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Raiders Finalize 2025 Coaching Staff

February 11th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders reeled in the short leash allowed to interim head coach turned official head coach Antonio Pierce after only one season and have turned to former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to right the ship in Las Vegas. Two and a half weeks after the hiring of the veteran head coach, the Raiders have finalized the coaching staff they will carry into the 2025 NFL season. Though we were already aware of many of these signings, there were some breaking updates, as well.

For instance, we were already aware of the hiring of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, wide receivers coach Chris Beatty, and run game coordinator/offensive line coach (and son of the head coach) Brennan Carroll.

To fill out the position coaches, we learned that tight ends coach Luke Steckel would be retained from the previous staff and that Deland McCullough has been hired as running backs coach. A longtime assistant with the Titans, Steckel has worked with multiple positions, though tight ends coach has been his only title lacking the word “assistant.” Last season was his first in role for the Raiders, and the result was tight end Brock Bowers setting NFL records for receptions in a rookie season (112) and receiving yards in a rookie season by a tight end (1,194). McCullough returns to the NFL after time with Indiana and Notre Dame. He previously coached running backs in Kansas City from 2018-20.

All of the assistant hirings were new information. Nate Carroll, the younger of the head coach’s two sons on staff, will join as assistant quarterbacks coach after not being retained as passing game coordinator in Carolina. After getting fired as offensive line coach of the Browns, Andy Dickerson will serve as assistant offensive line coach in Vegas. Former Patriots tight ends coach Bob Bicknell will join as a senior offensive assistant after not being retained in New England. Joining him as a senior offensive assistant will be Joe Philbin, who was retained after serving as the team’s interim offensive line coach last year. New offensive assistant Sean Binckes will be making his NFL coaching debut after two years as an offensive graduate assistant at Ohio State. Lastly, former Seahawks offensive lineman Kyle Fuller will join Carroll’s staff as an offensive quality control coach.

On defense, we were already aware of the retention of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, as well as the retention and added title of run game coordinator/defensive line coach Rob Leonard and the hiring of linebackers coach John Glenn. We also were made aware of the hiring of Joe Woods as defensive pass game coordinator, but now we see defensive backs have been added to his title, as well. This is not to be confused with the hiring of new defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson, who has held the same role in the past with the Raiders (2015-16), Broncos (2017-18), Cardinals (2019-22), and Saints (2023-24).

All of the assistants on defense were breaking reports, as well. Assisting Leonard on the defensive line will be Kenyon Jackson, who served in the same assistant defensive line position for the Texans last year. Ty McKenzie has been hired as defensive assistant/linebackers coach. McKenzie was an inside linebackers coach for the Titans (2018-19), a linebackers coach for the Lions (2020), and an outside linebackers coach for the Dolphins (2022) in the past but spent last year as a defensive analyst at the University of North Carolina. New defensive assistant Rip Rowan will be making his NFL coaching debut after spending the last three seasons as defensive line coach at Georgia Southern. Lastly, Beyah Rasool will be the team’s new defensive quality control coach, making his NFL coaching debut after time with multiple universities including, most recently, Florida.

On special teams, we already were aware that veteran special teams coordinator Tom McMahon was being retained, and now we know that both special teams assistant Derius Swinton II and quality control/special teams coach Kade Rannings have been retained in their same roles, as well. Additionally, we knew that former Seattle vice president of coaching operations Matt Capurro would be reuniting with Carroll, but we didn’t know in what capacity. We now know he’ll hold a very similar role as senior vice president of coaching operations in Las Vegas.

There we have it: the 2025 Raiders coaching staff. The top-10 scoring defense retains its leader, albeit with a bit of a different supporting cast, while the offense has been completely revamped, aside from the mentor of the phenom tight end. We’ve seen Carroll build a team into a winner in Seattle, and now we’ll see if he can do the same with a team that has the second-worst cumulative record (119-205) over the last 20 years.

Raiders Add Joe Woods, Chris Beatty To Coaching Staff

February 6th, 2025 at 6:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Raiders are hiring veteran coach Joe Woods to serve as defensive pass-game coordinator on Pete Carroll’s staff, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Woods has 33 years of coaching experience – 11 in college and 22 in the NFL – including stints as defensive coordinator for the Broncos (2017-2018) and the Browns (2020-2022). He served as the Saints’ defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, but was not expected to return amid New Orleans’ coaching overhaul this offseason. Instead, Woods will reunite with the Raiders after spending the 2014 season as the team’s defensive backs coach when they were located in Oakland.

Woods is widely respected around the NFL for his experience as a defensive backs coach. Of his seven seasons as DC, his defense ranked in the top 10 against the pass on four different occasions.

The Raiders also hired Chris Beatty as wide receivers coach, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. He began his coaching career at the high school level and then spent 15 years in the college ranks in a variety of offensive roles. Beatty broke into the NFL in 2021 as the Chargers’ wide receivers coach, but was not retained on Jim Harbaugh‘s staff in 2024.

He then moved to Chicago, where he began the season as wide receivers coach before a promotion to interim offensive coordinator after Matt Eberflus was fired. Offensive play-calling duties remained with interim head coach Thomas Brown, though neither coach was retained under new HC Ben Johnson.

Beatty got career-best production out of Keenan Allen in 2023, but the rest of Los Angeles’ receivers group struggled in his tenure. In Las Vegas, he will take over a unit that lacks proven talent outside of Jakobi Meyers, who put up career-highs in 2024 despite the Raiders’ carousel at quarterback.

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

Saints Expected To Hire Joe Woods As DC

February 6th, 2023 at 8:33am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ search for their new defensive coordinator is reportedly set to come to an end. New Orleans is expected to hire Joe Woods to lead the unit, replacing the departed co-DCs in place in 2022 (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler).

The Saints had both Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard in place last season, but neither will be returning in 2023. Nielsen has been hired by the Falcons in an intra-divisional move, while Richard has yet to land his next NFL opportunity. That vacancy has very quickly been filled by the Saints.

Woods interviewed with New Orleans last week, and was the only known candidate for the position in the wake of Nielsen’s and Richard’s departures. It comes as little surprise that he was the team’s ultimate choice, and the Saints can now move forward in the offseason with an experienced staffer at the helm. Woods most recently served as Cleveland’s DC.

That three-year tenure came to an end after the 2022 season, as the Browns fired the 52-year-old. Cleveland had a strong showing in terms of total defense in 2021, but otherwise put up middling numbers with Woods at the helm. He was increasingly thought to be on the hot seat as this past season progressed, though his unit did show signs of improvement down the stretch.

Eyeing a turnaround in front seven play in particular, Cleveland has turned to Jim Schwartz to guide their defense. That move left Woods free to explore other vacancies, including the one in New Orleans which will allow him to reunite with head coach Dennis Allen. The pair briefly worked together with the Raiders in 2014, the time which immediately proceeded Woods’ four-year stay in Denver.

That tenure saw him play a notable role in the Broncos’ suffocating defense during their Super Bowl season, coaching the team’s defensive backs. His time after being promoted to Denver’s DC did not go according to plan, but this New Orleans position will allow him to return to his coaching roots in terms of positional expertise. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets that Allen will call plays on defense, allowing Woods to primarily focus on the Saints’ defensive backs.

As a result, assistant Cory Robinson – whose contract with New Orleans has expired – is likely headed elsewhere, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Woods will provide the team with an experienced voice on the back end, as he looks to help the Saints build off of their success in a number of categories from 2022 (including ranking top-10 in both total and scoring defense) while taking a step forward in others (including interceptions, in which the team finished 30th with only seven).

Joe Woods To Interview For Saints’ DC Job

February 2nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints used a co-defensive coordinator setup in Dennis Allen‘s first season, which featured the defensive-minded head coach carrying both Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen as his top lieutenants. Both are now gone, and the Saints are looking for a new coach to work with Allen.

Allen has reached out to one of his former Raiders coworkers. The Saints are set to interview former Browns and Broncos DC Joe Woods for the job, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Browns fired Woods just after the season ended, ending a three-year stay.

Woods, 52, and Allen did not exactly overlap for long in Oakland. Allen hired the ex-Vikings assistant in 2014, months before being fired early in the season. Woods finished out the year with the Raiders but was a one-and-done with the organization. Woods then played a part in one of this era’s most dominant defenses, coaching the Super Bowl-winning Broncos’ secondary in 2015. But his time as Denver’s DC did not go as well.

Denver did not renew Wade Phillips‘ contract in 2017, promoting Woods. But the team declined defensively and ended up replacing Woods with Vic Fangio to lead the defense. Woods was also on the 49ers’ staff during their most recent Super Bowl year, putting him back on the radar for DC posts. His Browns stay generated mixed results.

While Cleveland’s defense ranked fifth in yardage in 2021, the unit struggled this past season. Woods drew criticism for miscommunications and his scheme overall and hinted at a potential firing ahead of the Browns’ Week 18 game. Cleveland ranked 23rd in defensive DVOA. New Orleans, conversely, is coming off a season in which it DVOA measured its defense eighth. Nielsen is now the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, while the Saints parted ways with Richard on Wednesday night. Allen called the signals for the 2022 Saints defensively, despite moving up to HC, so it will be interesting to see how much will change once he fills the DC post.

Browns Fire DC Joe Woods

January 9th, 2023 at 8:31am CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns are not making a head coaching change during ‘Black Monday,’ but they are nevertheless going ahead with a notable shake-up on the sidelines. Cleveland has fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods, per a team announcement.

Woods arrived in Cleveland in 2020, the first season of head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s tenure with the team. Over the course of their time together, the Browns’ defense has has been up-and-down at times, but the unit underperformed throughout the 2022 campaign in particular, leaving the former on the hot seat. Cleveland ended the season ranked 14th in yardage allowed, and 20th in defensive scoring, surrendering an average of 22.4 points per game.

That, in turn, came one season after the Browns posted the fifth-best total defense in the league, something which was not enough for the team to make the postseason but did lead to heightened expectations relative to their performance this year. Cleveland ranked fifth against the pass in 2022, but allowed over 135 yards per game on the ground; despite the presence of All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett, the team also managed only 34 sacks, good for 27th in the NFL in that category.

Recently, Woods has been involved in the controversy surrounding defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and the team’s decision to send him home following public remarks about his usage. The former No. 1 overall pick stated that he had a 5% chance of re-signing with the Browns this offseason, adding that Woods being let go could help his chances of wanting to return. Regardless of the team’s handling of Clowney, Cleveland is likely to pursue additions at all three levels of the defense in the coming months, in addition to their search for Woods’ replacement.

“I’d like to thank Joe for his hard work and dedication in his three seasons as our defensive coordinator,” Stefanski said in a statement, via the team’s website. “I will always have the utmost respect for Joe, the person, and the coach. Unfortunately, we didn’t perform up to our standards enough this season, and we all share in that responsibility. We all wish Joe and his family the best in the future.”

Given his age (52) and previous DC experience with the Broncos, Woods could still have a future in the NFL as a top assistant, but the Browns’ inconsistency this year will no doubt hurt his prospects in at least the short-term future. Cleveland, meanwhile, will turn their attention to that side of the ball as they look to improve on this year’s 7-10 campaign.

Browns Send DE Jadeveon Clowney Home Following Remarks About Usage, Cleveland Future

January 6th, 2023 at 10:11am CST by Sam Robinson

Jadeveon Clowney has signed one-year contracts with the Browns in each of the past two offseasons, waiting weeks into free agency to do so on each occasion. While a recent report indicated another such scenario should not be ruled out, events of the past two days certainly point Clowney out of town.

The former No. 1 overall pick told cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot there is roughly a 5% chance he returns to the Browns in 2023. These comments do not look to have gone over well with Browns brass. The team sent Clowney home Friday, Cabot reports, adding his status for Sunday’s season finale is uncertain.

“Ninety-five percent sure I won’t be back,” Clowney said, via Cabot. “But there’s still that 5%. You never know what can happen. I just feel like I need to be around somebody that believes in me and my ability. [It can’t] just be me believing in myself. I believe in myself more than anybody.”

Clowney, 29, played well opposite Myles Garrett in 2021, staying mostly healthy and registering nine sacks. This season, Clowney has been less productive. He has posted just two sacks in 12 games, totaling just four QB hits — his lowest total since a rookie season that ended after four games. While a 13-game season would represent a fairly decent participation rate for the injury-prone talent, he is displeased with how the Browns have used him. During the 12 games in which he has suited up, Clowney has played 63% of the team’s defensive snaps.

The three-time Pro Bowler said he believes the Browns, at certain points, have opted to showcase Garrett by aligning him opposite beatable tackles. Garrett, the team’s top player who is pushing for another All-Pro nod, has 15 sacks this season and is continuing on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Garrett’s 15 sacks lead the team by a staggering margin; no other Browns performer enters Week 18 with more than three.

“You’re all trying to get somebody into the Hall of Fame when all that matters is winning,” Clowney said. “Everybody got here for a reason, and we can all make plays. I know I am. I don’t even think [Garrett] notices [the position switches]. I ain’t trying to say it’s him. I try to get along with everybody I play with. Me and him don’t have a problem. It ain’t his fault, and it’s B.S., and I don’t have time for it.”

Clowney’s status as Garrett’s sidekick has been fairly clear since he signed with Cleveland, but his comments regarding the team prioritizing Garrett stats over wins obviously have not gone over well. Clowney pointed toward DC Joe Woods‘ potential departure as a reason he could be back. Woods is on the hot seat, Cabot adds, and said Thursday he is uncertain on whether he will be asked back for a fourth season. The Browns, who have played better defensively as of late, rank 18th in points allowed and 12th in yards yielded.

The former Texans, Seahawks and Titans pass rusher is finishing out a one-year, $10MM deal; he played for $8.25MM in 2021. Clowney, who played on both the fifth-year option and franchise tag, never secured the long-term deal that once seemed certain. Injuries intervened, and he has not quite lived up to expectations despite displaying versatility during his pro career. Interest will come his way again in 2023, but his comments ahead of the Browns’ season finale could throw a wrench in a third Cleveland campaign.

Browns, DE Jadeveon Clowney Interested In Continuing Relationship; Latest On Coaching Staff

January 1st, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney joined Cleveland on a one-year contract in 2021, and he signed another one-year deal to remain with the team last offseason. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, player and team are interested in continuing their relationship in 2023, and perhaps beyond.

Clowney never landed the massive, $20MM/year contract he was targeting when he hit free agency for the first time several years ago, but after a disappointing 2020 season with the Titans, he appears to have found a home with the Browns. Last year, he posted nine sacks — the second-highest total of his career — and proved to be a worthy complement to superstar DE Myles Garrett. That landed him a contract worth $10MM for 2022.

While he has again missed time due to injury this season and has posted just two sacks in his 11 games, his contributions — as has often been the case with him — go beyond his surface-level stats. Pro Football Focus has assigned him a strong 75.9 overall grade, the 29th-best mark among 121 qualified edge defenders, and it rates him as a quality performer against both the run and pass.

Garrett himself lobbied for a new contract for his running mate last offseason, and his opinion on the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft has not changed. “When [Clowney]’s out there, you can feel his presence,” Garrett said. “He’s setting the edge, he’s making [tackles for loss]. He’s making big plays.” Defensive coordinator Joe Woods added simply, “we need him.”

Clowney said in June that quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s decision to join the Browns impacted his own decision to remain in Cleveland. Due to Watson’s lengthy suspension and Clowney’s recent concussion, the former Texans teammates have shared the field for just three regular season games this year, and Cabot suggests that Watson’s presence could convince Clowney to return. The Browns will have plenty of work to do to reinforce the interior of their defensive line this offseason, so finances will be a factor in determining whether they authorize a third contract for Clowney. Nonetheless, it appears that another deal is very much in play.

Woods, however, may not be so lucky. According to Cabot, the third-year defensive coordinator “will be looked at closely” this offseason, and he could receive his walking papers. The Browns are in the middle of the pack in terms of total defense, which is a steep drop-off from their top-5 showing in 2021, and their run defense has been particularly porous. Cleveland gives up 134.3 rushing yards per game, the eighth-worst figure in the league, and the team ranks 24th in the NFL in defensive DVOA. Their scoring defense (22.9 points allowed per game) ranks 21st.

Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer is also on shaky ground, per Cabot, though head coach Kevin Stefanski will be retained (despite recent reports that he might be on the hot seat).

Browns Hire Joe Woods As DC

February 6th, 2020 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s a done deal. On Thursday, the Browns formally hired Joe Woods as their new defensive coordinator (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). 

Woods has been connected to the job for several weeks, though the Browns had to wait until the 49ers’ season was officially over before they hired SF’s defensive backs coach. Many expected that Woods would be announced as the Browns’ DC immediately after the Super Bowl, but things took a little longer – on Wednesday, he met with the Browns for an additional interview. Hours later, it’s signed, sealed, and delivered.

The 49ers were keen on keeping Woods, so it’s possible that they were looking into ways to hang on to him. Ultimately, the 49-year-old coach opted for a step up the ladder and a move to the Midwest. With the Browns, he’ll have an opportunity to run a talented unit that underperformed in 2019 and unraveled in an ugly brawl against the Steelers. There’s no official word yet, but Woods should have defensive end Myles Garrett in uniform for 2020, and the front office has ample cash to spend across the entire D.

Woods’ history with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski should make the transition fairly easy. Stefanski, an offensive guru, will likely keep the focus on his side of the ball while Woods handles the defense. Last year, Woods’ 49ers pass-defense finished second in the league in DVOA. The Browns, meanwhile, sagged to 17th. A little bit of that magic would go a long way towards helping the star-studded Browns reach their full potential.

Browns To Interview Joe Woods

February 5th, 2020 at 8:31am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns will interview 49ers defensive backs coach Joe Woods for their defensive coordinator job today (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). We’ve heard that Woods already has a handshake deal in place for the position, but it’s not necessarily a done deal until Woods puts pen to paper. 

In late January, we heard that the 49ers had not given up on retaining Woods, despite the enormous opportunity in front of him. It’s possible that the NFC champs are still looking for a way to keep Woods on their staff, which would mean that the coach is not necessarily ticketed for Cleveland. By the end of the business day, we should know the outcome. We still expect Woods to become the Browns’ new DC, but stranger things have happened.

Woods has a strong relationship with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, dating back to their days with the Vikings. If he joins up with Cleveland, it’s expected that Woods will bring some of his assistants from SF along with him, which gives the 49ers even more reason to try and hang on to him.

Woods, 49, has 16 years of NFL coaching experience for five different teams. During his run in Denver, he spent two years as their coordinator. This past season, he helped the Niners’ D go from 23rd in pass-defense DVOA to No. 2 in the NFL. That was a huge key to their success in 2019 and the Browns (No. 17 in pass-defense DVOA) are hoping to bring some of that magic to their defense.

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