Lori Locust

Titans To Retain Justin Outten, Chris Harris, Others On Staff

February 13th, 2024 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Callahan‘s first Titans staff will include a host of outside hires — one of which being his father, offensive line coach Bill Callahan — and a handful of holdovers. Among the holdovers: two staffers who have either been coordinators or were on the OC/DC carousel recently.

We heard last week the Titans were blocking Justin Outten interviews. Tuesday, the team revealed Outten will be part of Brian Callahan’s 2024 staff as tight ends coach. This will be a shift for Outten, who was the team’s run-game coordinator in 2023. In addition to Outten, the Titans are retaining assistant Chris Harris.

Outten served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator in 2022, mostly operating in a non-play-calling capacity — save for the final two games, following Nathaniel Hackett‘s firing — during a disastrous season for the AFC West team. Outten interviewed for the Ravens’ OC job in 2023 but wound up in Tennessee. A Packers staffer prior to his Denver year, Outten was a Mike Vrabel hire. Callahan’s first staff will feature a few of those.

Harris interviewed for the Bears and Jaguars’ DC jobs this year and met with the Texans and 49ers about their DC vacancies in 2023. Harris, 41, spent three seasons coaching Commanders DBs under Ron Rivera. The Titans lured him away in 2023. Harris will remain in place as Tennessee’s defensive pass-game coordinator, along with his role as cornerbacks coach. This will be Harris and DC Dennard Wilson‘s first time working together.

The Titans are also retaining assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine, assistant D-line coach Clinton McMillan, defensive quality control coach Lori Locust and former Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker as an offensive assistant. The Titans are still searching for a special teams coordinator, but Levine will work under that to-be-determined staffer. Stocker, a Titan from 2017-18, and Levine wrapped their playing careers after the 2021 season.

Among the previously unmentioned new hires in Tennessee, Randy Jordan will take over as running backs coach. A former Raiders backup running back, Jordan spent the past 10 years as Washington’s RBs coach. Jordan was in place throughout Jay Gruden‘s HC tenure and through Rivera’s. Payton McCollum will leave Indianapolis for Nashville, moving from Colts offensive assistant to Titans assistant wide receivers coach. Ben Bloom will also come on board as the Titans’ OLBs coach. Bloom spent the past four seasons in Cleveland, working as Myles Garrett‘s position coach in 2023. Bloom previously spent nine seasons on Jason Garrett‘s Cowboys staff. Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Year season aside, the Browns hired ex-Texans D-line coach Jacques Cesaire to replace Bloom last month.

Tennessee is also bringing back Tracy Rocker for a second tour of duty on staff. The Titans hired Rocker as their defensive line coach, which will mark a return for the veteran assistant, who served in this capacity under Mike Munchak from 2011-13. Rocker was also the Tennessee Volunteers’ D-line coach from 2017-19. Rocker, 57, does have a history with Wilson. The two coached together on the Eagles’ staff from 2021-22; Rocker stayed on this past season as Philly’s D-line coach.

Coaching Notes: Panthers, Kocurek, Leftwich, Titans

February 7th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Yesterday, Joseph Person of The Athletic provided a breakdown of the Panthers‘ recent search for a new head coach that ended in the hiring of Frank Reich. There were a few notes of interest that we took away from the behind the scenes look.

The first note of interest is the revelation that, when interim head coach Steve Wilks interviewed for the official role, he laid out his full offensive plan for the search committee. Part of Wilks’ offensive plan relied on the pursuit of Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson as his offensive coordinator. Johnson’s year coaching a phenomenal season by quarterback Jalen Hurts made him a name to watch for many of the open offensive coordinator jobs around the league. He did end up interviewing with the Rams and Jets for jobs that went to Mike LaFleur and Nathaniel Hackett, respectively.

A second note of interest is likely a clue as to why Wilks didn’t end up as the official head coach of the Panthers. Of the nine candidates Carolina looked at for the position, seven had offensive backgrounds. Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer has a belief that “offensive coordinators-turned-head coaches might have an edge in game management.” That explains why Wilks was so detailed in his offensive plan and, perhaps, how much of an uphill battle he faced.

Lastly, it was reported that Reich was becoming the clear choice for the job by his second interview. “The first time he came in, he was dialed in, laid out his plan,” Fitterer said. “Then when he came back in the second time, he took that plan and went deeper, went to a different level.” Reich was offered the position the next day, prompting an immediate response from the legal team representing Wilks and Brian Flores in their lawsuit accusing the league of racial discrimination.

Here are a few other notes of coaching developments occurring around the NFL:

Even though Wilks didn’t get the head coaching position he coveted, he ended up landing a top coordinator position in the league with the 49ers, following the departure of DeMeco Ryans. San Francisco defensive line coach Kris Kocurek received some interest for the Texans defensive coordinator position under his former coordinator and was in consideration for the job that Ryans vacated and Wilks took. Wilks apparently was able to convince Kocurek to stay in the Bay Area, keeping a respected defensive assistant on his staff, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich could be headed to the college ranks, following his recent dismissal from Tampa Bay. According to Grace Remington of 247Sports, Leftwich reached out to Notre Dame about the offensive coordinator position vacated by Tommy Rees, who left to become the offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa. Leftwich has reportedly remained in contact with the head coach of the Fighting Irish, Marcus Freeman, and remains a strong contender for the job.
A slew of coaching updates in Nashville were provided earlier today, with a few smaller assignments sliding under notice. Formerly the running backs coach over star Derrick Henry, Tony Dews has transitioned to the tight ends coaching position for the Titans, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. It was recently reported that former Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust was making her way to Tennessee. Wilson provided clarification that she has been brought on in a defensive quality control role. Justin Hamilton will reportedly join her in a similar role. Finally, Wilson provided news of a departure, reporting that secondary coach Anthony Midget will not be retained in 2023.

Coaching Notes: Klemm, Solari, Stoutland, Locust, Landow

February 5th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Patriots offensive lineman and current associate head coach/run game coordinator/offensive line coach at the University of Oregon Adrian Klemm has been in consideration for an assistant coaching role with his former team this offseason, reportedly heading to Las Vegas to interview with the staff during their time at the Pro Bowl. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning claimed that he doesn’t anticipate any staff changes, though, indicating that Klemm will be remaining with the Ducks, according to James Crepea of Fox Sports Eugene.

This wasn’t the only coaching position Klemm has been considered for in New England. The 45-year-old assistant coach was also a candidate for the offensive coordinator position that was eventually awarded to Bill O’Brien. Keeping Klemm in Eugene is a big win for Lanning, as Klemm clearly has a lot of potential as a coach in the NFL.

Here are a few other coaching notes that may get swept aside as bigger names and jobs continue to make headlines:

Longtime offensive line coach Mike Solari will return to a coaching position in Dallas for the first time in 35 years. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Solari will be replacing Joe Philbin as the team’s new offensive line coach. Solari was an assistant offensive line coach and special teams coach for the Cowboys under Tom Landry in the 1987 and 1988 seasons and worked under Mike McCarthy in Green Bay for a year in 2015. He was not coaching in the NFL last year after a four-year stint in Seattle.
One of the key pieces to the Super Bowl-bound Eagles‘ staff will be sticking around for a bit longer, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Philadelphia’s run game coordinator/offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was an attractive candidate for multiple offensive coordinator jobs this offseason but has reportedly agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in the City of Brotherly Love. The Eagles boasted a top-five rushing attack this year that led the league with 32 rushing touchdowns behind an elite offensive line coached by Stoutland. He has been a huge part of what has helped the Eagles lead the NFC in points and yards this season and will be sticking around to attempt to continue that success.
The Titans have landed an exciting new defensive assistant, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, signing a deal with former Buccaneers assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust. She reportedly impressed both head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Ran Carthon in the interview process and will continue to work her way up the NFL coaching ladder.
The Broncos are reportedly parting ways with strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow, as reported by Mike Klis of 9NEWS. The 27-year veteran is seeking other opportunities as new head coach Sean Payton is expected to bring in his own strength and conditioning coach. In a year that saw Denver suffer an unusually large number of injuries, Landow surprisingly avoided much of the blame, which seemed to fall on the shoulders of former head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his unusual practice schedules. Landow has his own practice, Landow Performance, that has seen a remarkable level of success, but he will likely be considered for open strength and conditioning positions for the league in the future.

Bucs’ Clyde Christensen Retires; Team Parts Ways With Several Staffers

January 19th, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

More fallout from the Buccaneers’ planned staff changes is emerging. Quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen is retiring after 43 seasons in coaching, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

The Bucs are also moving on from wide receivers coach Kevin Garver, running backs coach Todd McNair and assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust, per Stroud and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The team fired OC Byron Leftwich earlier Thursday morning and are believed to be planning to cut ties with a handful of other coaches. The Leftwich, Christensen, Garver and McNair developments clear out much of Bruce Arians‘ offensive assistant core.

This wraps a lengthy NFL career for Christensen and also closes out his second stint with the Bucs. Tampa Bay employed Christensen in three roles during Tony Dungy‘s time with the team, and that tenure closed with him in the offensive coordinator post. Christensen coached Tampa Bay’s QBs in the years prior but followed Dungy to Indianapolis, staying on through 2011. After a long run overseeing Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne as the Colts’ wideouts coach, Christensen finished that tenure as OC under Jim Caldwell. During that period, Peyton Manning earned his fourth MVP honor and the Colts trekked to Super Bowl XLIV. Chuck Pagano also kept Christensen on to start Andrew Luck‘s run.

Christensen, 66, also served as the Dolphins’ OC to start Adam Gase‘s tenure. He began coaching in 1979 and stayed in the college ranks until Dungy hired him in 1996. Arians, who was on Pagano’s staff in 2012, brought Christensen back to Tampa upon being hired in 2019. Christensen served as Tom Brady‘s position coach for the past three seasons, helping the Patriots legend transition to a new team and collecting a second Super Bowl ring in the process.

Garver, 35, was an Arians hire back when the latter began his Cardinals HC stay in 2013. He was on Arians’ five Arizona staffs and stayed on under Steve Wilks in 2018, serving as the Cards’ wide receivers coach. Arians brought Garver to Tampa in 2019; he spent the past four seasons as the Bucs’ wideouts coach.

A former NFL running back, McNair has been in coaching since 2001. A lengthy hiatus followed McNair’s stint as USC’s running backs coach, but Arians hired him in 2019. McNair, 57, oversaw the position group during Leonard Fournette‘s time in Tampa, which included a resurgence after the Jaguars waived him just before the 2020 season. This year, however, the Bucs’ run game cratered. The team ranked last on the ground, and although injuries up front played a key part in that, McNair is out after the ground attack became an unreliable option.

Arians hired Locust back in 2019, making her the first full-time female assistant coach in team history. Locust, who had previously interned with the Ravens and coached in the Alliance of American Football, spent the past four seasons as the Bucs’ assistant D-line coach. The Bucs also announced specialists coach Chris Boniol is no longer with the team and indicated senior offensive assistant Rick Christophel and outside linebackers coach Bob Sanders are retiring.

NFC Notes: Bridgewater, Saints, 49ers, Gragg, Buccaneers

March 22nd, 2019 at 2:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Teddy Bridgewater had a dramatic free agency. He appeared all set to return to the Saints, when the Dolphins swooped in with a last second offer to be their starting quarterback. But in the end, he decided to return to New Orleans, potentially setting him up to take over for Drew Brees. In a recent interview with WWL Radio, Bridgewater elaborated on his decision to stay in the Big Easy, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Bridgewater indicated it mostly had to do with how much he enjoyed his time in New Orleans, rather than about potential playing time.

“I told my agents every time that I talked to them that I haven’t stopped smiling since I arrived,” Bridgewater said. They made playing football fun, they made learning the game fun … and that’s something I appreciate. I was able to be part of that for 18 weeks last season, and it was nothing but positive things that occurred,” he continued. It sounds like Bridgewater has bought in to whatever the Saints are promising, and they clearly think very highly of him if they’re giving him $7.25MM to be their backup quarterback.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

The 49ers brought in tight end Chris Gragg for a workout, a source told Matt Maioccio of NBC Sports (Twitter link). An Arkansas product, Gragg was taken by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. He spent the next four years in Buffalo, then was with the Jets during the 2017 offseason. Gragg has struggled with injuries, missing the entire 2016 and 2017 seasons while hurt. He spent all of last year out of the league, and this is the first we’ve heard of him in a while. Gragg had his most productive season in 2015, when he caught 12 passes for 150 yards. He’s unlikely to make much of an impact even if San Francisco does opt to sign him.
The Buccaneers are making a historic move. Tampa Bay is hiring Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust as the first full-time female assistant coaches in franchise history, the team announced in a release. Locust will be an assistant defensive line coach, while Javadifar will be an assistant strength and conditioning coach. The Bucs are now the first team in NFL history to have two women as full-time coaches. New Bucs coach Bruce Arians has emphasized the need for greater diversity on NFL coaching staffs, and is now practicing what he preaches. Arians had said he would do something like this, so it isn’t surprising.
The Saints are reportedly close to a deal that would bring Jared Cook to New Orleans, but they might not be done adding to their tight end group. The team is “paying close attention” to LSU tight end Foster Moreau today at his pro day, Larry Holder of The Athletic is told (Twitter link). Moreau caught 22 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns at LSU last year.