team ranked 31st in scoring in 2024.

This will be an interesting dynamic for the Lions, who demoted one-and-done OC John Morton in Week 10. Campbell called plays the rest of the way, and the Lions finished fourth in scoring offense and fifth in yardage. Campbell now has two three-season play-callers on his staff, with Petzing having that responsibility from 2023-25 in Arizona.

Formerly the Browns and 49ers’ DC, O’Neil has been off that tier for 10 years now (though, he did serve as Northwestern’s DC from 2021-22). Settling in with the Lions over the past two seasons, O’Neil had worked with the Jets previously under Rex Ryan. Aaron Glenn has not made a decision on his next DC yet, but two of his candidates — O’Neil and Mathieu Araujo — have taken other jobs. The Jaguars hired the recent Dolphins CBs coach last week.

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2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at January 20, 2026 9:00 am

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 2-1-26 (4:30pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

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)

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

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

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

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)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

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

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

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 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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Wink Martindale, Jim Leonhard, DeMarcus Covington Among Jets’ DC Interviewees

By | at January 16, 2026 3:31 pm

The Jets’ defensive coordinator search has flown under the radar during a frenzied HC carousel, but it has taken shape Friday. The team announced eight candidates for the job.

In addition to interim DC Chris Harris, seven others received interviews. Don Martindale (Michigan), Jim Leonhard (Broncos), Ephraim Banda (Browns), Jim O’Neil (Lions), DeMarcus Covington (Packers), Daronte Jones (Vikings) and Mathieu Araujo (Dolphins) interviewed for the position.

Harris was reported as being likely to interview to keep the job, one he took on after the Steve Wilks firing, and Martindale came up as a candidate as well. The Jets submitted an interview request for Jones. Otherwise, their actions have been pretty quiet on this front.

Entering his rookie season as a head coach, Aaron Glenn tapped the experienced Wilks as his first defensive coordinator. The decision worked out so poorly that Glenn gave Wilks the ax in mid-December. Wilks lost his job the day after a 48-20 blowout loss to the Jaguars in Week 15.

The results didn’t necessarily improve in three games under Harris, who opened 2025 as the team’s defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. With Harris taking over for Wilks, the Jets surrendered a combined 106 points in losses to the Saints, Patriots and Bills.

Although Buffalo rested most of its key offensive players in Week 18, its Mitchell Trubisky-quarterbacked offense still teed off on the Jets for 470 total yards and 35 points. The Jets didn’t pick off Trubisky in that game, clinching an interception-less season for their defense. They became the first team to achieve that ignominious feat. While Harris is at least receiving consideration for a promotion to the full-time job, it would be a surprise to see the Jets choose him over the rest of the field.

Nobody from this octet carries more experience than the 62-year-old Martindale, most recently a D-coordinator at Michigan over the past two seasons. He has been a DC in the NFL for three teams – the Broncos (2010), the Ravens (2018-21) and the Giants (2022-23). Martindale’s Giants tenure ended after a rift with then-head coach Brian Daboll. The two got into a fiery confrontation before parting ways.

O’Neil and Covington join Martindale as former D-coordinators in the NFL. A defensive assistant in Detroit since 2024, O’Neil handled DC duties in Cleveland from 2014-15 and in San Francisco in 2016. He’s also a former Jets coach, having worked in multiple roles under Rex Ryan from 2009-12. Covington was the Patriots’ DC in 2024 under one-and-done head coach Jerod Mayo. He’s now the Packers’ defensive line coach and run game coordinator.

An NFL safety from 2005-2014, Leonhard spent three seasons as a member of Ryan’s defense in New York. The 43-year-old started his coaching career with Wisconsin in 2016. He worked as the Badgers’ DC from 2017-22.

Leonhard is now in his second season with the Broncos, who hired him as a defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator last year. Sean Payton promoted Leonhard to assistant head coach this season.

With the top-seeded Broncos chasing a championship, Leonhard may be a few weeks away from earning a Super Bowl ring as a key part of their staff. He’s also on the Cowboys’ radar as they search for a new D-coordinator.

Banda and Jones are also in the mix for the Dallas job. Previously a college DC at Miami and Utah State, Banda has been the Browns’ safeties coach since 2023. He fulfilled his interview request with the Cowboys today, too, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Jones, LSU’s coordinator in 2021, has coached in the pros with the Dolphins, Bengals and Vikings since 2016. He started his second Vikings stint in 2022 and has worked as a defensive pass game coordinator under DC Brian Flores since 2023. Flores, whose contract has expired, could leave for another job as a head coach or an assistant. If that happens, the Vikings may promote Jones to replace Flores.

Araujo was on the Yale staff before then-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hired him as an assistant DBs coach in 2022. He spent the past two seasons as Miami’s cornerbacks coach, but Araujo’s future is uncertain in the wake of McDaniel’s firing. If the Jets don’t hire Araujo and the Dolphins’ next head coach doesn’t retain him, he’ll have to look elsewhere in 2026.

Along with failing to record an INT, the Jets finished the year a lowly 25th in total defense and 31st in scoring. Their next defensive coordinator will have his work cut out in improving the unit, especially after the Jets traded cornerstone lineman Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner before the Nov. 4 deadline. The Jets received a haul of picks in those deals, though, and they’ll enter the offseason with a hefty amount of cap space. Between their draft capital and spending room, Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will be in position to give the team’s next defensive coordinator more to work with in 2026.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

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Lions Add Jim O’Neil To Staff; John Fox No Longer With Team

By | at February 21, 2024 4:54 pm

The Lions are making some changes on their defensive staff. One of the moves will be bringing former defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil back to the NFL.

Out of the league since the 2020 season, O’Neil will return as a Detroit defensive assistant. The 45-year-old staffer spent two seasons as Northwestern’s DC, but was last in the pros as the Raiders’ DBs coach under Jon Gruden.

O’Neil is best remembered in the NFL for rising to the coordinator level with the Browns and 49ers during the 2010s. The former Rex Ryan Jets assistant climbed to the DC tier at 36, working under Mike Pettine. His second crack at running a defense ended quickly, after the 2016 49ers went 2-14 and bailed on a Chip Kelly experiment. Northwestern fired O’Neil after the 2022 season, a 1-11 campaign for the Wildcats. Lions DC Aaron Glenn worked under O’Neil in Cleveland, opening a door to a rebound opportunity.

Additionally, the team appears to be moving on from John Fox. The three-time NFL HC is no longer with the NFC North champions, per the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. Fox was only with the Lions for one season, being hired as a senior defensive consultant last year. It appears O’Neil will be moving into that type of role. Fox, 69, had worked on the Colts’ staff in 2022, returning to the league after a five-year hiatus.

The team has also let senior offensive assistant Jim Hostler‘s contract expire, Birkett adds. A former 49ers offensive coordinator, Hostler has been in the NFL since 2000. After three years on Ron Rivera‘s Washington staff, the 57-year-old assistant moved to Detroit. Former Lions cornerback Dre’ Bly also appears to be out of the picture, per the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. The Lions hired Bly, who had not previously coached in the NFL, as cornerbacks coach last year.

Seeing DBs coach Brian Duker leave for a Dolphins job, the Lions have a new voice overseeing their secondary. Ex-Steelers mainstay Deshea Townsend was hired after his Jaguars ouster last month. The Lions confirmed Wednesday that Townsend is their DBs coach.

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Raiders Hire Ex-49ers DC Jim O’Neil

By | at January 11, 2018 10:00 pm

Jim O’Neil‘s next NFL coaching position will be in the Bay Area, just as his most recent one was. The Raiders are hiring the former 49ers defensive coordinator as a senior defensive assistant, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

O’Neil will work with Oakland’s linebackers and secondary, per Caplan. He was also in contention for a job with the Packers under Mike Pettine, whom O’Neil worked for as Browns DC from 2014-15.

He will now work under newly hired DC Paul Guenther. O’Neil’s most recent defensive work ended with the 2016 49ers ranking last in total defense. His final Browns unit ranked 27th.

Guenther and O’Neil will be in charge of a Raiders unit that struggled over the past three years. Its 2017 showing (23rd in total defense) bettered the 2016 playoff team’s ranking.

 

2 comments Las Vegas Raiders

Packers Notes: Whitt, O’Neil, Graham, Staff

By | at January 10, 2018 9:59 pm

Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt was passed over as Green Bay searched for a new defensive coordinator, but he’ll stay on with the club and receive an elevated title of defensive passing game coordinator, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Whitt was one of three internal candidates — in addition to assistant head coach/linebackers Winston Moss and safeties coach Darren Perry — being considered for Packers DC, but former Browns head coach Mike Pettine was ultimately awarded the position. At present, there’s no word as to whether Moss or Perry will remain on staff.

Here’s the latest from Green Bay, with a focus on coaches and front office personnel:

  • Now that Pettine has been announced as the Packers’ new defensive coordinator, Green Bay will attempt to fill out a defensive staff. As Adam Caplan of SiriusXM hinted last night, the Packers will interview former 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil for their linebackers coach position, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. O’Neil, who spent the 2017 campaign out of the NFL, served as Petine’s defensive coordinator when both worked with the Browns from 2014-15. O’Neil’s interview could be a sign that the incumbent Moss is moving on.
  • Cignetti isn’t the only ex-Giants assistant whom the Packers could soon hire, as Green Bay will also meet with New York defensive line coach Patrick Graham this week, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Like O’Neil, Graham could be a candidate for the Packers’ linebackers coach job, reports Silverstein (Twitter link). The 38-year-old Graham spent the past two seasons teaching defensive lineman with Big Blue, but was previously a longtime Patriots staffer, working his way through the ranks to coach both lineman and linebackers in New England.
  • Green Bay’s front office has witnessed major upheaval over the past several weeks, as Brian Gutekunst replaced Ted Thompson as general manager while fellow executives Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith both took new positions with the Browns. More changes will likely be coming, however, and the Packers are expected to consider college scouting director Jon-Eric Sullivan and pro personnel director John Wojciechowski for promotions, tweets Silverstein. Both men could be contenders for an assistant general manager of director of player personnel role.
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Packers To Hire Mike Pettine As DC

By | at January 9, 2018 7:59 pm

The Packers will hire former Browns head coach Mike Pettine as their next defensive coordinator, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Mike Pettine

Pettine interviewed to replace Dom Capers earlier today, and head coach Mike McCarthy didn’t let the ex-Jets/Bills defensive coordinator leave the building. A long-time Rex Ryan disciple who — like Capers — runs primarily a 3-4 scheme, Pettine will now head to Green Bay after not coaching in the NFL in 2017.

The Packers’ decision to hire Pettine could have effects for not only the rest of the Green Bay defensive staff, but the coordinator market as a while. As PFR’s 2018 Coordinator Tracker shows, the Packers had considered three internal candidates — Winston Moss, Darren Perry, and Joe Whitt — as DC options, and reports have indicated some or all of that trio could now leave Green Bay after being passed over for a promotion.

McCarthy & Co. had expressed interest in external candidates, as well, and were thought to have considered Bears DC Vic Fangio their top target. Fangio, who’s drawn interest from multiple clubs, now remains on the coaching market, as does Chargers DC Gus Bradley, another Green Bay candidate. Speculatively, Fangio’s reported price tag of $2MM+ could have played a factor in the Packers taking a pass.

Pettine, 51, was a star high school coach who rose the coordinator ranks to become head coach of the Browns in 2014. After posting a surprising 7-9 record in his debut campaign, Pettine’s Cleveland squad fell to 3-13 the following season, and Pettine wasn fired. He interviewed for the Redskins’ defensive play-calling job last January but lost out to Greg Manusky.

Now that he’s under contract, Pettine could act quickly to form the remainder of his staff, especially if Moss, Perry, or Whitt leave. Former Browns and 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil should be expected to land a role on Pettine’s new coaching unit, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

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Extra Points: Dolphins, Cards, Jags, 49ers

By | at December 2, 2016 9:24 pm

The 7-4 Dolphins have won six straight and are on pace to make their first playoff trip since 2008, and the team’s players insist that rookie head coach Adam Gase has a lot to do with it. Many members of the team “love” playing for Gase, they told Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post. “He’s different. He’s … different,” backup quarterback Matt Moore said of Gase, 38, the youngest head coach in the NFL. “I think when he does talk to guys, both offensively and defensively, he’s got something working for him that resonates within guys.” Gase referred to the culture that existed in recent Dolphins regimes as “nonsense,” while longtime Miami defensive end Cameron Wake revealed that observing some past teammates’ commitment issues was “100 percent” difficult to digest. “He gives you the leash, gives you the rope,” stated left tackle Branden Albert. “If you mess it up, then he pulls it, and I think that’s how it should be. For the most part, guys have been good about not messing up.”

More from around the NFL:

  • Even though he relishes working under Bruce Arians, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin‘s “end all” goal is to become a head coach, he informed Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “I think B.A. has groomed me, kind of like he groomed Todd (Bowles),” said Goodwin. “Every year he’s given me more and more responsibilities. Obviously I get to see him work every day, how he handles the team, the administrative part of it. I think it’s helped me grow a lot.” Goodwin interviewed with the Buccaneers for their head coaching vacancy last winter, and the Cardinals’ status as an elite offensive team likely helped him earn consideration. Arizona has fallen off this year, though it remains to be seen if that will hurt Goodwin’s chances of landing a promotion during the upcoming offseason. Notably, Arians – not Goodwin – calls the Cardinals’ offensive plays.
  • Sunday’s matchup between Jacksonville and Denver might seem relatively uninteresting, but not to Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall. The Jaguars chose Marshall in the fifth round of the 2012 draft and ended up cutting him three different times before he joined the Broncos in September 2013. Marshall hasn’t forgotten about his inability to stick with the Jags. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he told Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. “The scouts, the executives, some coaches, some players, there’s a lot of people still back there from my time. That gives me a little extra push, a little extra umph. It puts a little extra sauce on this game.” Latching on with Denver has worked out wonderfully for Marshall, who signed a sizable extension with the Broncos over the summer on the heels of a strong couple of years – including a Super Bowl-winning campaign last season. He ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 16th-best linebacker out of 85 qualifiers this year.
  • Of the 49ers’ 17 players scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in the offseason, the team should try to re-sign six – defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey, tight end Vance McDonald, linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, and quarterbacks Christian Ponder and Thaddeus Lewis – opines Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Armstrong has a fan in defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, who gives the 25-year-old “two thumbs up,” but the coach’s uncertain future could affect whether the defender returns, writes Barrows.
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49ers Won’t Shake Up Defensive Staff

By | at October 24, 2016 8:34 am

The 49ers’ defense is struggling and the upcoming bye week would be the optimal time to make a mid-season change. However, coach Chip Kelly told reporters that he is sticking with Jim O’Neil and the rest of the team’s defensive staff (via USA Today). Jim O'Neil (vertical)

On Sunday, the Niners fell 34-17 to the Buccaneers. Jacquizz Rodgers, who started the year as the Buccaneers’ No. 3 running back, ran for 154 yards, becoming the second straight back to gain at least 100 yards against the Niners in the first half. The Niners’ struggles aren’t limited to the defensive side of the ball, of course, but there has been speculation about O’Neil as the team sits at 1-6.

Last year, the 49ers ranked 29th in the NFL in yards allowed and placed 18th in the league in points allowed at 24.2 points per game under the watch of Eric Mangini. So far this year, they aren’t showing any improvement under their new DC.

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49ers Hire Jim O’Neil As DC

By | at January 26, 2016 5:20 pm

New 49ers coach Chip Kelly has hired former Browns defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil to fill the same position in San Francisco, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. O’Neil was chosen over 49ers outside linebackers coach Jason Tarver, who will stay on board with the same title. Jim O'Neil (vertical)

[RELATED: 49ers To Hire Chip Kelly]

Last year, the 49ers ranked 29th in the NFL in yards allowed and placed 18th in the league in points allowed at 24.2 points per game under the watch of Eric Mangini. Under O’Neil, the Browns were top ten in yards allowed and scoring under O’Neil in 2014, but they plummeted towards the cellar last season. Cleveland ranked 27th in yards allowed and 29th in points allowed in 2015 and new head coach Hue Jackson opted to let him go upon taking over this offseason.

In his three seasons as Eagles head coach, Kelly’s teams had defend more plays than any other squad in the NFL. The Eagles faced a league-high 1,148 plays last season and Kelly will need one heck of a defense if things unfold similarly for the 49ers this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

9 comments Newsstand San Francisco 49ers
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