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Reactions to Jaguars’ Hirings

January 9th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars have officially announced the hiring of head coach Doug Marrone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin. The organization also announced the two-year extension for general manager Dave Caldwell. Owner Shad Khan released a statement regarding the moves (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter):

“I have confidence that one day soon we’ll look back on today’s news as the moment that inspired and ultimately established the Jacksonville Jaguars as a football team that wins, week to week and season to season.

“I am honored to welcome Tom Coughlin back to Jacksonville, where winning was customary under his leadership. I know he expects the same in his return to head our football operations, and that’s good news for us and Jaguars fans everywhere. The extension of Dave Caldwell’s contract speaks to his excellent work thus far and the continued importance of complementing our talented and promising roster. 

“I am particularly enthused to introduce Doug Marrone as our new head coach. Doug is a strong football man in every respect and offers us qualities that will serve us well in all facets of the team, from the meeting rooms to game day and much more. The results will speak for themselves in time, but with Tom coming in to join Dave and Doug, there is no question the Jacksonville Jaguars are a stronger football team today.”

Let’s take a look at some reactions out of Jacksonville following the organization’s busy day…

  • Caldwell will report to Coughlin, reports ESPN.com’s Mike DiRocco. The writer assumes that Coughlin “will have final say over personnel issues as well as the draft,” although the organization hasn’t confirmed whether this will be the case. A source told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter) that Coughlin presumably “has the final say on everything.”
  • Marrone believes Blake Bortles can be a franchise quarterback, and this mindset played a significant role in the hiring, reports Rapoport (via NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal). The organization clearly valued continuity, but Rosenthal notes that there will be “pressure on Marrone and Caldwell to turn Jacksonville’s fortunes around quickly.”
  • Bortles certainly sounded optimistic about the hiring. “I think Doug has earned the respect of the offensive players and I’m excited for him to get this opportunity and the direction of this team,” Bortles told DiRocco.
  • Rosenthal notes that offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett will presumably keep his role. Hackett worked under Marrone with Syracuse and the Bills.
  • Meanwhile, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets that the Jaguars’ defensive coaches were told they’d be retained if Marrone got the job. Alex Marvez of The Sporting News provides even more clarity (on Twitter), noting that the team will at least be keeping defensive coordinator Todd Wash and linebackers coach Robert Saleh.
  • Mike Smith was thought to be a close second for the Jaguars job, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. The former Falcons head coach served as the Buccaneers defensive coordinator this past season. In seven seasons in Atlanta, Smith led his squad to a 66-46 record and four playoff births. Roy Cummings of FloridaFootballInsiders.com writes that Smith is still in the running for the Chargers‘ head coaching gig.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Vikings Fire QB Coach Scott Turner

January 9th, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

A day after the Vikings announced that they’d be retaining offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, it appears that another member of the offensive coaching staff is on his way out. Alex Marvez of The Sporting News reports (via Twitter) that the organization has fired quarterbacks coach Scott Turner.

Scott TurnerTurner, the son of long-time coach (and former Vikings offensive coordinator) Norv Turner, had a successful season in 2016 considering the circumstances. He certainly played a role in Sam Bradford‘s bounce-back season, as the former first-overall pick finished the campaign with 3,877 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. Of course, Turner was only dealing with Bradford because starter Teddy Bridgewater was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The former first-rounder’s success could also be attributed to Turner, as Bridgewater connected on nearly 65-percent of his passes during his two seasons as a starter.

Turner joined the Vikings organization in 2014. Prior to his tenure in Minnesota, the 34-year-old served as the Browns wide receivers coach and the Panthers offensive quality control coordinator.

2017 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker

January 9th, 2017 at 6:42pm CST by Zachary Links

While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2016. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.

With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.

Updated 2-13-17 (2:30pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Kyle Shanahan)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Anthony Lynn)

Denver Broncos (Out: Rick Dennison)

Houston Texans (HC Bill O’Brien will call plays, replacing George Godsey)

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Nathaniel Hackett, interim offensive coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (49ers): Interviewed

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Rob Boras)

New York Jets (Out: Chan Gailey)

Oakland Raiders (Hired/Promoted: Todd Downing, replacing Bill Musgrave)

Washington Redskins (Hired/Promoted: Matt Cavanaugh, replacing Sean McVay)

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Richard Smith)

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers (Hired/Promoted Steve Wilks, replacing Sean McDermott)

Cleveland Browns (Hired: Gregg Williams, replacing Ray Horton)

Denver Broncos (Out: Wade Phillips)

  • Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired
  • Reggie Herring, linebackers coach (Broncos): To be interviewed

Houston Texans (Hired/Promoted Mike Vrabel, replacing Romeo Crennel, who was named assistant head coach)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: John Pagano)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Gregg Williams)

  • Wade Phillips, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired

Miami Dolphins (Hired/Promoted: Matt Burke, replacing Vance Joseph)

San Francisco 49ers (Hired: Robert Saleh, Out: Jim O’Neil)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Signed Mike Smith to extension; Smith withdrew name from Chargers’ HC search)

Washington Redskins (Out: Joe Barry)

Redskins Interviewed Mike Pettine For DC

January 9th, 2017 at 6:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Time to add another name to the list of Redskins defensive coordinator candidates. The team announced that they interviewed former NFL head coach Mike Pettine for the open position on Monday.

Pettine was the head coach of the Browns from 2014 through 2015, compiling a 10-22 record. Prior to his tenure in Cleveland, Pettine served as the defensive coordinator for the Bills and Jets. The 50-year-old had plenty of success during his stints in New York and Buffalo. As Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com notes, Pettine’s Jets defenses were responsible for an “NFL-low 71.0 quarterback rating, completion percentage (52.6 percent) and passing yards (186.3 per game)” during his four seasons with the organization. During his one season in Buffalo, Pettine helped the defense move from 22nd in yards allowed to 10th.

Former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is reportedly the Redskins’ main target for the gig. This isn’t very surprising considering the coach’s connection to many members of the Redskins organization. Bradley previously worked with general manager Scot McCloughan in Seattle, and he worked alongside head coach Jay Gruden and president Bruce Allen in Tampa Bay.

As our coordinator tracker shows, the Redskins are also set to interview Panthers associate head coach/defensive backs coach Steve Wilks. The team was denied permission to interview Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. ESPN.com’s John Keim reports that there hasn’t been any contact between the Redskins and Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

The Redskins fired former defensive coordinator Joe Barry last week. The team finished towards the bottom of the league in yards allowed during Barry’s two seasons in Washington.

Pep Hamilton Leaving Browns, Joining Michigan

January 9th, 2017 at 5:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns now have another vacancy on their coaching staff. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that associate head coach Pep Hamilton has accepted a job with Michigan to become their assistant head coach/passing coordinator. Reports from this weekend indicated that Hamilton was considering the role, although head coach Hue Jackson expressed optimism that Hamilton would be sticking around Cleveland.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Michigan was actually eying Greg Roman for the vacancy. Ironically, Rapoport notes that the coach now may be a contender for the vacancy on the Browns staff. Roman started the season as the Bills offensive coordinator, but he was fired in late September following a loss to the Jets.

Pep Hamilton (vertical)Hamilton joined the Browns last offseason following a three-year stint with the Colts. Despite the presence of quarterback Andrew Luck, the Colts offense only had one top-10 season during Hamilton’s tenure. The 42-year-old’s offense predictably struggled during his first season in Cleveland, as the team was forced to rely on five different quarterbacks. Besides his duties as associate head coach, Hamilton also served as the Browns quarterbacks coach.

This will be a reunion of sorts for Hamilton and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Hamilton previously served as Harbaugh’s wide receivers coach while the duo was at Stanford. As Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com writes, the Michigan coaching staff had an opening after passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch left to become UCLA’s offensive coordinator. While there are no reports regarding the length or value of Hamilton’s new contract, Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com notes that Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown recently earned a five-year contract worth $1.4MM annually.

The Browns filled one hole on their coaching staff yesterday, as the team hired Gregg Williams as their new defensive coordinator.

Packers Release DT Mike Pennel

January 9th, 2017 at 5:15pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers gave Mike Pennel a second chance following a suspension earlier this season. With another four-game ban coming to an end, it appears that the organization has had enough. ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky reports that the Packers have released the defensive tackle. The 25-year-old’s roster exemption was set to expire today.

Mike Pennel (Vertical)The former undrafted free agent was suspended for the first four games of this season after having violated the league’s substance abuse policy. Pennel returned to the Packers and appeared in eight games, but he was slapped with another four-game ban in early December. Considering it was a second offense, the defensive tackle was initially facing a ten-game suspension. Pennel actually filed suit against the NFL and the NFLPA, claiming that the impending appeals board was only going to consist of two neutral arbitrators (as opposed to the standard three-to-five). The suit was dropped after the two sides came to an agreement, and that agreement presumably cut the suspension from 10 games to only four games.

Either way, the defensive lineman is going to have to find his next opportunity elsewhere. In eight games this season, Pennel only compiled seven tackles. The defensive lineman logged 103 defensive snaps as he found himself behind Mike Daniels, Letroy Guion, and Datone Jones on the depth chart. 2015 was a “career-year” for Pennel, as the lineman finished with 25 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 16 games.

Pennel was only signed to a minimum salary contract through this season, and he missed out on a portion of that base salary and signing bonus thanks to the pair of suspensions.

2017 NFL GM Search Tracker

January 9th, 2017 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Two clubs — the Colts and 49ers — are now looking for new general managers. We’ll keep track of all developments related to those two vacancies in this post. It can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features.”

[RELATED: 2017 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Listed below are the GM candidates that have been linked to Indianapolis and San Francisco, along with their current status. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 1-29-17 (8:30pm CT)

Indianapolis Colts

San Francisco 49ers

Jaguars Hire Tom Coughlin As Executive VP

January 9th, 2017 at 3:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are hiring their former head coach Tom Coughlin as their Executive Vice President of Football Operations, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Meanwhile, general manager Dave Caldwell will stay in place thanks to a two-year extension (Twitter link via Mark Long of The Associated Press). It’s a two-year deal for Coughlin, as well, tying all major players to the organization through 2019. Tom Coughlin (vertical)

[RELATED: Jaguars To Hire Doug Marrone As Head Coach]

Coughlin, 71 in August, was a candidate for the team’s head coaching gig in this cycle, but that job went to Doug Marrone earlier today. Most people in their 70s move to Florida for sunshine and golf, but Coughlin doesn’t have much interest in either. When he parted ways with the Giants last year, Coughlin stayed involved in football with a job in the league office. This year, Coughlin was hinting strongly that he wanted to coach again. His age and aggressive style probably hindered him from returning to the sidelines, but he has found a prominent role in an organization he knows well.

While Coughlin doesn’t technically have any experience as an NFL executive, he essentially acted as the Jaguars’ general manager during his head coaching run with the team from 1995-2002.

Jaguars To Hire Doug Marrone As Head Coach

January 9th, 2017 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The first head coaching vacancy of this offseason has been filled. The Jaguars are taking the interim tag off of Doug Marrone, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Marrone’s contract will take him through 2019, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Doug Marrone (vertical)

[RELATED: Jaguars Hire Tom Coughlin As Executive VP]

In 2015, Marrone joined Gus Bradley‘s staff as an offensive line coach and assistant head coach. This year, when Bradley was sacked, Marrone was given the interim head coaching title. In those final two weeks of the season, Jacksonville saw enough out of Marrone to give him the real gig.

Marrone found some success as the Bills’ head coach in 2014 when he guided them to a 9-7 record. Instead of building on that progress, he opted out of his contract (and still cashed in on his $4MM guaranteed salary for 2015). Expecting to be a hot candidate for multiple openings, Marrone was undoubtedly disappointed when he was passed on by the Falcons, Bears, Jets, and 49ers. He bided his time in Jacksonville and, after two years, he’s back in the head coaching ranks.

As shown in our 2017 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker, Tom Coughlin, Harold Goodwin, Mike Smith, Josh McDaniels, and Kyle Shanahan, were also interviewed for the job. Anthony Lynn was also expected to interview.

The hiring of Marrone leaves five teams in search of a head coach: the Bills, Broncos, Rams, Chargers, and 49ers.

Todd Haley Open To HC Jobs

January 9th, 2017 at 11:58am CST by Zachary Links

Last year, when teams came calling for Todd Haley, he said “Thanks, but no thanks.” This time around, the Steelers offensive coordinator would interview for a head-coaching vacancy, if asked, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Todd Haley (vertical)

[RELATED: Steelers To Franchise Le’Veon Bell, Want To Extend Antonio Brown]

Haley was identified as a potential candidate for the Dolphins early in their search process last year, but his name didn’t surface after that for any openings around the league and that’s presumably because he turned them away. For one reason or another, Haley is now open to a second head coaching stint.

Haley’s first run as a head coach came with the Chiefs. That stint lasted two-and-a-half seasons as KC went 19-26 with one playoff berth. In 2012, Haley joined up with the Steelers and he has restored his image as an offensive guru by steering Ben Roethlisberger & Co. to success, though he does have some of the game’s best weapons at his disposal, including Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

The Steelers take on Haley’s former team, the Chiefs, on Sunday afternoon. If the Steelers have a deep playoff run, it might be a while before Haley can interview. Of course, that’s also a non-issue until a team actually requests and interview with him. So far, to our knowledge, that hasn’t happened in this cycle.

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