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Colts Narrowing HC Finalist List; Gus Bradley In Play To Stay As DC

February 7th, 2023 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drawing increased attention the longer it has persisted, the Colts’ coaching search looks to be hitting the homestretch. The team is believed to be down to a few finalists, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

This news comes after the team went through second interviews with numerous candidates. More notably, the Colts have been connected to a historically rare third set of interviews. It is not certain the team will proceed in that direction, but Jim Irsay said Tuesday (via Twitter) an immediate hire should not be expected. The franchise’s decision will come in “days, not hours.”

[RELATED: Who Will Become Next Colts HC?]

Irsay’s latest lines up with the report of third interviews and a weekend offering that indicated a hire may not commence until after Super Bowl LVII. Additional Colts interviews with Chiefs or Eagles candidates could not take place until then. Eric Bieniemy and Shane Steichen have interviewed with the Colts, the latter doing so twice.

Additionally, the Colts are not letting Gus Bradley explore other opportunities. Despite being a Frank Reich hire, Bradley is in play to stay in Indianapolis. Some of the candidates are interested in retaining the veteran defensive coordinator, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Bradley took over as Indy’s DC last year, after the Bears hired four-year defensive boss Matt Eberflus as their head coach. Bradley’s unit ranked 28th in scoring but 14th in DVOA this past season. The Colts roster four former Pro Bowlers on defense, though Shaquille Leonard missed most of last season due to injury.

Jeff Saturday promised major changes if he were to stay on as head coach — a scenario that should be viewed as live — so it is reasonable to expect he would not be one of the candidates who would keep Bradley, despite the two working together to close the season. Bradley worked alongside Rich Bisaccia with the Raiders, but that was also a forced partnership after Jon Gruden‘s exit. Aaron Glenn, Don Martindale and Raheem Morris being defensive coaches would point to Bradley’s exit.

Steichen, however, has a lengthy past with the longtime DC. Both were on the Chargers’ staffs from 2017-20; the Bolts rolled with a Steichen-Bradley OC-DC duo from 2019-20. If Steichen is the Colts’ choice, this certainly could be viewed as a scenario in which the team would retain Bradley.

In the fifth week of the offseason, here is how Indianapolis’ wide-ranging search looks:

Latest On Panthers’ DC Search

January 30th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Today marks the first official day at work for new Panthers head coach Frank Reich, the first domino to fall in the 2023 HC cycle. Much remains to be seen with respect to his staff, including coordinators on both sides of the ball.

On defense, it became clear that Reich’s preference for his new DC was Vic Fangio. The 64-year-old agreed to terms yesterday on a deal with the Dolphins which will see him become the league’s highest-paid coordinator, however, leaving Carolina to look elsewhere to fill the position. A pair of finalists remain in the running.

Those two are Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard and Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. Those two are the only candidates other than Fangio to have interviewed for the position, so it comes as little surprise that they remain in the running. Joe Person of The Athletic notes that Carolina has “moved on” to Richard and Manuel as it pertains to the DC opening, with the latter seeming to be in the lead (subscription required).

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports also reports (via Twitter) that Manuel remains the subject of considerable interest from Carolina. The 43-year-old has two years of DC experience, dating back to his time with the Falcons in 2017 and 2018. That post came between tenures in Seattle and Philadelphia prior to his current one in New York. Neither he nor Richard, who has multiple stints as a defensive coordinator on his resume, have experience working with Reich, though they have ties to general manager Scott Fitterer dating back to their shared time with the Seahawks.

Anderson adds that the Panthers could have competition in the form of the Texans for Manuel’s services. Houston is thought to be a potential destination for him in the (expected) event that 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans is hired as the team’s new head coach. Especially if that were to happen, attention could shift once more towards a staffer who does have experience working alongside Reich.

Person names Colts DC Gus Bradley as someone who has been “mentioned” as a candidate to follow Reich to Carolina. As he notes, however, an interview request as not yet been submitted. Anderson tweets that Reich brought up the possibility of hiring the 56-year-old, something ownership was not in favor of. It was then that Fangio was pursued, to the point where the Panthers were willing to give him the league’s largest coordinator contract (Twitter link).

With Reich expected to call plays on offense, the team’s ultimate choice at the DC spot will go a long way in determining their success on that side of the ball. Steve Wilks, who guided Carolina to an impressive run at the end of the season filling in for Matt Rhule, remains on staff for now, but he is likely to head elsewhere with new faces coming in on the Panthers’ sidelines.

AFC Coaching Notes: Colts, Bills, Jaguars, Ravens

February 12th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

Since Frank Reich was able to land defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to replace Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus, Bradley has begun the process of putting his staff together. Today Bradley added longtime defensive backs coach Ron Milus to coach his secondary, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Milus first started coaching defensive backs at his alma mater, the University of Washington, about eight years after playing cornerback there. He held the college position for seven years before getting an NFL coaching opportunity in 2000. Since then, Milus hasn’t spent a season out of work with stints in Denver, Arizona, New York (Giants), St. Louis, Carolina, San Diego, and Las Vegas. His longest stint was with the Chargers, spending eight years in southern California and transitioning with the team to Los Angeles. It was in Los Angeles that Milus was retained when Bradley joined the Chargers’ staff. He followed Bradley to Las Vegas and will join him once more in Indianapolis.

Here are a few other coaching notes from around the AFC starting with another bit from the Hoosier State:

  • In addition to Milus, Mike Chappell of Fox59 reports that Indianapolis is also in the process of hiring linebackers coach Richard Smith, who worked with Bradley and Milus in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Smith has coached in the NFL since he debuted for the Houston Oilers in 1988 coaching special teams and tight ends. He found his niche as a linebackers coach in 1997 for the 49ers and has had three short stints as a defensive coordinator in Miami, Houston, and Atlanta.
  • ESPN’s Yates also tweeted out a report that the Bills have added former QB Kyle Shurmur on staff in a defensive quality control position. After four years at Vanderbilt, Shurmur signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs, spending time on their practice squad as well as on the Bengals’ and Washington’s practice squads. He was released by Washington a little over a month ago and that appears to mark the end of his playing career. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his father, Pat Shurmur, and joining the coaching track.
  • A castaway from the Matt Nagy Bears’ staff, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey will not be without work for long as Curtis Crabtree of NBC Sports reports that Shuey is joining Doug Pederson‘s staff in Jacksonville in the same role. Shuey and Pederson had two separate tenures together in Philadelphia.
  • Pederson also made a crucial move of retaining running backs coach Bernie Parmalee. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network tells us that keeping Parmalee was a priority for Pederson, especially due to his strong relationship with star running back James Robinson.
  • Baltimore has hired Rob Leonard as outside linebackers coach, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter). Leonard will replace Drew Wilkins who left to join Brian Daboll‘s staff in New York. Leonard spent the past three seasons in the same position with the Dolphins. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds that former Michigan analyst Ryan Osborn will follow Mike Macdonald to the Ravens for a quality control position. Osborn is credited with having a role in the development of Wolverines’ EDGE players like Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.

Colts To Hire Gus Bradley As DC

February 4th, 2022 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have tabbed their Matt Eberflus replacement. Gus Bradley has landed Indianapolis’ defensive coordinator job, Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star reports (on Twitter).

Bradley joined Jim Schwartz, Chris Harris, Joe Cullen, Kris Richard and Joe Whitt Jr. in interviewing for the position. This will continue an interesting stretch for Bradley, who will be a defensive coordinator for a third team in three seasons. The former Jaguars HC will move from the Chargers to the Raiders to the Colts.

Bradley, 55, spent four seasons with the Seahawks, Jaguars and Chargers before being a one-and-done with the Raiders. Las Vegas changing regimes led Bradley back onto the market, and he landed on his feet yet again. Eberflus spent the past four years leading the Colts’ defense, and Bradley will now be in charge of a group that houses Pro Bowlers in DeForest Buckner, Darius Leonard and Kenny Moore. The Colts have ranked in the top 10 in points allowed in three of the past four seasons, finishing ninth in 2021.

Three four of Bradley’s four Chargers defenses ranked in the top 10 in yards allowed. The 2018 unit finished third, spearheading a 12-4 Bolts season. This season’s Raiders defense ranked 14th in yardage but 26th in points yielded, bottoming out in two blowout losses to the Chiefs. The Raiders did make strides, with Maxx Crosby earning a Pro Bowl nod and multi-city Bradley charge Casey Hayward grading as one of Pro Football Focus’ top-rated cornerbacks.

Initially making a name for himself by being the Seahawks’ DC during the Legion of Boom’s first seasons together, Bradley parlayed the group’s 2012 success into a shot as the Jaguars’ head coach. That tenure did not go well, and the Jags canned Bradley after a 14-48 record. This Colts gig will be Bradley’s fourth as an NFL DC.

Raiders Interview Sean Desai For DC Job

February 3rd, 2022 at 9:47am CST by Adam La Rose

The Raiders are meeting with a highly regarded candidate for the first defensive hire of the Josh McDaniels era. Las Vegas is set to interview former Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai today, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

[Related: Bears To Hire Alan Williams As DC]

Desai’s NFL coaching career dates back to 2013, and had only been spent in Chicago until now. At the age of 38, he already has an impressive amount of experience, between three different roles in the college ranks (including special teams coordinator at Boston College) and, most recently, the DC role he held with the Bears in 2021. With Matt Eberflus electing to bring a familiar face in Alan Williams with him from Indianapolis, though, Desai is in search of a new home.

One of the top young defensive minds in the coaching ranks, Desai’s unit ranked sixth in the league in yards allowed this season, despite injuries to the likes of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. That success earned him interest from the Seahawks earlier this month, as they requested an interview for their DC vacancy.

While he hasn’t officially taken another position yet, current Raiders DC Gus Bradley certainly seems to be on the way out. Between this Desai interview, and the meeting Bradley has already had with the Colts for their DC opening, there will apparently be a new voice for a Vegas defensive unit that ranked 26th in the league in points allowed in 2021.

 

Colts To Interview Three More DC Candidates

January 31st, 2022 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

The list of potential Matt Eberflus replacements continues to grow for Indianapolis. The Indy Star’s Joel Erickson reports (via Twitter) that the Colts will be interviewing three more candidates for the defensive coordinator position: Raiders DC Gus Bradley, Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. and Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard. 

The team met with Jaguars DC Joe Cullen, as well as WFT DBs coach Chris Harris, last week. Then, it came out yesterday that they will also be interviewing longtime DC Jim Schwartz, who has most recently held the title of senior defensive assistant with the Titans.

Bradley was hired by the Raiders last January, in an attempt to bring in an experienced defensive mind to a team desperate for success in the second Jon Gruden era. The 55-year-old had served as DC with the Chargers, following four-year stints as head coach of the Jaguars and DC of the Seahawks during the ‘Legion of Boom’ era.

As for Whitt, an interview request is certainly nothing new. Each of the Seahawks, Ravens and Steelers met with him as potential replacements for their previous DCs. His work in Dallas this season contributed to the defense’s surprising performance, led on the back end by Trevon Diggs‘ league-leading 11 interceptions. At the age of 43, he has been an NFL position coach dating back to 2007, but has yet to be a DC at any level.

Richard has also generated DC interest this year. Just like Whitt, he has already received requests from Baltimore and Pittsburgh for their vacancies. The 42-year-old has spent most of coaching career in Seattle, including a three year stint as DC from 2015-2017. Since then, he’s been the DBs coach for the Cowboys, and, this past season, the Saints. If Dennis Allen takes over as HC in New Orleans, as is expected, Richard’s path back to a DC role may come via an internal promotion, rather than an external hire.

Erickson notes that these three interviews will take place today and tomorrow, which should bring the Colts one step closer to making a DC hire sometime in the coming days.

 

 

Raiders Hire Gus Bradley As DC

January 12th, 2021 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have hired Gus Bradley as their new defensive coordinator, per a club announcement. The former Bolts DC will take over for Paul Guenther, who was fired after a trying season in Las Vegas.

Bradley comes with 15 years of experience, including four years as the Jaguars’ head coach and another four as the leader of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom. His history with Jon Gruden helped him land the job — his first pro gig was under Gruden as a defensive quality control coach in Tampa Bay.

Bradley’s defenses have ranked in the top 10 in each of the last two seasons. But, after Anthony Lynn got the heave-ho, a return to the Bolts was unlikely. With his guidance, four Chargers defenders earned Pro Bowl nods. That includes defensive ends Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram III, who combined for 61.5 sacks under his watch.

There’s a lot of pressure on Gruden and GM Mike Mayock, who have yet to produce a playoff berth for the Raiders. Gruden is the only coach in the league who still has a job after failing to qualify in each of the last three seasons. Bradley, they hope, can help right the ship.

In addition to Bradley, the Raiders’ candidate pool also included Cowboys defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Kris Richard, Rams assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Barry, and Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris.

Raiders To Interview Gus Bradley For DC, Latest On Search

January 4th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Raiders fired defensive coordinator Paul Guenther with a few games left in the season, and now that 2020 is over Jon Gruden needs to find a replacement. The day after Week 17, the search is already heating up.

Las Vegas is interested in Chargers DC Gus Bradley and has requested an interview with the former Jaguars head coach, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). With Los Angeles firing Anthony Lynn Monday, it appears unlikely Bradley will be back with the Chargers in 2021, so it’d be surprising if they blocked the interview. Rapoport calls him a “top candidate” for the job of turning around the Raiders’ lackluster defense.

Bradley’s defenses have played at a high level at times during his four years with the Chargers, but they also severely underperformed their talent this season. Of course he was also dealt some unlucky blows, like the significant injuries to guys like Derwin James, Chris Harris, Melvin Ingram, and Joey Bosa. Bradley had an uninspiring run as the Jags’ head coach from 2013-16, where he went 14-48. He initially received recognition for coordinating the Seahawks’ impressive defense from 2009-12.

If Bradley doesn’t end up with the gig, Rapoport identifies a couple of other potential candidates as well. That being Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris and Rams linebackers coach Joe Barry. As Rapsheet notes, Morris could land a head coaching job this cycle.

Interestingly, Morris coached under Gruden in Tampa Bay, and then took over as the Bucs’ head coach in 2009 when Gruden was fired. Barry was also on Gruden’s Tampa Bay staff, and has been an assistant head coach/linebackers coach under Sean McVay the past four seasons.

Chargers Retain DC Gus Bradley

January 9th, 2018 at 8:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have re-signed defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to a three-year contract, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported earlier tonight (via Twitter) that Los Angeles was expected to be able to retain its defensive play-caller, whose contract expired after the 2017 season.Gus Bradley (vertical)

[RELATED: 2018 Coordinator Tracker]

Bradley is the second defensive coordinator to be hired in the NFL tonight, joining new Packers defensive play-caller Mike Pettine. Both Bradley and Pettine were candidates for the Green Bay coaching position, so Bradley may have decided to re-sign in Los Angeles after being passed over by the Packers.

Bradley inked a one-year deal with the Chargers after spending three-plus seasons as the Jaguars’ head coach. Los Angeles ranked 12th in DVOA under Bradley’s leadership, while the defensive unit featured starring performances from edge rushers Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram and cornerback Casey Hayward.

“We’d like to keep this together if we can,” Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said of Bradley earlier this month. “I know some guys, the contracts are up. We’re working on that right now. We’re trying to keep this staff together, this nucleus together, because I think we got better as a coaching staff as the season went on.”

With Bradley, Pettine, Paul Guenther, Teryl Austin now placed in Los Angeles, Green Bay, Oakland, and Cincinnati, respectively, Vic Fangio is the primary free agent defensive coordinator still on the board. Speculatively, the Bears could now be set to retain Fangio under new head coach Matt Nagy, a solution that Chicago prefers.

Packers Request Interview With Gus Bradley

January 9th, 2018 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have requested permission to interview Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley for their own DC vacancy, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schefter adds that the Seahawks and other clubs also have interest in Bradley. Gus Bradley (vertical)

It should be noted that the Chargers do not have the ability to block Bradley from interviewing since his contract expired on Tuesday. The Bolts will fight to keep Bradley, however.

“We’d like to keep this together if we can,” Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said recently. “I know some guys, the contracts are up. We’re working on that right now. We’re trying to keep this staff together, this nucleus together, because I think we got better as a coaching staff as the season went on.” 

The Packers reportedly view Vic Fangio as their top target, though they are also considering a trio of current assistants (Winston Moss, Darren Perry, and Joe Whitt) plus former Browns head coach Mike Pettine for the job. The Seahawks, meanwhile, already have a DC in Kris Richard, but Richard has drawn head coaching consideration elsewhere. If Richard leaves, Bradley could be the pick to replace him.

The 2017 was Bradley’s first as L.A.’s defensive coordinator. The team finished ninth in defensive DVOA, a big reason for their success later on in the year.

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