Dwayne Stukes

Broncos HC Fallout: Penner, Paton, Payton, Hackett, Evero, Rosburg, Rypien, Risner

December 28th, 2022 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

George Paton‘s status with the Broncos has taken some hits this week. Although the second-year GM is set to remain in his post, it appears the decisions to hire Nathaniel Hackett and trade for Russell Wilson have cost him.

New Broncos CEO Greg Penner is set to play a major role in the team’s next HC hire, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. With the Broncos still in the process of putting the team up for sale when they conducted the search that produced Hackett, Paton led the hiring process. Penner said he will rely on Paton during the team’s latest hiring effort, but with it being the new ownership’s first HC search, it should be expected the GM will not have final say.

Paton’s situation reminds somewhat of Joe Douglas‘ with the Jets, though the former has not been on the job as long. Douglas has rebuilt the Jets’ defense to the point the team is a playoff contender, and this year’s draft class has helped the team considerably. But the Zach Wilson investment has gone south fast. Paton passed on Justin Fields for burgeoning star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and landed high-end starters Javonte Williams and Quinn Meinerz in Rounds 2 and 3, while also adding outside linebacker Baron Browning on Day 2 of last year’s draft. Denver collected first- and fourth-round picks for Bradley Chubb at this year’s deadline, helping to fill the draft-capital void created by the Wilson trade. While several of Paton’s moves have worked out, the Wilson-Hackett partnership undercut them and has the former Vikings lieutenant on thinner ice.

It is not known if Paton or ownership pushed to have Wilson signed long-term before this season. Conversations ramped up once Penner arrived along with Rob Walton, and the team wanted to avoid waiting until 2023 to extend the QB. But the five-year, $245MM extension is off to a shockingly poor start. Penner announcing that the next HC will report to him and not Paton strips the latter’s power to the point Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk posits the next Broncos coach will have the chance to run the football operation. Paton, 52, has held that role since arriving last year.

The Broncos have experienced ups and downs with a coach running the show, going from Mike Shanahan in this role to the overmatched Josh McDaniels, who held de facto GM power upon being hired in 2009. Considering new ownership’s deep pockets and a potential offer to run football operations, the Broncos would present an intriguing opportunity for an experienced head coach. That is believed to be the direction Denver heads this time, after seeing first-time hires Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Hackett underwhelm.

“I’ve worked with a lot of great CEOs, and it starts with really strong leadership,” Penner said. “I think that’s going to be the most critical factor here in a head coach. Obviously the X’s and O’s are important, but we need a strong leader for this organization that’s focused on winning. That starts with culture, it’s instilling a sense of accountability, discipline, and we need an identity on offense. At the starting point, it’s got to be about culture and leadership, and those characteristics are what we’ve focused on the most.”

Frank Reich, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Sean Payton are believed to be on the early radar. The Broncos could make a strong run at Payton, Fowler adds, though it is not certain the former Saints HC is interested. Harbaugh has a relationship with Broncos consultant John Elway, who ran the team’s football ops for 10 years, and minority owner Condoleezza Rice due to each’s Stanford ties. Rice worked with Harbaugh during his time with the Cardinal, per Florio, adding an interesting wrinkle to the upcoming search.

As for the team’s current setup, interim HC Jerry Rosburg said (via 9News’ Mike Klis, on Twitter) DC Ejiro Evero declined the chance to be the interim option out of loyalty to Hackett. Evero and Hackett have been friends since they were college teammates at UC-Davis. The league has also shifted away from promoting interim coaches, with Doug Marrone being the most recent such hire back in 2017. The Broncos still want to interview Evero, though the first-time DC does not profile as an experienced candidate.

Rosburg, 67, also said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, on Twitter) it was his decision to fire special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry. Both were Hackett hires. Rosburg also confirmed it was Paton, not Hackett, who brought him out of retirement to be the team’s game management assistant. Hackett’s run of issues during the season’s first two weeks led to the hire. The sideline confrontation between Brett Rypien and Dalton Risner also contributed to the early Hackett dismissal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link), as it was a sign the first-year coach was losing the team. Penner said off-field matters led to the early firing. Randy Gregory, who threw a punch at Rams offensive lineman Oday Aboushi and faced a suspension, cited Hackett’s tenuous status as HC in his successful appeal to the league, Klis tweets.

Broncos Fire ST Coordinator Dwayne Stukes, O-Line Coach Butch Barry

December 26th, 2022 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are not stopping at Nathaniel Hackett. Two of the one-and-done coach’s assistant hires — special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry — are also out, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter).

Brought over after a year as the Rams’ assistant special teams coach, Stukes was in his second year on the coordinator level. His first, however, came back in 2011 — a one-year stint as the Buccaneers’ ST coordinator. Hackett opted not to bring back respected O-line coach Mike Munchak this offseason, hiring Barry instead.

Despite going into his first season as a head coach, Hackett surrounded himself with inexperienced coordinator options. Hackett hired two ex-Rams staffers — Stukes, DC Ejiro Evero — and brought in former Packers tight ends coach Justin Outten to be his top lieutenant on offense. As of Monday night, Outten remains with the team.

Stukes, 45, has been an NFL assistant since 2006. He rose to the ST coordinator tier for one season, but after the Bucs fired Raheem Morris following the 2011 season, he became an assistant ST coach for a few franchises. Stukes moved to the Bears, Giants and Rams in this role. Collecting a Super Bowl ring for being the special teams lieutenant in Los Angeles, Stukes was on Sean McVay‘s staff for one year. The team ranks seventh in punt-return yards, though primary return man Montrell Washington has fumbled five times, but last in kick-return yards. The Broncos ranked eighth in opposing kick-return yards but 30th in punt-return yards allowed.

Although Munchak wanted to stay in Denver for a fourth season, Hackett sought Barry for schematic reasons. Shifting back to a zone-blocking scheme, the Broncos hired Barry, who worked with Hackett with the 2020 Packers. Barry, who had been the Bucs’ assistant O-line coach from 2015-18, was in an analyst role during his one season in Green Bay. Munchak, who has family in the Denver area and left the Steelers to join Vic Fangio‘s staff in 2019, did not coach this season.

The team announced Mike Mallory will coach its special teams to close out the season, while Ben Steele will lead the offensive line. Mallory spent the past eight years with the Jaguars — as ST coordinator and assistant ST coach — and Steele was the Vikings’ assistant O-line coach last season. Both were Hackett hires this offseason.

The Broncos have dealt with injuries across their O-line. Garett Bolles was lost for the season in October, and the team’s preferred right tackle options — Billy Turner and Tom Compton — missed much of the season as well. Compton missed almost all of it, returning from an offseason back procedure but only playing in one game. Both Compton and center Lloyd Cushenberry are both out for the season, heading to IR. The team used its last injury activation last week. While Pro Football Focus has viewed second-year guard Quinn Meinerz as an ascending player, slotting him in the top five among guards, it ranks the Broncos’ O-line 16th. Denver ranks 23rd in rushing and has allowed by far the most sacks (57) in the league this season.

AFC Coaching Notes: Pederson, Broncos, Bills, Raiders, Texans

February 18th, 2022 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Jaguars had offensive-oriented coaches in place as head coach in Doug Marrone and Urban Meyer, neither operated as the team’s primary play-caller. That pattern will change with Doug Pederson. The former Eagles HC will call the Jaguars’ offensive plays, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is not surprising, with the former Super Bowl-winning coach having been Philadelphia’s play-caller during his five seasons at the helm. Pederson also helped establish his HC case by calling plays at points with the Chiefs. Pederson’s primary task will be relaunching Trevor Lawrence‘s career after the prized quarterback prospect struggled under Meyer and Darrell Bevell. OC Press Taylor has not called plays previously, but passing-game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has. They will be Pederson’s right-hand men on his Lawrence reboot effort.

Here is the latest from the AFC coaching ranks:

In addition to making the long-expected Ejiro Evero defensive coordinator hire, the Broncos are plucking two more assistants off the Rams’ staff in the wake of Super Bowl LVI. Dwayne Stukes is coming to Denver to be the team’s special teams coordinator, while Marcus Dixon is leaving Los Angeles for Colorado to be the new Broncos D-line coach. Stukes, 45, spent the 2021 season as the Rams’ assistant ST coordinator. Stukes has experience as an ST coordinator — with the 2011 Buccaneers — and has been an assistant ST coach with the Bears and Giants. Dixon will also be a one-and-done with the Rams, having been hired as their assistant D-line coach last year. Previously, Dixon spent four years as an assistant at Division I-FCS Hampton.
The Raiders are hiring a new defensive line coach, tabbing Frank Okam for that role, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). This comes more than a month after the Panthers fired Okam. Carolina brought Okam from Matt Rhule‘s Baylor staff in 2020, when he served as the Panthers’ assistant D-line coach. Carolina bumped Okam to its D-line coach last year. He will follow ex-Panthers assistant Jason Simmons to Las Vegas.
The Bills are expected to hire Marcus West as a defensive assistant, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweets. Previously a co-defensive coordinator at Charlotte, West is on track to be the Bills’ assistant D-line coach, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (on Twitter). This will be West’s first NFL coaching gig.
One of the Marrone-era holdovers Meyer kept on his lone Jaguars staff, Joe Danna is now on board as the Texans’ safeties coach, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Danna spent five seasons in Jacksonville and was with the Jets and Falcons as well, serving as DBs coach with both teams.

Giants, Ben McAdoo Finalize Coaching Staff

February 16th, 2016 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

New Giants head coach Ben McAdoo has officially finalized the team’s new coaching staff, which features 20 assistants, the club announced today in a press release. There are no real surprises on the staff, which features 12 coaches from Tom Coughlin‘s staff, though McAdoo stressed that “this is a new staff.”

“Nobody was retained, there were no holdovers; everyone was hired,” McAdoo said. “When I sat down with everybody on the staff, that was one thing I wanted to make clear. No one was retained, no one was a holdover. Everyone was hired here as part of a new staff.”

Although one could make the case that assistants like defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn are technically holdovers from last year’s staff, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News suggests (via Twitter) that McAdoo probably means those coaches – and others – had to re-interview for their positions.

One of the 12 assistants who will return to the Giants this year is Mike Sullivan, who received a promotion from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, as previously reported. Sullivan, of course, steps in for McAdoo, who was elevated from OC to head coach after Coughlin resigned.

Quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti and offensive line coach Mike Solari are among the new additions to McAdoo’s staff whose hirings were previously reported. Adam Henry (WRs coach), Patrick Graham (DL coach), Jeff Zgonina (assistant DL coach), Bill McGovern (LBs coach), Dwayne Stukes (assistant special teams coach), and Aaron Wellman (strength and conditioning) round out the group of new coaches.

For the full list, be sure to check out the Giants’ press release.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Staff Updates: Giants, 49ers, Bills, Bears, Fins

January 20th, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest coaching staff-related news from around the NFL:

The Giants have hired Frank Cignetti as their quarterbacks coach, according to Newsday’s Tom Rock, and Dwayne Stukes as their assistant special teams coach (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports). Marvez reported Monday that Cignetti was a candidate to join Ben McAdoo‘s staff as the QBs coach, which has now come to fruition. Cignetti held the position in St. Louis from 2012-14 before a promotion to offensive coordinator last year. That didn’t work out, though, as the Rams fired him during the season.
In other Giants news, their offensive line coach, Pat Flaherty, is interviewing for the same position with the 49ers, Marvez tweets. The Giants seem set to part ways with Flaherty, so it would obviously be in his best interest to land the 49ers job.
The Bears have blocked outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt from becoming the Dolphins’ defensive line coach, reports Thayer Evans of SI.com. Hurtt, who has one year left on his contract with Chicago, is rising up the assistant coaching ranks in the NFL and has drawn interest at both the pro and college levels, according to Thayer.
Bills assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn is a candidate to become the 49ers’ offensive coordinator. If he does, the Bills could replace him with Wilbert Montgomery, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link). Montgomery – who has spent the past two seasons coaching Cleveland’s running backs – is familiar with Bills head coach Rex Ryan. Both were on the Ravens’ coaching staff in 2008.

Coach Notes: Joseph, Broncos, Falcons, Bears

January 20th, 2015 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a busy day so far for coaching movement around the NFL, as a pair of 2014 head coaches – Doug Marrone and Dennis Allen – found new assistant roles. Two NFC teams also reached agreements with new defensive coordinators, with the Bears landing Vic Fangio and Washington hiring Joe Barry.

There are still several notable openings around the league, and a handful of coaching-related updates to pass along this afternoon, so let’s dive right in…

Buzz around the league still suggests that Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph is a favorite for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator vacancy, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. However, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports reports that the Bengals would still need to grant Joseph permission to leave his position in Cincinnati, which the team has yet to do.
While there’s some work to be done on the defensive side of the ball, Gary Kubiak and the Broncos have finalized their offensive staff, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who passes along the details in his latest piece.
Multiple sources tell Marvez that presumed Falcons head coach Dan Quinn will retain Atlanta’s defensive line coach Bryan Cox and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong. It’s not clear if Cox will hold the same title under Quinn, but the plan is for him to work with the Falcons’ front seven, writes Marvez.
In addition to reaching an agreement with Fangio today, the Bears also parted ways with several assistants, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Jahns tweets that linebackers coach Reggie Herring, tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, and special teams assistant Dwayne Stukes won’t return to the club.
Appearing on The John Murphy Show (audio link via BuffaloBills.com), Bills co-owner Kim Pegula admitted that the team didn’t have Rex Ryan on its short list heading into the head coaching interview process, but loved the impression he made in his interview (hat tip to Pro Football Talk). “Rex almost was a candidate we put in there because obviously his name was all around as a candidate that was open and we really didn’t give much thought to him,” Pegula said. “We had obviously interviewed a lot of people before him. And he came in and I think we were just very pleasantly surprised at how very down to earth he really was in person and his love of the game and some of the things that he said on what he really wanted to do with his life and where he wanted to help us as being part of the team.”