Kodi Burns - Pro Football Rumors

Saints Fire OC Pete Carmichael

January 16th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saints head coach Dennis Allen appears to be safe for 2024, but his staff will look different next season. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has been fired, Mike Triplett and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football report. The move is now official.

Allen – like each of the other coaches in the NFC South – faced questions about his job security throughout the season. New Orleans failed to win the league’s most underwhelming division, but expectations pointed to at least one more season for him at the helm. He said as much on ‘Black Monday,’ but signs have pointed to substantial changes on the offensive side of the ball in particular.

Indeed, not only Carmichael but also wide receivers coach Kodi Burns and senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell have been dismissed. A report from last month indicated the Saints’ offensive staff would be subject to an examination, and that has proven to be the case. As a result, New Orleans is now in the market for an OC for the first time since 2009.

Carmichael joined Sean Payton‘s initial Saints staff in 2006, having a pre-existing relationship with quarterback Drew Brees. He was promoted to coordinator three years later, and remained in place through the 2023 campaign. That easily made him the league’s longest-tenured offensive coordinator, but his time with the franchise has now come to an end. The Saints’ statistical showings under Carmichael since Payton’s departure two years ago leave plenty to be desired.

New Orleans ranked 19th in total offense and 22nd in scoring in 2022. Issues at quarterback played a major factor in those struggles, leading to the signing of Derek Carr on a four-year, $150MM deal this past offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler battled injury for much of his debut Saints campaign, and he did show signs of improvement late in the year. Despite that (and a respectable ninth place finish in points), the team finished only 14th in yards per game. Struggles in the run game in particular were prevalent, and they contributed to Carmichael’s departure.

Carr’s 2024 base salary ($30MM) is guaranteed, and as currently structured, his contract is set to lock in a $10MM roster bonus for 2025 in March. With his short-term future in New Orleans thus relatively secure, the team’s OC search will be predicated in large part on finding a candidate able to mesh well with the veteran quarterback. The Saints’ receiver room will continue to be led by Chris Olave, but former All-Pro Michael Thomas faces an uncertain future given the nature of his latest contract. New faces not only on the sidelines but on the field could therefore be present in 2024.

“I would like to thank Pete, Bob and Kodi for their service to the New Orleans Saints and to this coaching staff,” a statement from Allen reads. “These types of decisions are never easy to come to, but are necessary as we move forward. I would especially like to thank Pete for his contributions to this staff for 18 seasons. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the job he has done and as a colleague.”

Once again set to face significant salary cap hurdles, New Orleans’ offseason will now include an OC search. That process could go a long way in determining the franchise’s outlook for 2024 and beyond as the Saints aim to take a step forward in offensive productivity and in the standings.

Coaching Notes: June, Vikes, Saints, Bengals

February 22nd, 2022 at 10:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts are making an interesting hire. Gus Bradley‘s first Indianapolis defensive staff will include Cato June, a former Pro Bowl Colts linebacker in the 2000s. June will make a big jump, going from Bowling Green’s outside linebackers coach to the Colts’ assistant linebackers coach, Pete Thamel of Yahoo.com tweets. June made a name for himself in Indianapolis in the mid-2000s, climbing from 2003 sixth-round pick to 2005 Pro Bowler. June then started all four Colts playoff games during their 2006 Super Bowl-winning season. June played seven NFL seasons, before finishing his career in the United Football League, and has been coaching at the college level since 2015. Bradley coached June as the Buccaneers’ linebackers coach in the late 2000s.

Here is the latest from the league’s coaching staffs:

The Saints are also turning to the college ranks to fill one of their positional jobs. Kodi Burns will move from Tennessee’s wide receivers coach to the same position with the Saints, Thamel tweets. Burns is just 33 but has been a college position coach since 2014. He worked as Auburn’s passing-game coordinator in the two seasons prior to a 2021 move to Tennessee. Curtis Johnson, who interviewed for the Dolphins’ OC job, held this position last year. It is not yet certain if Johnson is part of new HC Dennis Allen‘s plans.
Veteran special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica will resurface in Minnesota. The Vikings hired Kotwica as their assistant ST coordinator. Formerly the ST coordinator with the Jets, Washington and Falcons, Kotwica sat out last season. The Falcons fired him midway through the 2020 campaign. The Vikings hired Matt Daniels as their ST coordinator.
Daronte Jones is also joining Kevin O’Connell‘s staff, doing so as the Vikes’ defensive backs coach. This will be a quick return for Jones, who served as Mike Zimmer‘s DBs coach for the 2020 Vikings. Jones became LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021. Tuesday saw both ex-Tigers coordinators — Jones and OC Jake Peetz — land on their feet in the NFL. Peetz is now on the Rams’ staff. Jones, 43, previously worked with the Dolphins and Bengals’ secondaries. The Vikings also hired Mike Smith as outside linebackers coach. Not the ex-Falcons HC, Smith spent the past three seasons coaching the Packers’ outside linebackers. Smith had left the Packers to pursue other opportunities; this will now mean providing intel to an NFC North rival.
The Bengals‘ offensive line stands as one of the league’s top position groups to monitor. The unit will feature a new coach, with Cincinnati naming Derek Frazier as an assistant O-line coach. Frazier, who formerly worked as the Jets’ assistant O-line coach (2019-20), has extensive experience at the college level. He will share assistant O-line coaching duties with incumbent Ben Martin. Frank Pollack remains the Bengals’ top O-line coach. Cincinnati will also move Jordan Kovacs from defensive quality control coach to assistant inside linebackers coach. Kovacs, 31, has been with the Bengals since 2019.
The Bills are adding Jaylon Finner to their staff, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. Formerly the safeties coach at Division II Texas A&M Commerce, Finner will work as a defensive assistant in Buffalo.