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Doug Belk

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Chargers Interview DeMarcus Covington, Doug Belk For DC

February 22nd, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Sam Robinson

Following Renaldo Hill‘s exit for Miami, the Chargers are expected to promote defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley to defensive coordinator. But the team is either looking into more options or covering its bases.

The Bolts have interviewed Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington and University of Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk for the role, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Teams must interview at least one external minority candidate for coordinator positions to comply with the Rooney Rule.

It is unclear if the Chargers are set on Ansley, though the initial report of the two-year DBs coach being ticketed for the promotion points to that still being the team’s plan. Both Ansley, 41, and Covington have coached in the NFL for several seasons; Belk has been with Houston for the past four.

The Chargers will have two new coordinators in 2023. Following the team’s decision to fire OC Joe Lombardi and hire Kellen Moore, Hill left for a non-DC job on Vic Fangio‘s staff. Hill, who coached on Fangio’s Broncos staff from 2019-20, is now the Dolphins’ defensive pass-game coordinator.

This marks an interesting shakeup for a Bolts team that won 10 games in 2022. That said, the Chargers are coming off a 27-point playoff collapse in Jacksonville. The team is not believed to have strongly considered firing Brandon Staley, but the two-year HC’s seat temperature certainly increased because of the way his team’s season ended.

Belk, 35, has hovered off the NFL radar prior to this interview, and Houston is coming off a down defensive season. The American Athletic Conference team slid to 112th nationally in scoring defense (32.2 points allowed per game). Belk, who was the Cougars’ co-DC from 2019-20, did helm a top-20 scoring defense in 2021, however. Houston went 12-2 that year.

Covington, 33, interviewed for the Cardinals’ DC job recently and can be considered a candidate to monitor for future positions at the very least. He has been New England’s D-line coach for three seasons. The Patriots hired Covington out of the college ranks back in 2017. The Cardinals ended up going with Nick Rallis for their DC post; at 29, Rallis is currently the league’s youngest coordinator.