Mike Smith - Pro Football Rumors

Coach Updates: Chudzinski, Ravens, Raiders

January 21st, 2015 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up one set of coaching updates and rumors this morning, but several more have trickled in since then, so we’re due for another recap. Here’s the latest:

The Colts are blocking offensive assistant Rob Chudzinski from interviewing for any teams’ offensive coordinator jobs, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Bears, 49ers, and Rams are among the teams that have been linked to Chudzinski and will have to look elsewhere.
A day after being officially replaced as the Jets’ offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg has found a new job, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who announced today that Mornhinweg had joined his staff in Baltimore as the team’s quarterbacks coach (Twitter link). Mornhinweg replaces Rick Dennison, who left the Ravens to become Denver’s offensive coordinator.
During Harbaugh’s conversation with reporters, the Ravens head coach added that he was very impressed with Adam Gase‘s interview for the club’s offensive coordinator job, but that he viewed Marc Trestman as a better fit (Twitter link via Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com).
Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) provides an update on the Raiders‘ defensive coordinator hunt, writing that Jack Del Rio has been talking to Mike Smith about the position for about a week, Eric Mangini is interviewing today, and Mel Tucker is also on the team’s radar.
The 49ers are interested in former Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who says San Francisco would likely want Sparano as a tight ends coach.
Rumors about Dick LeBeau closing in on a deal to become the Cardinals‘ linebackers coach are a surprise to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who tweets that as of a couple days ago, LeBeau was only interested in becoming a defensive coordinator, not a position coach.

Coach Notes: Browns, Ravens, Rams, Austin

January 21st, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Six of the seven teams changing head coaches this offseason have officially hired replacements, and the Falcons appear fully prepared to wait for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. However, while there may not be much drama left among the league’s head coaching searches, there’s still plenty of intrigue in the coordinator searches, as a number of noteworthy coaches continue to look for jobs. Here’s a round-up of the latest updates:

The Browns have canceled their offensive coordinator interview with Raiders senior offensive assistant Al Saunders, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The meeting hasn’t been rescheduled, and no reason was given for the cancellation, so it’s not clear why it will no longer happen.
In addition to not interviewing Saunders, the Browns also won’t speak to former Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). A Tuesday report had suggested Mornhinweg was expected to talk to the club about the job.
While Mornhinweg apparently won’t interview with the Browns, he has drawn interest from the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Baltimore hired Marc Trestman as its new offensive coordinator yesterday, so Mornhinweg would be a candidate for the team’s quarterbacks coach job.
The Rams have been denied permission to speak to two of their offensive coordinator candidates, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that the Colts blocked the Rams from talking to Rob Chudzinski, while the Packers thwarted St. Louis’ efforts to talk to Alex Van Pelt. The Rams still hope to interview Adam Gase, who is in Chicago today to speak to the Bears.
While Teryl Austin could still technically end up becoming the Falcons‘ new head coach, it sure looks like the Lions defensive coordinator will be returning to Detroit, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details.
The Broncos will hope for a change of heart from the Bengals on secondary coach Vance Joseph, whom Denver targeted as its top defensive coordinator target, but with Cincinnati refusing to release Joseph from his contract, the Broncos are moving forward on other candidates, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
Mike Smith has been the Raiders‘ top target for defensive coordinator since Jack Del Rio was named head coach, tweets Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune. If an established coach like Smith lands Oakland’s DC job, he’ll have more autonomy than a younger coach would — Del Rio would be more involved on D in that case, says McDonald.

Coach Notes: Bucs, Bears, Marrone, Coyle

January 16th, 2015 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers have parted ways with quarterbacks coach and interim offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Arroyo stepped in to run Tampa Bay’s offense during the 2014 season during Jeff Tedford‘s absence, but hadn’t been mentioned as a candidate to step into the role permanently since the team officially let Tedford go at season’s end.

Let’s round up a few more afternoon news items and rumors on the coaching front….

One coach the Buccaneers tried to interview for their OC opening was Mike Mularkey of the Titans, but Tennessee turned them down. John Fox and the Bears are expected to seek permission to speak to Mularkey about the offensive coordinator position in Chicago, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), so we’ll see if the Titans say no to Fox as well.
Following Teryl Austin‘s lead, Doug Marrone has canceled his head coaching interview with the Broncos, which had been scheduled for Saturday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Marrone will wait to see what happens with Gary Kubiak, who is set to talk to Denver on Sunday, and is viewed as the frontrunner for the position.
Despite some initial uncertainty at the end of the regular season, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle will remain with the Dolphins for the 2015 campaign under head coach Joe Philbin, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Current and former Falcons coaches are among Jack Del Rio‘s targets for the Raiders, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (Twitter links). Williamson continues to hear that Del Rio has interest in Mike Tice, but Atlanta won’t give the Raiders permission to interview the offensive line coach. Per Russini, Del Rio is trying to hire Mike Smith as his defensive coordinator, but it most likely won’t happen.
Russini (Twitter link) is hearing that Mike Shanahan may be in play for the 49ers‘ offensive coordinator job under Jim Tomsula.
Former Bills offensive coordinator Nate Hackett is interviewing with the Jaguars today for the team’s OC opening, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that at least two other clubs are also interested in Hackett.
We can also add the Jaguars to the list of teams looking to interview Adam Gase for their offensive coordinator opening, tweets Schefter. The Falcons and Rams want to speak to Gase about an OC role as well.
If Teryl Austin lands the Falcons‘ head coaching job, Packers safeties coach Darren Perry looks like a candidate to become his defensive coordinator, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Raiders Hire Jack Del Rio As HC

January 14th, 2015 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: It’s a four-year deal for Del Rio, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

3:10pm: The Raiders have officially hired Del Rio, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

2:17pm: A person familiar with the Raiders’ coach search told Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group (on Twitter) that a completed deal to hire Del Rio as head coach is “not imminent.” Still, the two sides still working on it.

7:44am: While the Niners pursue Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching job, the league’s other Bay Area team appears poised to lock up Denver’s defensive coordinator for their own coaching opening. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Raiders are expected to name Jack Del Rio as their new head coach, and an announcement could come as soon as today.

Del Rio’s defense in Denver, where he has been the coordinator since 2012, hasn’t been quite as effective or as heralded as the unit on the other side of the ball. However, after ranking in the middle of the pack a year ago, the Broncos’ defense finished fourth in DVOA in 2014, with Del Rio taking advantage of an influx of free agent talent, including DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward.

As our head coaching search tracker shows, the Raiders’ list of candidates and interviewees didn’t include as many notable names as several other team’s lists. The team didn’t target highly-regarded coordinators like Dan Quinn or Teryl Austin, or former head coaches such as Rex Ryan or Doug Marrone. While Oakland tried to interview Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, he passed on the opportunity after receiving plenty of interest from other suitors.

Still, Del Rio, who had a long second interview with the team on Tuesday, had been considered a top option for the Raiders since the start of their search. There was a belief in recent days that the team’s choice would come down to the Broncos’ defensive coordinator or interim head coach Tony Sparano. And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the club decided late last night not to promote Sparano to the permanent role, opening the door for Del Rio.

Del Rio, of course, has previous head coaching experience, having spent the better part of nine seasons with the Jaguars. That stint included a 68-71 overall regular season record, along with a pair of playoff berths, and a single postseason victory, in the 2007 season.

Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group noted last night (via Twitter) that offensive coordinator Greg Olson and special teams coordinator Bobby April actually remain under contract for the Raiders in 2015. However, it’s possible – or perhaps even likely – that they’ll be released from those deals to pursue other opportunities, with Del Rio bringing in his own coordinators.

Jordan Raanan of NJ.com speculates (via Twitter) that Mike Smith, who was Del Rio’s defensive coordinator for several years in Jacksonville and was recently let go by the Falcons, could be a DC candidate. Meanwhile, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says he wouldn’t be surprised if another Atlanta coach who worked with Del Rio on the Jags – offensive line coach Mike Tice – follows his former colleague to Oakland.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Quinn, Spagnuolo, Hartline

January 11th, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Rory Parks

It’s been a busy morning in the AFC East, as the Bills have tabbed Rex Ryan as their new head coach and Greg Roman as their new offensive coordinator, and the Jets are set to name Mike Maccagnan as their new GM. Let’s take a look at some other news from the league’s east divisions this morning:

If the Seahawks had lost to Carolina last night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Jets were prepared to fly to Seattle to offer Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn their head coaching job.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork takes a look at how the Ryan hiring affects the Jets‘ roster and staffing.
The Giants would have been interested in Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to fill the same position with Big Blue, but with Schwartz apparently set to remain in Buffalo, Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes that New York will interview Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson to fill its vacant defensive coordinator job.
Despite the Giants‘ interest in Johnson, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that all signs point towards the team’s hiring Ravens secondary coach Steve Spagnuolo as the team’s new defensive coordinator. Spagnulo, of course, won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2007 before becoming head coach of the Rams in 2009. Raanan names former Falcons head coach Mike Smith as a dark horse candidate for the position.
New Washington GM Scot McCloughlan says that head coach Jay Gruden will have complete control in hiring a new defensive coordinator, writes Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. “The head coach hires the coaches,” McCloughlan said.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the Dolphins owe Brian Hartline a quick decision as to whether the team will retain him, release him, or ask him to take a pay cut. In a separate piece, Salguero looks at the uncertainty facing the entire Miami receiving corps.

Falcons Fire Mike Smith

December 29th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

8:53am: Breer reports (via Twitter) that Dimitroff is officially safe in Atlanta, but that owner Arthur Blank “plans on shaking up the organizational structure,” according to a source.

8:27am: The Falcons have officially announced the firing of head coach Mike Smith, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com had reported last week that Smith would be fired at season’s end, and the team’s disappointing Week 17 loss to the Panthers for the NFC South title sealed the deal. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk indicated earlier today that Smith was “absolutely done” in Atlanta.

Smith, 55, had coached the Falcons since the 2008 season, accumulating a 66-46 overall record (.589) in his seven years with the club. That overall win-loss record was buoyed by a strong first five seasons, in which the team never finished worse than 9-7. During the last two seasons, Atlanta struggled to a combined 10-22 mark, missing out on the playoffs this year even in an extremely weak NFC South division.

Even a win on Sunday wouldn’t have saved Smith’s job, since ownership was ready for a change, tweets La Canfora. I’d imagine a lengthy playoff run might’ve made a difference, but even if the Falcons had reached the postseason, the team would have done so with an unimpressive seven wins, including just one in non-division games. As Jay Glazer of FOX Sports notes (via Twitter), Smith knew heading into the season that he was in a win-or-else position.

The Falcons have scheduled a press conference for 11:00 am eastern time, at which the team will officially address its coaching change, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), the current sense is that general manager Thomas Dimitroff is safe.

Coaching Rumors: Ryan, Falcons, Bears, 49ers

December 29th, 2014 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Black Monday is underway, and a handful of teams are expected to make announcements today regarding changes to their coaching staffs and/or front offices. Here are a few of the latest rumors to start off the day:

The Jets were the first team to formally announce the firing of a head coach this morning, and Rex Ryan appreciated the quick, definitive decision from owner Woody Johnson, since he feels as if he has a chance at another head coaching job, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. Per Mehta (Twitter links), Ryan will explore head coaching opportunities, and if he doesn’t land a job, he believes his next role will be with ESPN — he doesn’t have interest in any defensive coordinator positions.
Mike Smith is “absolutely done” in Atlanta, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That coincides with what we’ve heard in recent weeks, and is no surprise, considering how the Falcons finished their regular season yesterday. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) that while Smith’s tenure with the Falcons is “on life support,” the same doesn’t appear to be true for general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
While multiple reports have suggested the Bears will likely part ways with head coach Marc Trestman, Trestman himself is preparing as if he’ll return for the 2015 season, writes Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. Rapoport tweets that the Bears head coach figures to make a “strong case” to save his job, perhaps pointing to the performance by quarterbacks not named Jay Cutler in his system. Still, it’s hard to imagine the club bringing Trestman back for another year.
The 49ers are in no hurry to name their next head coach, according to Rapoport, who tweets that the search is expected to be “lengthy and methodical.” One in-house candidate, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, won’t be joining Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, says Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. As for Harbaugh’s offer from Michigan, Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that it could ultimately get up to $9MM per year, since there was some “quiet bidding” over the weekend.
The Raiders were “truly in the mix” for Harbaugh before he decided to go to Michigan, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, adding that Harbaugh was the Raiders’ top choice and they were disappointed not to land him. Oakland is now expected to cast a wide net as the club attempts to identify its next coach, though if it were up to the players, perhaps interim coach Tony Sparano would be the top choice, says Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. Sparano will have the opportunity to interview for the permanent job, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
Titans CEO Tommy Smith reiterated yesterday that head coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Ruston Webster will both be back for the 2015 season, writes Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com.

NFC South Notes: Mike Smith, Saints, Panthers

December 28th, 2014 at 2:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons have hired the Los Angeles-based search firm Korn Ferry to assist them in finding head coaching candidates, in the event that current HC Mike Smith is fired, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Twitter link). The Jets used the same firm two years ago when they were looking for a new general manager. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says (via Twitter) that Atlanta needs to win today and in the playoffs for Smith to keep his job, as owner Arthur Blank has been disappointed with the club’s lack of success. Here’s more from the NFC South:

If the University of Michigan’s pursuit of Jim Harbaugh is any indication, the school aims high when searching for head coaching hires. In fact, UM pursued Saints head coach Sean Payton for its vacancy in 2011, but nothing ever materialized, tweets Rapoport.
Ryan Pace, the Saints’ director of player personnel, will be on many teams’ GM short lists, according to Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link), who says losing Pace would be a blow to New Orleans’ front office. In fact, Pace was offered an interview for the Dolphins’ GM position last year, but the Saints declined permission, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter links). At the time, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the club denied Pace the opportunity because the club was still in the playoffs, but said he expected Pace to be hired away at some point. Rapoport identified Pace as a candidate for the Jets’ GM post earlier today.
Even if the Panthers lose to the Falcons today and miss the playoffs, the team is in a better place now than they were when the 2013 season ended, writes Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer. After last year, Carolina had to deal with the loss of key players such as Jordan Gross, Captain Munnerlyn, and Mike Mitchell, as well as maneuver around salary cap trouble. Now, per Sorensen, the club has acquired a stable of young players, and GM Dave Gettleman can use the free agent period to supplement his roster.

Mike Smith To Be Fired After 2014 Season

December 21st, 2014 at 9:17am CST by Rory Parks

Falcons owner Arthur Blank is prepared to fire head coach Mike Smith after this season, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Blank has reportedly confided his plans to “multiple parties,” and only an unforeseen playoff run will change his mind.

The Falcons have benefited from playing in a historically-weak NFC South in 2014, as they are still in the hunt for a playoff berth despite their 5-9 record. However, even if they were to win the division, such a performance would not be enough for Blank, who believes major changes are necessary after watching his club underachieve for two consecutive years following its NFC Championship Game appearance in 2012.

Smith came to the Falcons in 2008 along with quarterback Matt Ryan, who was the No. 3 overall pick in that year’s draft. Atlanta compiled an 11-5 record in 2008 en route to a surprise playoff appearance and Smith earned AP Coach of the Year and NFL Coach of the Year honors that season. The Smith-Ryan marriage remained a largely successful one after 2008, though the team has managed just one playoff win in four trips to the postseason.

But the Falcons have gone just 9-21 since the start of the 2013 campaign, and though the blame for that performance should fall primarily upon a roster that has stagnated, the fact remains that Smith has failed to get the most out of his club for two consecutive seasons, a club that appeared to have legitimate championship aspirations in each of those years.

As for the man who has been tasked with building the roster, GM Thomas Dimitroff, Blank has indicated that he expects Dimitroff to return, though that could change during the process of finding a new head coach. La Canfora writes that the team is doing its “due diligence” on such head coaching candidates as Adam Gase, Josh McDaniels, and current Stanford coach David Shaw.

Breer’s Latest: Coaches, Bears, Whaley

December 19th, 2014 at 6:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Albert Breer of the NFL Network touches upon several notable topics in his weekly notes piece for NFL.com, leading off with a look at the Falcons and head coach Mike Smith. Unapologetic about the fact that his team could sneak into the playoffs with a 7-9 record, Smith was also adamant that he doesn’t feel as if he’s coaching for his job as the season winds down. Still, one has to imagine, given how available the NFC South crown has been for the taking this season, that if the Falcons lose one of their final two games and miss out on a playoff berth, the team will have to think long and hard about making changes.

Here’s more from Breer:

Suggesting that perhaps the adversarial relationship between Robert Griffin III and Jay Gruden in Washington has been overblown, Breer writes that the head coach simply wants the former second overall pick to earn his playing time, just like everyone else on the roster.
One veteran NFL executive predicted to Breer earlier this year that Bears head coach Marc Trestman would have trouble navigating off-field frustrations in Chicago, since he “doesn’t have the ability to control the locker room.” Considering all that’s happened since then – from the blowout losses to the Aaron Kromer incident to Jay Cutler‘s benching – it’ll be hard for the Bears to bring back Trestman next season, and general manager Phil Emery‘s job isn’t safe either, writes Breer.
A source told Breer earlier this week that the University of Michigan is “very much in the game” for Jim Harbaugh.
GM Doug Whaley may be on the hot seat if the Bills fail to make the playoffs after giving up their 2015 first-round pick to win now, but Whaley can point to his construction of an elite defensive unit if and when he makes a case to keep his job, says Breer.
Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly will likely consider making the leap to the NFL in January, or at least weigh the idea more seriously than he has in the last two years, according to Breer, who indicates that Kelly is frustrated with the school’s administration. The 49ers could be connected to Kelly since owner Jed York is a Notre Dame alum, but defensive line coach Jim Tomsula still appears to be the favorite to take over for Harbaugh.