Mike McCoy - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Chargers, Vikings, Lions, Giants

October 11th, 2016 at 9:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers will wait until after Thursday’s game against the Broncos before considering a head coaching change, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Club ownership is thinking through all its options, and the most likely candidate to take over the team in the event that Mike McCoy is fired is offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt, in his second stint as San Diego’s play-caller, boasts seven-plus years of head coaching experience with the Cardinals and Titans.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Given that the club has $33MM worth of salaries on injured reserve at the moment, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he needed a “magic wand” in order to fit new signee Jake Long‘s cap figure, writes Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Spielman, who said Minnesota had less than $50K in cap space before adding Long, claimed he didn’t need to restructure any other contracts to squeeze in the veteran offensive lineman. It’s unclear exactly how the Vikes made financial room for Long (one possibility, from my vantage point, could be tweaking another player’s incentives to “not likely to be earned”), and Krammer reports that Spielman was “vague” about the subject.
Lions defensive lineman Kerry Hyder has made an agent change. The 25-year-old will now be represented by Select Sports Group (Twitter link). Hyder, who was previously repped by Rich Rosa and Tony Agone, appears to be in the midst a breakout season with five sacks through five games.
The NFL is now looking into Giants tackle Ereck Flowers after he pushed a reporter after Sunday night’s game, according to a league official who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). After a poor showing against the Packers, Flowers shoved an ESPN scribe, but has since apologized for the incident.
With Dallas Thomas cut today, only three members of the Dolphins‘ nine-man 2013 draft class left are Dion Jordan, Jelani Jenkins, and Dion Sims, as Alex Marvez of The Sporting News tweets. Clearly, none of that trio has made a significant thus far in their Miami careers.

Extra Points: Fitzpatrick, Romo, Chargers

October 9th, 2016 at 9:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the NFL as we wrap up the weekend…

After having thrown nine interceptions over the past two weeks, Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t have a turnover on Sunday. However, the Jets lost again, dropping their record to 1-4. Fortunately for the veteran, coach Todd Bowles said he isn’t planning on making a change at quarterback. However, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, the coach did acknowledge that he’ll “examine everything.”
Chargers coach Mike McCoy was facing a “critical two-game stretch” entering this weekend, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. A firing doesn’t appear to be imminent following his team’s loss to the Raiders, but a bad showing on Thursday could spell the end of McCoy’s tenure in San Diego. Rapoport adds that some within the organization thought “a change would be made” following last week’s loss to the Saints.
It was a tough day for Chargers rookie punter Drew Kaser. His lone punt traveled only 16 yards, and he later fumbled the ball on a potential game-tying field goal. McCoy was non-committal when discussing the position after the game. “We’ll talk about that later on,” he said (via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune on Twitter).
Cowboys owners Jerry Jones said quarterback Tony Romo will get an MRI on Monday to check on the status of his back injury, according to David Helman of DallasCowboys.com (via Twitter). Jones was also emphatic that Romo remains the team’s top quarterback, even after rookie Dak Prescott‘s hot start.

Extra Points: Coaches, Bell, Boykin

June 10th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here’s the latest from around the NFL:

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examined the job security of each NFL head coach entering the season. In La Canfora’s estimation, Rex Ryan (Bills), Gus Bradley (Jaguars), Jim Caldwell (Lions), Mike McCoy (Chargers), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Bill O’Brien (Texans) and Jason Garrett (Cowboys) are the least secure coaches going into this year. Of that group, two (Lewis and O’Brien) were at the helm of playoff teams last season. Ryan has only been in Buffalo for a year, making him the shortest-tenured member of the septet.
Free agent running back Joique Bell told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) on Friday that a few teams are interested in signing him. Bell added that he hopes to join his next team in July. The 29-year-old, who stated last week that he has “two or three offers on the table,” has been on the market since the Lions cut him in February.
One of Bell’s fellow free agents, cornerback Brandon Boykin, surprisingly can’t find work this offseason. One possible reason is a report that he has a degenerative hip problem – a rumor that Boykin blames Steelers defensive backs coach Carnell Lake for starting. Lake had a chance Thursday to walk back comments he made last week about Boykin’s hip, but he opted against doing so, as Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. “I made some comments that I had at fantasy camp and I’m not going to go back on that,” said Lake. “I wish Boykin all the best; he helped us when we needed him, and I wish him the best in his career.”

Chargers Extend Mike McCoy Through 2017

January 8th, 2016 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Four days after announcing that they would be retaining Mike McCoy for the 2016 season, the Chargers have gone one step further. General manager Tom Telesco announced today that the club has added another year to McCoy’s contract, extending him through 2017 (Twitter link). The agreement will keep the San Diego head coach from entering ’16 on a lame-duck deal.

In a statement on Monday confirming the decision to retain McCoy, Chargers president of football operations John Spanos admitted that he was disappointed with the club’s results in 2015. However, he expressed confidence in San Diego’s decision-making group going forward.

“I have the utmost confidence in our leadership. Tom Telesco, Mike McCoy, and I have already begun evaluating every aspect of the team to take the essential steps to put a winning product back on the field. We will waste no time in making the necessary changes,” Spanos said. “Throughout a trying season, our players never wavered in their dedication or commitment to the team. I firmly believe the decisions made today and moving forward will get us back on track in 2016.”

Since then, the club has parted ways with offensive coordinator Frank Reich, with Telesco indicating today that the Chargers want to go in a different direction on offense, and are hoping for “a little bit more balanced” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Philip Rivers led the NFL in 2015 with 661 passing attempts, easily topping second-place finisher Drew Brees (627). Per Telesco, the Chargers have spoken to a “good amount of people” this week about the six vacancies on their coaching staff, but haven’t yet met with Ken Whisenhunt, who is considered a candidate to return to the team as its offensive coordinator (Twitter link via Gehlken).

As for McCoy, he’ll continue on as the Chargers’ head coach whether the franchise is playing its games in San Diego or Los Angeles in 2016. In his three years with the club, he has compiled a 22-26 record, though the 4-12 mark in 2015 contributes significantly to bringing down his winning percentage. San Diego was 9-7 in consecutive seasons in 2013 and 2014, winning a playoff game in McCoy’s first year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mike McCoy To Coach Chargers In 2016

January 4th, 2016 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have informed head coach Mike McCoy that he’ll be retained for the 2016 season, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. After a disappointing 4-12 season, the Chargers are expected to make “substantial changes” to their coaching staff as early as Monday, but McCoy will be safe.

In a statement confirming the decision, Chargers president of football operations John Spanos admitted that he’s disappointed with the club’s results in 2015. However, he expressed confidence in San Diego’s decision-making group going forward.

“I have the utmost confidence in our leadership. Tom Telesco, Mike McCoy, and I have already begun evaluating every aspect of the team to take the essential steps to put a winning product back on the field. We will waste no time in making the necessary changes,” Spanos said. “Throughout a trying season, our players never wavered in their dedication or commitment to the team. I firmly believe the decisions made today and moving forward will get us back on track in 2016.”

One report last week suggested that the Chargers were leaning toward letting go of McCoy, but leading up to the team’s regular-season finale on Sunday, multiple reports indicated that the head coach was expected to keep his job after all. McCoy led the Chargers to consecutive 9-7 seasons in 2013 and 2014, earning a playoff victory in ’13, before taking a step back this year.

Albert Breer of the NFL Network noted earlier today (via Twitter) that he has heard from both Rams and Chargers people that it would be hard to run a proper coaching search with the Los Angeles situation looming, so perhaps that was a factor San Diego’s ownership considered when making the decision on McCoy, who has one year left on his contract (Twitter link).

As for the changes to the coaching staff, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears that defensive coordinator John Pagano is “particularly at risk.”

Coach Rumors: Coughlin, Shula, Shaw, McCoy

January 4th, 2016 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants have yet to announce a decision one way or the other on head coach Tom Coughlin, but it sounds like we’ll find out shortly whether the club will be in the market for a new coach. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Coughlin is scheduled to meet with Giants ownership at 1:00 pm eastern time, and it appears a decision has been made.

As we wait to find out Coughlin’s fate, let’s check in on a few other coaching-related notes and rumors….

Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula figures to draw interest from teams searching for a head coach, but he doesn’t plan to interview while Carolina remains alive in the postseason, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Since the Panthers aren’t scheduled to play until the divisional round, that would mean any potential suitors for Shula would have to wait until at least January 17th, and possibly later, to interview him, which could reduce interest.
Rapoport also provides an update on David Shaw, tweeting that the Stanford coach plans to remain in his current role, despite the possibility of garnering interest from the 49ers and/or Colts.
Chargers head coach Mike McCoy is scheduled to address the media later today, and as Ben Higgins of 10News in San Diego tweets, that looks like a positive sign for McCoy, since teams don’t typically schedule presser for coaches that are being fired.
The Browns‘ unusual approach to their coaching and GM searches could complicate the process for the team, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Since executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown will have final say on the 53-man roster, rival teams will have the option of blocking their own executives from interviewing for Cleveland’s GM job. The Browns also plan to hire a head coach before landing a GM, so while it may be appealing for a head coaching candidate to have the opportunity to bring in his own personnel guy, that guy would have to be unemployed, or employed by a team willing to let him go.
Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is among the candidates the Eagles are expected to consider for their head coaching job, per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.

Coaching Updates: 1/3/16

January 3rd, 2016 at 10:42am CST by Rory Parks

After learning this morning that the 49ers are expected to fire Jim Tomsula and that Jim Caldwell is more likely than not to return to the Lions in 2016, let’s dive into a few more notes on the league’s head coaching carousel:

A “plugged-in source” tells Pro Football Talk that Chip Kelly could be headed to the Browns (Twitter link).
Before that somewhat mysterious tweet from PFT, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted out a list of a few candidates the Browns are expected to interview in the coming days after they formally fire Mike Pettine. That list includes popular targets Adam Gase, Teryl Austin, and Doug Marrone. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the team is especially interested in Gase and has already laid the groundwork for an interview with the Bears’ offensive coordinator. It was something of a surprise that Gase did not land a head coaching job last year, but it looks like 2016 will find him in charge of his own club.
Rapoport also passes on some news on the Colts (via Conor Orr of NFL.com), reporting that if Indianapolis parts ways with Chuck Pagano, the team will make Sean Payton and Nick Saban say no before turning its search in another direction. Although the presence of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck could alter his thinking somewhat, Saban, as Rapoport tweets, has been approached by NFL clubs countless times in recent years and always says no.
Current Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is “a name to watch” as the Eagles attempt to fill their new head coaching vacancy, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who adds that the team would have to do some “fence-mending” to lure Sean McDermott, one of the hottest head coaching candidates, away from Carolina (Twitter links). ESPN.com news services confirms the team’s interest in Pederson, who spent four seasons as an offensive assistant under Andy Reid in Philadelphia, and adds that interim head coach Pat Shumur has not been ruled out.
The Titans will look at interim head coach Mike Mularkey as a legitimate candidate to become the team’s permanent head coach, as Rapoport writes in his Black Monday primer.
In the same piece, Rapoport writes that Mike McCoy has a much better chance to stay with the Chargers than originally anticipated. The NFL.com scribe reports that San Diego brass will step back and look at factors like the injuries the team has endured, the close losses it has suffered, and the omnipresent Los Angles dilemma before making a final decision. While McCoy could still be fired, it appears as though he will at least get a thorough evaluation before that happens.

Chargers Expected To Retain Mike McCoy

January 2nd, 2016 at 5:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

SATURDAY, 5:55pm: In an unexpected turn of events, it appears the Chargers will retain McCoy, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Chargers’ hierarchy is confident in McCoy, per Gehlken, and president of football operations John Spanos will make a final decision Monday. Spanos, Telesco and McCoy have a good working relationship, Gehlken notes. That should help McCoy’s chances. Moreover, he has the support of franchise quarterback Philip Rivers.

“Mike’s not the problem,” Rivers said Friday. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, if it was another head coach who wasn’t Mike, this team would’ve done that.’ Nah. That’s crazy. That’s a crazy assessment.”

FRIDAY, 8:40pm: Sunday’s game in Denver will be Mike McCoy‘s last as the head coach of the Chargers, multiple sources have told Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link).

Until now, reports regarding McCoy’s lack of job security have only come in sporadically. In November, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that general manager Tom Telesco would remain with the Chargers and, if changes were going to be made in the offseason, they’d happen on the coaching staff. The first part has proven true, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora revealed earlier this month that Telesco was safe after signing a multiyear extension with the Chargers during the summer. Similar to Acee, La Canfora also noted that McCoy was on the hot seat.

McCoy, who joined the Chargers in 2013 with Telesco, helped the Bolts to consecutive winning campaigns (including a playoff appearance and a victory in ’13) in his first two years, but the team has taken a significant step back this season. The Chargers enter Sunday at 4-11, guaranteeing McCoy a sub-.500 mark (22-25) if his tenure with the club ends.

Coaching Notes: McCoy, Giants, Titans, Dolphins

January 1st, 2016 at 10:52am CST by Rob DiRe

With “Black Monday” approaching, there should be a number of decisions made on coaches across the league. Kevin Acee of the Union-Times San Diego argues that Chargers head coach Mike McCoy should among those fired at season’s end.

Here are some other notes from around NFL head coaching positions:

Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly may have taken himself out of the running for the Giants’ head coaching job, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. He said he’d be unlikely to give up full control unless an NFL team was able to offer him the same privileges.
The Giants haven’t fired Tom Coughlin yet, but the head coach hasn’t turned to the media to make a case for himself, writes Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. Rather than talk about his future, he’d rather focus on winning in Week 17.
While the Titans are exploring their next head coaching candidates, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 has picked out three potential fits among former NFL head coaches. He writes that Jim Schwartz, Chip Kelly, and Mike Smith would all be fits in Tennessee.
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald plays a similar game as Marvez, picking out potential head coaches for the Dolphins. He puts Sean Payton and Chip Kelly at the top of his wish list.
Speaking of the Dolphins job, if Chuck Pagano is fired in Indianapolis, Stephen Holder of IndyStar.com believes that Pagano could be a fit in Miami (via Twitter).
The Eagles have obstacles to climb in order to find a new head coach, as they are looking for a new leader without a quarterback of the future and without a second-round pick, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. If they beat the Giants, they won’t have a top-10 pick in this draft either.

Extra Points: Colts, Browns, B. Kelly, Bears

December 31st, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We learned earlier today that the Colts are not expected to retain head coach Chuck Pagano, and Bob Kravitz of WTHR provides details on at least one reason why — the contentious relationship between Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson. The entire article is well worth a read, as sources tell Kravitz that Grigson has repeatedly overstepped his responsibilities as GM and interfered with the coaching staff, whether by forcing Pagano to play Trent Richardson and Josh Cribbs, or forcing the hire of ex-offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

Here’s more from around the league…

Browns safety Tashaun Gipson hasn’t had any talks with the club since Week 1, he tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), and though he’s open to returning, he’s also interested in reaching the open market. Meanwhile, fellow free-agent-to-be Mitchell Schwartz also says he’d like to re-sign with Cleveland, but allowed that business is business (Twitter link via Nate Ullrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has long been rumored as a future NFL coach, but he doesn’t sound all that eager to make the leap, writes James Kratch of NJ.com. As Kelly expresses, he has full autonomy at Notre Dame, where he essentially acts as owner, general manager, and coach. Unless a club was willing to hand him full roster and personnel control, Kelly doesn’t seem to have an incentive to jump to the professional ranks.
If Adam Gase is able to land a head coaching opportunity, the Bears will be in need of a new offensive coordinator, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes John Fox will have plenty of options. Ken Whisenhunt, whom Fox nearly hired in Denver, Pat Shurmur, and Mike McCoy (if fired by the Chargers) could all be on the table for Chicago.
Offensive tackle Zach Strief wants to retire a Saint, and he doesn’t plan on moving to another team if New Orleans lets him go. “I will come back here until they tell me to stop coming,” Strief told Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Strief is set count $4.6MM against the club’s cap next season, and Terrell believes New Orleans would ask the veteran to restructure his deal to stick around.