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Doug Marrone

Jaguars Notes: Blackmon, Marrone, Olson

February 5th, 2015 at 7:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars overhauled the coaching staff underneath head coach Gus Bradley this offseason. Jacksonville added years of high-level NFL experience to the offensive side but, as we know, sometimes too many cooks can spoil the broth. At a press conference earlier today, the Jaguars discussed the breakdown of responsibilities for their coaches heading into 2015 and much more. Here’s a look at the highlights and other news out of Jacksonville..

  • Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon has made some progress towards his reinstatement but still has a ways to go, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links). Blackmon still has to satisfy criteria within the drug program and then apply for reinstatement.
  • New Jags offensive line coach Doug Marrone told reporters, including Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, that he left the Bills without any guarantees of landing a head coaching gig elsewhere.
  • Marrone has taken heat for his departure from Buffalo but he defended himself from that criticism while emphasizing that he wants to move forward. “At the end of the day, I had two outstanding years in Buffalo,” Marrone said, according to DiRocco. “I think that Terry and Kim Pegula, they’re going to be outstanding. I really can’t say enough for the people within the organization, from the trainers, from the PR department, from the equipment people. They were outstanding. At the end of the day, I had a three-day window on my contract, which was obviously difficult because of the time aspect of it. My family and I made a decision to leave.”
  • The challenge, Bradley says will be ensuring that offensive coordinator Greg Olson, Marrone, and quarterbacks coach Nathaniel Hackett all work together cohesively, DiRocco tweets. All three men are former offensive coordinators. Bradley added that he doesn’t want to run the Raiders offense or the Bills offense – he wants to put together what’s best for his players (via Vito Stellino of The Florida Times-Union on Twitter).
  • Bradley said he didn’t know much about Marrone before he started talking to him, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (on Twitter). The head coach did talk extensively before hiring him, however.
  • Bradley said he didn’t talk much to Marrone about how things ended in Buffalo, Stellino tweets. Marrone originally came by just to discuss football philosophy and not to interview, which is why they didn’t get in depth on that (via DiRocco on Twitter).
  • New offensive coordinator Greg Olson said that he had a good experience in Jacksonville in 2012 and is appreciative of the chance to return, according to DiRocco (on Twitter). He was also surprised by the number of different faces that he saw since he was with the Jags in 2012 under Mike Mularkey (link).
  • Adam Gase, Olson, and Marrone all interviewed with the team at the same time, DiRocco tweets.
  • Olson said he talked to the Bears and Rams about offensive coordinator openings, but he didn’t officially interview, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union tweets.
  • The Jaguars have made a few tweaks to their coaching staff, moving quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo to senior offensive assistant and adding the title of run-game coordinator to defensive line coach Todd Wash’s job, according to O’Halloran (Twitter links).

AFC East Notes: Brady, Marrone, Polian, Jets

January 22nd, 2015 at 4:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady adamantly denied that he had any involvement in the deflating of footballs during New England’s victory over the Colts in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. “I didn’t alter the ball in any way,” said Brady. “…I was surprised as anyone on Monday morning when I heard what was happening…I have no knowledge of anything…I’m very comfortable saying that” (Twitter links via Albert Breer of NFL.com). Furthermore, Brady stated that NFL has not yet contacted him as part of their investigation, but allowed that they might do so, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) — per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Brady would be the last person the NFL speaks to, based on Rapoport’s knowledge of the how the league conducts its probes. Here’s more from the AFC East, including a little more on DeflateGate:

  • Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also spoke to reporters earlier today, and one league source found it “shocking” that Belichick shifted the focus of the scandal to Brady, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Of course, Belichick didn’t accuse Brady of anything improper, but he did say that “quarterbacks…know a lot more than I do,” which struck many as odd.
  • Some league insiders believe that ex-Bills coach (and current Jaguars OL coach) Doug Marrone and Jacksonville executive Chris Polian could be a head coach/general manager pairing in 2016, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link via Mike Rodak).
  • Packers assistant offensive line coach Steve Marshall is expected to join the Jets, presumably continuing to work with the offensive line, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett interviewed with the Dolphins on Wednesday, and the former Wildcat says the meeting went well, per James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jaguars Hire Doug Marrone

January 20th, 2015 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

11:50am: The Jaguars have officially announced Marrone’s hiring in a press release.

10:58am: Former Bills head coach Doug Marrone has found a new job with another AFC team, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, who reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars have hired Marrone. Per O’Halloran, Marrone’s title in Jacksonville will be assistant head coach and offensive line coach, so it seems the club is still looking for an offensive coordinator to replace Jedd Fisch.

Marrone, who led the Bills to a 9-7 record in 2014, narrowly missing a playoff spot, opted out of his contract following the team’s final regular season game. Marrone’s agreement with the Bills allowed him to receive his full $4MM salary for 2015 despite the fact that he’s no longer coaching the team.

When Marrone made his decision to opt out, there was some speculation that he may have another opportunity lined up, but it doesn’t appear that was the case. The former Bills coach interviewed with the Falcons, Bears, Jets, and – according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) – the 49ers for their head coaching openings, and also had a meeting lined up with the Broncos before he canceled it. All five teams ultimately went in other directions.

As Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter), the Jaguars still technically have offensive line coach George Yarno under contract, in addition to Marrone. However, Yarno won’t coach in 2015, as he continues to battle cancer.

Coach Updates: Texans, Tomsula, Bears

January 19th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The case of Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn exhibits a need for the NFL to change its rules when it comes to head coaching hires, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Because Seattle is playing in the Super Bowl, no team can officially hire Quinn as a head coach until February, at which point most top assistants will have found other jobs. The Falcons still appear willing to wait on Quinn, but it would’ve been much more of a sure thing if Quinn were available immediately.

Here’s the latest on a few more coaching openings around the league:

  • Within La Canfora’s piece, the CBSSports.com scribe notes that the Texans could be in the market for an offensive coordinator since the team didn’t have one under Bill O’Brien in 2014. Doug Marrone is a good bet to resurface in Houston, according to La Canfora.
  • Jim Tomsula‘s salary as the 49ers‘ head coach is believed to be about $3.5MM per year, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). That would put Tomsula amongst the bottom five head coaches in the league in terms of annual salary, which isn’t a huge surprise since he wasn’t a high-profile candidate.
  • The Bears have put in an interview request with the Colts in the hopes of speaking to assistant Rob Chudzinski about their offensive coordinator opening, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
  • Bears general manager Ryan Pace said today that the team has not made a contract offer to defensive coordinator candidate Vic Fangio, but that doesn’t mean Chicago isn’t interested, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Fangio is also considered a strong contender for the same job in Washington.
  • Former Bears special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis is interviewing with the Raiders today and has two other stops lined up after Oakland, per ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright (via Twitter).
  • The Browns‘ offensive coordinator interviews for Anthony Lynn and Al Saunders are expected to take place this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

Coach Notes: Bucs, Bears, Marrone, Coyle

January 16th, 2015 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers have parted ways with quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Arroyo stepped in to run Tampa Bay’s offense during the 2014 season during Jeff Tedford‘s absence, but hadn’t been mentioned as a candidate to step into the role permanently since the team officially let Tedford go at season’s end.

Let’s round up a few more afternoon news items and rumors on the coaching front….

  • One coach the Buccaneers tried to interview for their OC opening was Mike Mularkey of the Titans, but Tennessee turned them down. John Fox and the Bears are expected to seek permission to speak to Mularkey about the offensive coordinator position in Chicago, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), so we’ll see if the Titans say no to Fox as well.
  • Following Teryl Austin‘s lead, Doug Marrone has canceled his head coaching interview with the Broncos, which had been scheduled for Saturday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Marrone will wait to see what happens with Gary Kubiak, who is set to talk to Denver on Sunday, and is viewed as the frontrunner for the position.
  • Despite some initial uncertainty at the end of the regular season, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle will remain with the Dolphins for the 2015 campaign under head coach Joe Philbin, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • Current and former Falcons coaches are among Jack Del Rio‘s targets for the Raiders, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Williamson continues to hear that Del Rio has interest in Mike Tice, but Atlanta won’t give the Raiders permission to interview the offensive line coach. Per Russini, Del Rio is trying to hire Mike Smith as his defensive coordinator, but it most likely won’t happen.
  • Russini (Twitter link) is hearing that Mike Shanahan may be in play for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator job under Jim Tomsula.
  • Former Bills offensive coordinator Nate Hackett is interviewing with the Jaguars today for the team’s OC opening, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that at least two other clubs are also interested in Hackett.
  • We can also add the Jaguars to the list of teams looking to interview Adam Gase for their offensive coordinator opening, tweets Schefter. The Falcons and Rams want to speak to Gase about an OC role as well.
  • If Teryl Austin lands the Falcons‘ head coaching job, Packers safeties coach Darren Perry looks like a candidate to become his defensive coordinator, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Coach Rumors: Austin, Kubiak, Broncos

January 16th, 2015 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Teryl Austin‘s decision to pull out of the Broncos‘ coaching search was as much about what seems to be happening in Denver as it was about his own situation, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, hinting that Gary Kubiak looks like the odds-on favorite for the Broncos job if he wants it.

Having said that, Birkett adds in a second tweet that Austin’s second interview with the Falcons on Thursday went very well. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Atlanta has narrowed its list of targets to Austin, Dan Quinn, and perhaps one other candidate, with Quinn expected to get a second interview next week following the NFC championship game.

Here’s more on coaching openings around the league:

  • The Broncos‘ interview with Kubiak is scheduled to happen on Sunday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, before Denver talks to Kubiak, the team will meet with Doug Marrone on Saturday.
  • If Kubiak leaves Baltimore to take the Broncos‘ head coaching job, the Ravens‘ contingency plan is to promote quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison to offensive coordinator, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. However, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Sun points out (via Twitter), Dennison would also be a strong candidate for OC in Denver under Kubiak.
  • Kyle Shanahan would be another offensive coordinator candidate for both the Broncos and Ravens in that scenario, per Wilson and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Per Russini, Shanahan turned down the opportunity to interview for the 49ers‘ OC job.
  • Sources tell Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com that Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph would be a top candidate for defensive coordinator in Denver if the Broncos hire Kubiak.
  • New Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was interested in bringing Buccaneers defensive line coach Joe Cullen with him to Oakland, but Tampa Bay denied the Raiders permission to interview him, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).

Coaching Notes: Marrone, 49ers, LeBeau

January 14th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Bills coach Doug Marrone is interviewing with the Jaguars, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. Marrone hasn’t landed a head coaching gig since he left Buffalo and he’s ostensibly interviewing for the Jags’ offensive coordinator opening. Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson, Dallas offensive line coach Bill Callahan, Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn, and Oakland offensive coordinator Greg Olson are also considered candidates for the opening. More coaching news..

  • Vic Fangio is not expected to stay in place as the 49ers‘ defensive coordinator under new coach Jim Tomsula, a league source tells Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter).
  • Jason Tarver is in line to join the 49ers‘ as their defensive coordinator, according to Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News (on Twitter). Former Bears head coach Marc Trestman, meanwhile, is a possibility for the offensive coordinator job.
  • Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians plans to promote an assistant to fill the team’s vacancy at defensive coordinator, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Meanwhile, he hopes to hire Dick LeBeau as a senior assistant.
  • It sounds like Teryl Austin is planning to bring Ravens linebackers coach Ted Monachino with him as defensive coordinator if he gets the Falcons job, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).

Coaching Notes: 49ers, Gase, Marrone

January 13th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers GM Trent Baalke is expected to fly back to California tonight without Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is meeting with the Broncos, tweets Matt Barrows of CSNBayArea.com. That doesn’t mean the 49ers won’t offer Gase their head coaching job — it just means that it’s not expected to be wrapped up tonight (link). More of the latest coaching news from around the National Football League:

  • Now that Todd Bowles is off the market, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s second interview with the Falcons is expected to take place on Wednesday rather than Thursday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Jets have cancelled their Wednesday appointment with Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, which could mean that they have their man, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That could, in theory, signal that they’ve chosen Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
  • Bowles had dinner with Jets brass tonight, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). He’s staying overnight in the area, but he’ll still be meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday.
  • Bowles and the Jets haven’t started discussing a contract yet, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
  • The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have interviewed former Bills head coach Doug Marrone for their head coaching vacancy today.
  • 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari says he will wait to find out what happens in San Francisco before deciding whether he wants to pursue the Bills job, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

Poll: Top Head Coaching Candidate?

January 10th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been nearly two weeks since the 2014 regular season ended, but none of the six teams looking for a new head coach have made a hire yet. The slow process can be partially attributed to the fact that several strong head coaching candidates are still alive in the postseason, but there are plenty of viable targets available now.

Of course, many of this year’s noteworthy candidates are talented coordinators who don’t have any previous head coaching experience, so it’s not necessarily easy to identify the top options. Rex Ryan, Mike Shanahan, and Doug Marrone have had varying degrees of success in past head coaching roles, while Dan Quinn (Seahawks), Todd Bowles (Cardinals), and Teryl Austin (Lions) led three of the league’s best defensive units this season. Throw in Adam Gase, whose Broncos offense has ranked in the top three in DVOA for three consecutive seasons, and there are a number of intriguing coaches out there interviewing for multiple job openings.

So what do you think? If you were running an NFL franchise and tasked with hiring a new head coach, which of these candidates would you make your top priority? We’ve limited our poll to the eight aforementioned names, but feel free to weigh in below in the comments section if you feel strongly about a coach not listed here.

AFC Coaching Notes: McDaniels, Kubiak, Jets

January 10th, 2015 at 4:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

We have already looked at some of the NFC’s biggest coaching stories, and to follow up here are some of the most important AFC rumors:

  • The early game today features a pair of offensive minds that could have head coaching opportunities this offseason, in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). McDaniels has drawn interest from the Falcons and 49ers, while Kubiak has ties to both the Jets and Bears.
  • Kubiak has not interviewed yet, choosing to wait until the team’s season is over. However, even if Baltimore is eliminated, Kubiak may not interview for a head coaching job. He loves the Ravens and has friends with the organization, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
  • As former Jets head coach Rex Ryan interviews for potential head coaching jobs, one question teams are curious about is who he plans to bring in as an offensive coordinator. Ryan is pitching a potential union with former Bears coach Marc Trestman, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
  • Trestman and Raiders quarterback coach John DeFilippo are in the running to replace Kyle Shanahan as the Browns‘ offensive coordinator, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Fowler writes that the most important qualities Cleveland is looking for in an offensive coordinator are the ability to work with Johnny Manziel and scheme flexibility in case the team moves on from its young quarterback.
  • The Browns have also asked for permission to interview Raiders assistant coach Al Saunders, who has experience as an offensive coordinator and head coach during his 30 years in the NFL, reports Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury News.
  • If former Bills coach Doug Marrone cannot land another head coaching job this year, he would likely be welcome to join the Texans’ staff as a consultant, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN (via Twitter). Marrone is close with Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
  • The Jets could be waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but owner Woody Johnson should be worried about his ability to get the in-demand Seahawks assistant, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. If the Jets wait on Quinn and loses him to another suitor, it could leave the team in a bad spot.
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