Titans Hire Terry Robiskie, Bobby April
WEDNESDAY, 6:20pm: The Titans have officially hired Robiskie, according to Wyatt. They’ve also named Dick LeBeau their assistant head coach/defensive coordinator and Bobby April their special teams coach.
LeBeau’s new role is a slight title change, as he was the Titans’ assistant head coach/defense during the 2015-16 season. Ray Horton was Tennessee’s D-coordinator, but he left Wednesday to join the Browns’ staff. LeBeau was in charge of a Titans defense that finished an impressive 12th overall this past year, a big improvement over its 27th-place ranking in 2014. The 78-year-old has extensive experience working with defensive staffs, having begun his coaching career in the 1970s. He has served under Mularkey in both Buffalo and Tennessee.
April is familiar with both Mularkey and LeBeau, as the three were together with the Bills in 2004. April has been a special teams coach with eight different teams since 1991. He held that position with the Jets during the ’15-16 campaign.
9:49am: Robiskie will indeed be the Titans’ new offensive coordinator, according to Tiffany Blackmon of the NFL Network, who reports that the former Falcons wide receivers coach has accepted the job (Twitter links).
MONDAY, 1:45pm: Speaking to reporters today at a press conference, Mularkey said Robiskie remains in the interview process for the offensive coordinator job (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com).
With multiple outlets reporting that Robiskie will get the job, I expect it’s just a matter of time until we get official word from the team, but Mularkey said he has three candidates for the position, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link).
Mularkey also said today that the offensive coordinator will call the plays for the Titans, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
11:02am: With the Titans’ new general manager and permanent head coach set to address the media later today, the team may also be set to announce its new offensive coordinator. According to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the club is hiring Terry Robiskie to fill that position.
[RELATED: Titans name Mike Mularkey permanent head coach]
Robiskie, a longtime NFL assistant, served as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator from 1989 to 1993, then was the Browns’ OC in 2004. In between those two OC stints, and in the year since then, he has primarily been a wide receivers coach.
Most recently, Robiskie has spent the majority of the last decade in Atlanta, having served as the Falcons’ wide receivers coach since 2008. He and Mike Mularkey worked together in Atlanta for several seasons, with the new Titans head coach having been the Falcons’ offensive coordinator from 2008 to 2011 before heading to Jacksonville.
[RELATED: Titans hire Jon Robinson as general manager]
In Tennessee, Robiskie will be taking over an offense that ranked 30th in the NFL in 2015 with an average of 311.8 yards per contest. The unit, led by Marcus Mariota and Zach Mettenberger, wasn’t particularly productive passing or rushing the ball, ranking 25th in both categories.
That ineffective 2015 unit was led by Jason Michael, who is expected to stay put and become Tennessee’s new quarterbacks coach, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). A Sunday report indicated that Michael would be hired by the Rams as either the tight ends coach or the passing game coordinator, but it appears that’s not the case.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Shula, Lynn, 49ers, Manusky
It was widely reported during the week leading up to the NFL’s Wild Card games this month that Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula wasn’t interested in interviewing for any head coaching jobs while Carolina remained alive in the playoffs. However, speaking to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, Shula says he’s not sure where that perception came from.
“All I said (to the media) was I’m focused on the playoffs,” Shula said. “The other quote was if it did happen, if I was approached, I’d have to consider that at the time. Those were my only quotes … Somebody said I had an agent out there talking, too. I don’t have an agent. I have a friend that helps me, but he definitely wasn’t that person … I don’t know where that (report) came from.”
It’s somewhat odd that Shula would clarify his stance now, after all the vacant head coaching positions have been filled, rather than earlier in the interview process. Those reports suggesting he was reluctant to interview for other jobs while preparing for Panthers playoff games didn’t materialize out of thin air, so even if Shula claims he would have been open to opportunities, I’d imagine he’s happy to remain in his current role.
Here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- Bills running backs coach and assistant head coach Anthony Lynn is interviewing for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator job, a source tells Marvez (Twitter link). Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that the interview is scheduled to take place on Thursday. Lynn previously met with the Niners during the team’s head coaching search.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com provides another update on the 49ers, tweeting that Chip Kelly is interested in finding a spot on his staff for Jeff Nixon, who spent five years as the Dolphins’ running backs coach.
- According to Marvez (Twitter link), Washington is set to hire Greg Manusky – who was the Colts’ defensive coordinator up until the end of the 2015 season – as the club’s outside linebackers coach. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link) and ESPN’s John Keim hear there’s no deal in place yet, though they both say Washington has interest in Manusky, with Keim confirming the team interviewed him.
- The Titans have one more defensive line coach interview taking place today before making a decision on the position, tweets Marvez. Former Giants assistant Robert Nunn is one candidate for the job.
Latest On Browns’ Coaching Staff Targets
9:36pm: The Dolphins wanted to interview Wilson for a running game coordinator position as well, writes Goessling in a full post, but the Vikings blocked Miami’s and Cleveland’s requests with the hope that they could sign Wilson for 2016 and beyond.
9:13pm: Wilson’s Wednesday interview is almost a formality, according to Goessling, who reports (Twitter link) that Wilson is “all but assured” of landing the running game coordinator position.
8:27pm: New Browns head coach Hue Jackson is still working to formulate a coaching staff, and it appears as though several new hires are close to being finalized. Veteran offensive coordinator Al Saunders is expected to join Cleveland as an assistant, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, while former Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson will interview with the club on Wednesday with an eye toward becoming the Browns’ running game coordinator, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
Jackson and Saunders have a working relationship that dates back to the 2009 season, when both were working for the Ravens (they also worked together on the 2011 Raiders), so it’s no surprise that Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported this morning that Saunders was a “strong candidate” to join the Cleveland staff. The 68-year-old Saunders offers more than thirty years of NFL coaching experience, and while he won’t be calling plays (Jackson will do that), he’ll presumably help design the club’s weekly game plan.
Meanwhile, Wilson’s contract with the Vikings expired today, per Goessling, so he is now free to negotiate with any team. Previous reports indicated that Minnesota had blocked Cleveland’s request to interview Wilson, but now that he is no longer under contract, the Browns don’t need the Vikings’ approval. Wilson would add yet another voice — including Sanders and possibly Pep Hamilton, whom Jackson is also said to be courting — to Cleveland’s offensive meeting room.
Of course, Saunders and Wilson aren’t the only coaches that Jackson is reportedly eyeing, as we heard this morning that — after much trepidation — Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton interviewed for the same position with the Browns. In her report linked above, Cabot confirmed that today’s scheduled meeting did in fact take place.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Notes: Horton, O-Line, Cap Room
Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton arrives in Cleveland today for his interview with the Browns, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, the Browns have made it clear that they want to hire Horton and things could happen quickly between the two sides.
It was just two days ago that Horton took exception to a report suggesting that he was heading to the Browns after being upset by not being given a fair shot at the Titans’ head coaching job — at the time, Horton indicated he was working on a contract extension to remain in Tennessee, so if he lands with the Browns later in the week, it would be a quick turnaround.
Here’s more from out of Cleveland:
- Following up on Horton, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the Browns are paying his salary from his initial contract with the team, so Cleveland has some extra incentive to bring him aboard again.
- Already in the midst of a rebuild, the Browns risk creating a hole that doesn’t currently exist on the offensive line as free agency approaches, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. As McManamon observes, center Alex Mack can opt out of his contract, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is eligible for free agency, and left tackle Joe Thomas has hinted that he may ask to be traded. The offensive line has been one of Cleveland’s strong spots in recent years, so the club will have to do all it can to keep at least one or two members of this trio.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap looks ahead to the Browns’ offseason, focusing on the club’s cap situation and its pending free agents. Per Fitzgerald, the team currently projects to have about $35MM in cap space, but that figure could end up increasing to close to $60MM.
- In an interesting piece for TheMMQB.com, Jenny Vrentas examines the interview process for head coaching candidates, including what sort of questions interviewees can expect to be asked, and what sort of traits team executives are looking for. Within the piece, Vrentas notes that candidates who interviewed with the Browns this year had to ask about the team’s front office structure, featuring Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta.
Titans Hire Mike Mularkey
MONDAY, 8:45pm: Mularkey’s deal will be a three-year pact, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reports.
SATURDAY, 5:03pm: The Titans will hire interim head coach Mike Mularkey on a full-time basis, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the move (via Twitter). Tennessee is the seventh, and barring any unforeseen changes, final, club to hire a head coach this offseason.
[RELATED: Titans hire Jon Robinson as general manager]
Mularkey had longed look the favorite to take over the Titans job on a permanent basis, and just a few hours ago a report indicated that it would be a “massive upset” if anyone other than Mularkey landed the job. New general manager Jon Robinson reportedly agreed to consider Mularkey as a serious candidate for the gig, and with ownership also in Mularkey’s corner, Robinson ultimately opted for continuity over a fresh start.
As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Titans also considered several other candidates for their vacancy. Incumbent defensive coordinator Ray Horton garnered an interview, as did Jaguars assistant head coach Doug Marrone and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Meanwhile, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels was thought to be a strong contender for the position (given Robinson’s ties to New England), but Tennessee opted not to wait to interview McDaniels.
The 54-year-old Mularkey will become a full-time head coach for the third time in his NFL career — he previously lead both the Bills and Jaguars. A longtime offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, Mularkey has accrued an uninspiring 18-39 record, including a 2-7 mark in nine games as the Titans’ interim coach in 2015.
In being promoted to the full-time role in Tennessee, Mularkey has landed one of the prime jobs on the market. The mere presence of quarterback Marcus Mariota on the roster sets the Titans up for long-term success, and as owners of the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, the club should be able to secure another top talent.
Mularkey’s first task will be deciding on the fate of his coaching staff, especially his two coordinators. Offensive coordinator Jason Michael would be entering his third season on the job, and while his unit struggled last season (last in DVOA), Mularkey might opt to keep Mariota in the same system for consecutive seasons. On the other side of the ball, Horton has drawn interest from the Browns to act as their DC, and he’s made it known that he’d like to leave for Cleveland if he weren’t promoted in Tennessee.
Browns, Eagles, Jaguars Interested In Jim Schwartz
7:12pm: The Eagles will interview Schwartz for their defensive coordinator position Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan reports (on Twitter). Davis has not been fired but is not expected to be retained.
4:28pm: Schwartz is reportedly in Philadelphia and, according to 6ABC.com’s Jamie Apody, a strong possibility exists of Schwartz becoming the Eagles’ DC. The Browns’ and Jaguars’ reported interest in the seasoned DC won’t preclude the Jeffrey Lurie from outbidding them for Schwartz’s services, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes (on Twitter).
4:21pm: As teams look to fill defensive coordinator jobs, Jim Schwartz‘s name has come up in multiple teams’ searches.
The Browns, Eagles and Jaguars are interested in the former Lions head coach, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reports, and Schwartz is considering his options. Cleveland has contacted Schwartz, according to Pat McMenamon of ESPN.com, about the position.
The Jaguars have already interviewed Schwartz for their opening, and the Browns are still planning to interview current Titans DC Ray Horton for their vacancy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Browns, per Rapoport, are getting permission from the Titans to interview Horton, who served as the Cleveland DC in 2013.
The 49-year-old Schwartz would prefer to rejoin the Titans, whose defense he presided over from 2001-08 before taking the Lions’ head-coaching job, according to Kuharsky. Dick LeBeau‘s presence as assistant head coach with defensive responsibilities may cloud that situation, per Kuharsky, especially with Horton rumored to be staying on as Tennessee’s DC.
Schwartz went 29-51 as head coach of the Lions and did not coach in 2015 after serving as the Bills’ defensive coordinator in 2014.
The Bills’ 4-3 defense ranked fourth in total defense under Schwartz’s guidance last season. They regressed to 19th in 2015.
Mike Pettine‘s also been linked to this Eagles opening. Bill Davis‘ Eagles defense ranked 30th in the league this season.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
AFC Coaching Rumors: Bengals, Titans, Colts
Recently fired Dolphins coordinators Bill Lazor and Kevin Coyle will reunite with the Bengals, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Although the two former Miami game-planners will head to Cincinnati, they will do so with lesser responsibility. Lazor will coach the Bengals’ quarterbacks, while Coyle will preside over Cincinnati’s secondary.
The Bengals also hired Jacob Burney to coach their defensive line, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).
Lazor’s first coordinator work lasted barely 1 1/2 seasons, with the Dolphins firing the 43-year-old offensive coach Nov. 30. He previously coached quarterbacks for Washington, the Seahawks and the Eagles before ascending to the top offensive perch in Miami.
Coyle returns to his longest-tenured position. He coached the Bengals’ DBs from 2003-11 before leaving to become the Dolphins’ DC under Joe Philbin. The Dolphins fired Coyle in October.
Burney’s coached defensive lines with the Broncos, Browns, Panthers, Ravens and Washington, with his most recent stint coming as Washington’s defensive line coach from 2010-14. Washington did not retain him after the 2014 season.
- Brian Schottenheimer will replace Clyde Christensen as the Colts’ quarterbacks coach, according to a release on the team’s website. Schottenheimer served as an offensive coordinator for the Jets and Rams from 2006-14 before the Rams fired him prior to the 2015 slate. A longtime Colts QBs coach, Christensen accepted the Dolphins’ OC job on Saturday.
- Bob Bolstad will be looking for work after the Titans, per Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 The Team (on Twitter), don’t have intentions of offering their defensive line coach another contract. Russ Grimm and Pat Flaherty are finalists for the job, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Grimm had lengthy stints as the offensive line coach in three places — Washington, Pittsburgh and Arizona — from 1997-2012. Flaherty served on Tom Coughlin’s staff since 2004, signing on to be the Giants’ offensive line coach after Coughlin took over. Big Blue will not retain his services, however, according to James Kratch of NJ.com.
Browns To Interview Ray Horton
4:46pm: In another twist regarding Horton’s future, the Browns have received permission from the Titans to talk to Horton about their DC job, Kuharsky reports. The ESPN.com reporter notes the Browns will interview Horton later this week.
MONDAY, 1:02pm: After Sunday’s Horton-related drama, the presumption from his side is that he’ll remain with the Titans going forward, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. Nothing is official yet, however.
SUNDAY, 3:54pm: Horton is actually talking about a contract extension with the Titans, he tells Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, and he also rejects the notion that he was insulted by the club’s interview process. The situation seems a lot more fluid than originally presented, so we’ll likely have to wait for a more definite outcome.
3:45pm: Ray Horton is set to join the Browns as defensive coordinator for a second time, according to Jason Wolf of the Tennessean, who cites John Wooten in reporting that Horton will be let out of his Titans contract to join Hue Jackson‘s staff in Cleveland. Horton was previously the Browns DC in 2013.
[RELATED: Browns negotiating with Pep Hamilton]
The 55-year-old Horton, who has been Tennessee’s defensive coordinator for the past two seasons, is not leaving the Titans on good terms. Horton, who interviewed last week for the Titans head coaching position, was passed over in favor of Mike Mularkey, and apparently feels insulted that he was not seriously considered for the job.
“The Browns had put in a request to interview him, and then Tennessee interviewed him (for the head-coaching job Saturday),” said Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which encourages NFL clubs to consider minority candidates. “And they said that they didn’t know that he had any interest in being a head coach. Well, that’s an insult to the man. That is just an insult. And then when he got in the interview, they seemed shocked that he was as prepared and knowledgeable and everything else at that point.”
Horton has been a defensive coordinator since 2011, first with the Cardinals before moving onto Cleveland and then Tennessee. His role with the Titans was arguably marginalized prior to the 2015 season, when the Titans hired former Steelers DC Dick LeBeau as an assistant head coach. LeBeau was given “complete control” of the defense, and Horton was directed to report to him.
In Cleveland, Horton should have more of a say under the offensive-minded Jackson, and he’ll try to turn around a defense that ranked just 29th in DVOA last season. Horton will likely be the only coordinator the Browns hire, as the club is expected to go without an OC (Jackson will call the offensive plays).
Titans Notes: Roster, Staff, No. 1 Pick
In an afternoon press conference, the Titans introduced their new general manager Jon Robinson, along with new permanent head coach Mike Mularkey. The club didn’t confirm the hiring of Terry Robiskie as offensive coordinator, which was reported earlier in the day, but there were still a handful of notable tidbits to come out of the presser. Let’s round them up….
- Robinson will have control of the 53-man roster, while Mularkey will have control of the coaching staff, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Mularkey indicated that “there will be multiple coaching changes” in the near future, as Jason Wolf of The Tennessean tweets.
- Former offensive coordinator Jason Michael will become the Titans’ new quarterbacks coach, Mularkey confirmed today (Twitter link via Kuharsky).
- Discussions regarding the defensive coordinator job are ongoing, with Mularkey declining to comment on whether Ray Horton asked to leave (Twitter link via John Glennon of The Tennessean).
- According to Titans president and CEO Steve Underwood, the team was turned down by only one candidate for the general manager job (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com). That one candidate was probably Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta, whom the Titans reportedly wanted to interview.
- While Underwood didn’t unequivocally come out and say it, he hinted strongly that controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk had a pretty good idea that the team would be hiring Mularkey before the head coaching search even began, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Underwood cited a “comfort level” that ownership had with Mularkey, tweets McCormick.
- Robinson suggested that there will be many avenues open to the Titans as they look to improve their roster in the offseason. The team will explore the free agent market for good fits, and will consider all possible options for the No. 1 overall pick, including trading it (Twitter links via McCormick).
- Running back is a position expected to be addressed this offseason by the Titans, according to McCormick, who says Mularkey seems to favor having a power back (Twitter links).
- Underwood confirmed today that the NFL has expressed some concern with the Titans’ ownership structure, but not with the owners themselves (Twitter link via Kuharsky).
Coach Rumors: 49ers, Mangini, Giants, Titans
New 49ers head coach Chip Kelly hasn’t been formally introduced by the team yet, and hasn’t made any announcements on his coaching staff, but it appears a handful of Eagles assistant coaches will be following him to San Francisco, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets, the Eagles assistants remain under contract through 2016, so Philadelphia could block some of them from heading to the Niners if Doug Pederson wants to keep them, but the Eagles’ new head coach is likely to hire many of his own assistants as well.
One notable Niners assistant who may end up remaining in San Francisco is defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Marvez tweets that there’s a “strong possibility” of Mangini, who met with Kelly on Friday, returning to head the 49ers’ defense in 2016.
As we wait to see how Kelly’s staff shakes out, here are a few more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- The Giants appear set to move on from offensive line coach Pat Flaherty and defensive line coach Robert Nunn, per reports by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Nunn will interview for the Titans‘ DL coach job, says Garafolo.
- Meanwhile, Marvez has a note on a potential incoming coach for the Giants, tweeting that ex-Rams offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is in the mix for New York’s quarterbacks coach job.
- The Titans have put in a request to interview Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie for their offensive coordinator job, sources tell Marvez and Garafolo (Twitter link).
- Doug Pederson‘s biggest decision as he takes over the Eagles‘ head coaching job will be naming his defensive coordinator, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who writes that Pederson “can’t just blindly go with one of the big-name coordinators who are available.”