The Eagles filled both their top coordinator positions Tuesday, promoting Brian Johnsonto OC and hiring Seahawks assistant Sean Desaito head up their defense. These moves will feature some additional rearranging on staff; some of the shuffling became known today.
Alex Tanney is moving up the ladder to fill Johnson’s quarterbacks coach position. Tanney joins Davis Webb as recent Giants third-string quarterbacks to land QBs coaching jobs recently. Webb is set to become the Broncos’ QBs coach.
Webb, 28, and Tanney, 35, were teammates during the 2018 offseason and they have each made quick ascents to this key staff position. The Eagles hired Tanney as a quality control coach in 2021, marking the former NFL reserve’s first job since hanging up his cleats after the 2020 season. He has been promoted each offseason under Nick Sirianni, rising to assistant quarterback coach last year and now being set to play a big role in Jalen Hurts‘ development.
He will have some help on this front. In addition to Sirianni and Johnson, the Eagles are retaining Marcus Brady. Sirianni’s successor as Colts OC under Frank Reich, Brady will serve as a senior offensive assistant. The Eagles hired Brady shortly after the Colts canned him in-season. The former CFL quarterback-turned-NFL assistant is believed to have interviewed for the Jets and Rams’ OC jobs this year, but those positions respectively went to Nathaniel Hackett and Mike LaFleur.
The Eagles also looked to the college ranks before hiring Johnson and Desai. They interviewed Iowa State offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase recently, Zach Berman of The Athletic tweets. Scheelhaase has been on Matt Campbell‘s Iowa State staff since 2018. The Cyclones promoted him to OC this offseason. Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann interviewed for the Eagles’ DC job, Chris Low of ESPN.com tweets. After losing Todd Monken back to the NFL, the Bulldogs will keep their defensive play-caller. Schumann has been with Georgia since 2016 and has been the SEC powerhouse’s co-DC for the past four seasons. Neither Scheelhaase nor Schumann has worked in the NFL previously.
The Eagles also promoted T.J. Paganetti to assistant tight ends coach from the quality control level. Paganetti, who has been with the Eagles for nine years, was a quality control assistant during each of Sirianni’s first two seasons. He was the team’s assistant running backs coach from 2019-20, however.
As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.
This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.
Mike LaFleur still appears to be the favorite for the Rams offensive coordinator job, but that hasn’t stopped the organization from considering other candidates. According to Albert Breer of SportsIllustrated.com, the Rams have interviewed Eagles QBs coach BrianJohnson and former Colts OC MarcusBrady for the job.
The Rams are now searching for their fourth offensive coordinator under SeanMcVay, following Kevin O’Connell, Matt LaFleur, and the recently departed LiamCoen, who officially rejoined the University of Kentucky earlier this month. Coen’s departure lined up with LeFleur’s mutual parting with the Jets, and we heard immediately that New York’s now-former OC could be the favorite for Los Angeles’ open position. We also heard that Thomas Brown and Zac Robinson were internal candidates for the vacancy, and the Rams reportedly had interest in FrankReich. Now, we’re getting wind of two outside candidates.
Johnson and Brady are both new additions to the list of known (and potential candidates). Johnson’s candidacy isn’t a huge surprise considering the progress of Jalen Hurts. Johnson has been Hurts’ quarterbacks coach for each of the past two seasons, and the QB took a clear step forward in 2022 with career-high passing marks (66.5 completion percentage, 3,701 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns). The 35-year-old Johnson interviewed for the Jets offensive coordinator vacancy earlier this month.
Similar to Johnson, Brady is also a candidate for the Jets opening and spent the 2022 campaign with the Eagles (as an offensive consultant). The 43-year-old was the Colts QBs coach for two years before a year-plus stint as their offensive coordinator. He was fired by the Colts in November before quickly catching on with Philly.
The Jets’ offensive coordinator search now includes six interviews, including three with Eagles staffers. In addition to interviewingDarrell Bevell and Nick Caley, the Jets have spoken with Philadelphia staffers Brian Johnson and Kevin Patullo, Rich Cimini and Dianna Russini of ESPN.com note (Twitterlinks).
Johnson has been the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, while Patullo serves as Philly’s passing-game coordinator. The team has also spoken with former Colts OC Marcus Brady, Cimini adds. Although Brady is best known for his time in Indianapolis, he joined Philly’s staff several weeks ago.
The team is also meeting with Nathaniel Hackett, Russini tweets. Coming off one of the worst head coaching tenures in modern NFL history, Hackett has been an NFL play-caller for three teams over the past 10 years. He joins Bevell as the only former NFL play-callers on the radar for the Jets position thus far. Hackett is interviewing with the team Wednesday.
While Hackett has been an OC for the Bills, Jaguars and Packers, he is looking to bounce back from an ignominious Broncos tenure — one that ended with him becoming just the third first-year HC to be fired before season’s end since 1970. Hackett’s offense produced weekly letdowns in Denver. Russell Wilson‘s performance nosedived from his Seattle years, and issues with game management plagued the second-generation NFL coach as well. By the time the Broncos fired Hackett, he was neither calling plays nor managing the game.
Speculation pointed to the Broncos hiring Hackett with the hopes of luring Aaron Rodgers, who had been on their radar since early in the 2021 offseason. The four-time MVP instead signed a Packers extension. However, he has recently reopened the trade door. Rodgers said his Packers future is not entirely up to him anymore and has broached the subject of the team dealing him and pivoting to Jordan Love. GM Brian Gutekunstpushed back on this, but Rodgers could be in trade rumors for a third straight offseason. The Jets are prepared to pay up for a veteran to better complement their improved defense, and Rodgers had two of his best seasons with Hackett as Green Bay’s OC. The future Hall of Famer has spoken highly of Hackett, who has a history with Robert Saleh from their time in Jacksonville.
Brady spent five seasons on Frank Reich‘s Colts staff, rising from quarterbacks coach to OC once the Eagles hired Nick Sirianni in 2021. Brady did not call plays in Indianapolis, however, with Reich doing so throughout his tenure. But the former CFL quarterback has OC experience north of the border as well, serving in that role for the Toronto Argonauts from 2012-17.
Jalen Hurts‘ progress has both reflected well on Johnson and Patullo. The Eagles have relied on Hurts’ rushing talents since he took over as their starter, but he made strides as a passer this season. Johnson has been Hurts’ position coach for the past two seasons, coming over after a short stay as Florida’s OC. Johnson was also Dak Prescott‘s position coach at Mississippi State. The Colts’ wide receivers coach from 2018-20, Patullo has held the pass-game coordinator role with the Eagles throughout Sirianni’s Philly tenure.
JANUARY 15: The Jets are interviewing Marcus Brady today, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
JANUARY 14: The Jets made headlines earlier in the week when they parted ways with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. That leaves the team with a significant hole to fill on offense during the coming weeks, but there is no shortage of names being floated around with respect to his potential replacements.
The early favorite appears to be Darrell Bevell. The Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator represents the name mentioned most often for the Jets’ OC vacancy, Connor Hughes of SNY tweets. The 52-year-old is in his first season with Miami, but spent the previous 15 campaigns as an offensive coordinator. That tenure included a stint as the Seahawks’ OC from 2012 to 2017, which earned him a Super Bowl ring.
That time also included overlap with current Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who was a defensive assistant at the time. Bevell saw time with the Vikings as their OC prior to his Seattle stint, and occupied the same role with the Lions and Jaguars. His experience as an interim head coach with the latter two teams – coupled with his role in revitalizing the Dolphins’ offense this year – has made him a potential HC candidate in this year’s cycle.
While it remains to be seen if New York will interview Bevell for the position, they have done so with Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The meeting took place yesterday, as Patullo prepares to continue his work with the NFC’s top seed. He has been with Philadelphia for the past two seasons, after a three-year stint alongside Nick Sirianni with the Colts in a similar role; he also spent one season with Gang Green prior to that.
The Jets have also requested an interview with Nick Caley, per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). He is currently the Patriots’ tight ends coach, a title he has held since 2017. The 39-year-old has exclusively worked in New England during his NFL coaching career, but he spent a decade in the college ranks prior to joining Bill Belichick‘s staff in 2015. Rapoport had previously named Caley as a name to watch, alongside Eagles QBs coach Brian Johnson and former Colts OC Marcus Brady (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tweets that Bills QBs coach Joe Brady is another potential candidate. He notes that the Jets are “doing homework” on the 33-year-old, who was highly-touted after his work in college (particularly with LSU) when he took on the Panthers’ OC job in 2020. That, much like Matt Rhule‘s tenure in Charlotte, did not go according to plan, however, and he was fired midway through his second season with the team. Brady was hired by the Bills shortly thereafter, as he began the process of rebuilding his stock.
Each of the above names comprise a list of candidates along with the likes of ex-Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, Rams offensive assistant Greg Olson and Chiefs QBs coach Matt Nagy. That trio, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, could all be in the mix, though he adds (via Twitter) that veteran Gary Kubiak is not expected to be a part of the Jets’ search. New York’s process of replacing LaFleur will be worth watching as the team looks to take another step forward on offense in 2023.
Nick Sirianni said recently he would be open to hiring Frank Reichas a consultant on his Eagles staff, and the second-year Philadelphia HC loudly proclaimed his support for his former boss after beating the Colts in Week 11. The Eagles are adding one of the recently fired Colts staffers, but it is not Reich.
Previously working as Indy’s quarterbacks coach during Sirianni’s three-year tenure as OC, Brady is now helping out Philly’s defense. Being experienced in the Eagles’ schemes, Brady is helping out Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon for the time being. Brady, 43, is a former Canadian Football League quarterback who worked on CFL staffs until Reich hired him in 2018.
Brady was in discussions about an Eagles role last week, but the parties preferred to wait until after the Colts matchup to make the hire, per ESPN. The Colts fired Brady less than 1 1/2 seasons into his OC run. Soon after, they axed Reich and replaced him — to the shock of just about everyone — with Jeff Saturday. Assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier is now working as the Colts’ de facto OC, being promoted to play-caller after QBs coach Scott Milanovichturned down the gig.
The Colts employed Brady as a non-play-calling OC, but his Eagles arrival is interesting due to the prospect of the NFC East leaders needing to replace their current play-caller next year. Head coach-needy teams figure to be interested in second-year Eagles OC Shane Steichen. Should Steichen end up leaving, Brady, given his familiarity with Sirianni, figures to land on the radar as a successor option.
Following the Eagles’ 19-17 win over the Colts, Sirianni shouted “That s— was for Frank Reich” from Philly’s sideline. Although Reich is aiming to become a head coach again, it would certainly not surprise if he also joins the Eagles’ staff as a consultant this season.
“I’m emotional because I love Frank Reich. I really do,” Sirianni said. “He’s one of the best damn football coaches I’ve ever been around. I was hoping that he and I would be able to coach against each other this game. He is one of my biggest mentors.”
Jim Irsay‘s unusual decision to name Jeff Saturdayas his team’s interim head coach has not been well-received around the league. Among Frank Reich‘s holdover staffers, a fair amount of unrest has emerged.
Saturday is going with assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier as his offensive play-caller in Week 10, but Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post reports Frazier was not the first choice. QBs coach Scott Milanovich, a former Jaguars play-caller who helmed the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup as head coach in 2012, turned down the chance to call plays.
Milanovich called plays in Canada and for a short stretch with the Jaguars. He has been on Reich’s staff since last year. While Frazier has been with the Colts since Reich’s 2018 arrival, the 30-year-old does not have play-calling experience and was on the quality control level as recently as 2020. The Colts also have former East Carolina HC and Maryland OC Scottie Montgomery on staff as running backs coach; Montgomery was on the Panthers’ OC radar this offseason.
Irsay’s decision to hire Saturday has caused tumult among staffers and players, according to La Canfora, who adds Matt Ryan and other veterans were “irate” when informed of the Reich-for-Saturday swap. Some vets have said they do not want to play for the team any longer, though the trade deadline having passed limits players’ options. GM Chris Ballard, whom Irsay said was not in danger of being canned, told players the Saturday decision came “directly from the owner.” Irsay made that plain with his comments this week.
Irsay being behind the firing of offensive coordinator Marcus Brady is not surprising, but La Canfora notes the owner overruled Reich on quarterback selection. Reich did not view Sam Ehlinger as ready to play, and although the since-fired HC did not want to bench the struggling Ryan, he would have gone to Nick Foles before Ehlinger. Reich said this offseason he had wanted to acquire Foles in previous years. Prior to Ehlinger replacing Ryan, he moved past Foles as Indy’s QB2. It does not appear Reich backed that move.
The Colts are 0-2 with the 2021 sixth-round pick starting, and although Ehlinger drew praise from Reich, some around the league believe the Colts are tanking with their Saturday-Ehlinger-Frazier strategy. Irsay vehemently pushed back on that notion (via The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz), but the Colts — who also traded Nyheim Hines‘ through-2024 contract to the Bills at the deadline — will be far less experienced in key spots when they face the Raiders on Sunday.
“That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard, that we’re tanking,” Irsay said. “That’s bulls—. We’re in this thing; 9-7-1 get us in, no question about it. … We’re not tanking the season. Whoever says these things, that we’re not playing Matt because [of an effort to tank], that’s all bulls—. That’s not true. … We’re going to do what it takes to win. I don’t know who people think we are, they don’t know us. We don’t tank in Indianapolis.”
Irsay also said, via Kravitz, Ryan could play again this year. Previously, the thought was Reich’s 2023 injury guarantee will keep him sidelined. Ryan has missed time with a shoulder injury, but upon switching to Ehlinger, Reich said the move was not injury-related. The longtime Indianapolis owner said it is inaccurate to suggest he forced the QB switch on Reich, indicating Saturday will have free rein to change quarterbacks. Irsay has, however, taken a hands-on role regarding quarterbacks this year. He forced the trade of Carson Wentz and instructed Ballard to finalize the Ryan deal, so his fingerprints being on the Ehlinger move would not be a stretch.
The Colts won the Andrew Luck sweepstakes 10 years ago, going 2-14 in 2011. But the team losing Peyton Manning for a full season led to that pick, rather than a full-fledged tanking effort. Though, the Colts certainly benefited from losing at the right time. Indianapolis has yet to find a Luck replacement; the team will certainly be linked to first-round passers in 2023.
Reich’s staff also includes DC Gus Bradley, a four-year Jaguars HC who has been on the coordinator level for over a decade, and former Panthers, Broncos and Bears HC John Fox, a senior defensive assistant. Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone is viewed as a rising talent in the coaching ranks. The Saturday decision and Irsay’s defense of the choice has drawn criticism from other staffers around the league, Kimberley Martin of ESPN.com tweets.
The Rooney Rule does not apply to interim hires. Rod Graves, the director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, said (via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, on Twitter) that should change going forward. The NFL’s expanding of the Rooney Rule in recent years certainly points to the possibility it will later apply to interim hires. It is not yet known if the league will discuss that matter for potential 2023 application.
Midway through a season rife with underwhelming play on the offensive side of the ball, the Colts have made a significant move on the sidelines. The team announced on Tuesday that they have fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady.
The 43-year-old joined the Colts’ staff in 2018, following a playing and coaching career in the CFL. He served as Indianapolis’ assistant QBs coach that season, being promoted to the same, full-time role one year later. That made him a key member of the team’s staff as their search for a long-term Andrew Lucksuccessor saw them turn to Jacoby Brissettand Philip Rivers.
Last January, after Nick Sirianni departed for the Eagles’ head coaching gig, Brady was promoted to OC as his replacement. Colts HC Frank Reich retained play-calling duties, but the move nevertheless marked another increase in Brady’s influence on the unit. After last year’s one-season experiment with Carson Wentz ended with a playoff absence, he was tasked with transitioning to yet another new signal-caller, this time Matt Ryan.
The latter’s immense struggles to begin his Colts tenure resulted in his being benched for the remainder of the campaign, however. The move away from Ryan in favor of 2021 sixth-rounder Sam Ehlingerwas directed by ownerJim Irsay, something which raised questions about Reich’s job status. Today’s news marks the second straight week where a major move has been made in an attempt to right the ship on offense for a team which entered the season with high expectations.
Ehlinger made a reasonable NFL debut during the team’s 17-16 loss to the Commanders, but the unit as a whole has lacked consistency and struggled with turnovers. That has resulted in a 3-4-1 record, a new signal-caller, and now, a new OC. Attention will be turned even more to Reich and his ability to guide the offense through this latest change.
“This was an incredibly hard decision, but one I felt needed to be made in the best interest of the team,” Reich said in a statement. “I appreciate Marcus’ commitment to the organization, and he made a significant contribution to our offensive success over the last five seasons. I wish him the best moving forward.”
The Colts are moving swiftly to fill Nick Sirianni‘s position. Frank Reich intends to promote quarterbacks coach Marcus Brady to offensive coordinator, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets.
Sirianni left after three seasons in this role to become Eagles head coach. Brady, 41, has been with the Colts throughout Reich’s three-year tenure as well. This marks the second promotion for Brady since he arrived in Indianapolis. Reich bumped him up from assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019.
While this will be Brady’s first time as an NFL OC, he served in this capacity for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts from 2012-17. Reich works as Indianapolis’ play-caller, but he and Brady will soon be in charge of working with a new starting quarterback. Philip Riversretired earlier this week, and Jacoby Brissett will be a free agent in March.
During his time as Colts QBs coach, Brady has worked with three starting QBs — Rivers, Brissett and Andrew Luck. The Colts ventured back to the playoffs, with Rivers completing a bounce-back campaign, and surprised most of the football-following world in 2018 when Luck returned and spearheaded an Indy return to the postseason. The Jaguars were also interested in Brady, requesting an interview, but they are set to hireDarrell Bevell for that post.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links
The 49ers‘ staff is starting to come together, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes. Chris Foerster has been bumped up to primary offensive line coach while Rich Scangarello will return as the quarterbacks coach. Scangarello served as SF’s QBs coach in 2017 and 2018 before the Broncos tapped him as their OC in 2019. After a rough time in Denver and one year in Philly, he’s headed back to the Bay Area.
Here’s a look at the latest coach and coordinator news:
Meanwhile, new Chargers coach Brandon Staley is bringing Rams assistant Joe Barry along for the ride as his defensive passing game coordinator and linebackers coach (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com).
The Jaguars have requested an interview with Colts quarterbacks coach Marcus Brady for their offensive coordinator job, as Pelissero tweets.
The Eagles are interested in interviewing Cowboys special teams coach John Fassel, according to Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Fassel, the son of ex-Giants head coach Jim Fassel, spent eight years as the Rams’ ST coordinator. He also served as the Rams’ interim head coach for the final three games of 2016.
Webb, 28, and Tanney, 35, were teammates during the 2018 offseason and they have each made quick ascents to this key staff position. The Eagles hired Tanney as a quality control coach in 2021, marking the former NFL reserve’s first job since hanging up his cleats after the 2020 season. He has been promoted each offseason under Nick Sirianni, rising to assistant quarterback coach last year and now being set to play a big role in Jalen Hurts‘ development.
