HEADLINES

Nathaniel Hackett

2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 6th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Coaching Rumors: Saints, Texans, McDaniel, Giants, Broncos

February 6th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints began their cycle of head coaching interviews this week, conducting meetings with the following candidates: former Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson (1/30; hired by Jaguars), former Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores (2/1), Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (2/2), their current special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi (2/3), their current defensive coordinator Dennis Allen (2/4), and Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (2/6).

New Orleans also requested permission to interview Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. There were some early reports that permission had been granted, but that hasn’t been confirmed and nothing has been scheduled, as of yet. ESPN’s Saints’ reporter Mike Triplett also mentioned that current offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was offered an opportunity to interview for the position, but Carmichael declined. Despite being a part of Sean Payton‘s staff since Payton’s tenure in New Orleans began back in 2006, it appears Carmichael has no interest in running the show in the Big Easy. Whether he has retirement or another destination in mind or he is just comfortable in his role, Carmichael will not be the Saints’ next head coach.

Here are a few more notes from the ongoing coaching searches and staff changes throughout the NFL, starting with the other head coaching vacancy:

  • Houston recently narrowed their list of head coaching candidates down to three: Brian Flores, former quarterback Josh McCown, and Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Well, according to USA Today’s Josina Anderson, the Texans are now down to two candidates, with Gannon being informed Saturday that he will not be receiving the head coaching position, leaving Flores and McCown as the two remaining names.
  • New Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel reportedly has interest in holding on to some of the defensive assistants currently under contract in Miami, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. This includes current defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who followed Flores to Miami from New England. The lack of staff turnover would be a positive for a defensive unit that played well during the team’s seven-game win-streak in the back half of the season.
  • The Giants were able to add a piece to Brian Daboll‘s new staff while missing out on another today. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweeted out that Andy Bischoff will become the Giants’ new tight ends coach. Bischoff followed David Culley from Baltimore to Houston and will make the lateral move over from the Texans with their head coaching position still in the air. Unfortunately, the Giants did not get their running backs coach, as Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweeted out that Deland McCullough has turned down Daboll’s offer, choosing instead to remain the running backs coach at Notre Dame, believing it gives him the best opportunity to eventually become a head coach.
  • New Broncos’ head coach Nathaniel Hackett is also looking to fill out his staff. The Broncos are planning to interview Jon Embree who most recently held the position of tight ends coach/assistant head coach in San Francisco. Embree parted ways with the Niners after being asked to take a 60 percent pay cut after San Francisco’s NFC Championship loss. The man who has coached George Kittle since he was drafted in 2017 would be a nice addition to Hackett’s system.

Packers Promoting Stenavich To OC

January 29th, 2022 at 10:30pm CST by Ely Allen

With former-offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett leaving to become the head coach of the Broncos and quarterbacks coach/passing-game coordinator Luke Getsy expected to join Matt Eberflus‘ new staff as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, the Packers needed to move quickly to start rebuilding their offensive staff. The first such move was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport in a tweet this evening announcing that Green Bay will be promoting offensive line coach and running game coordinator Adam Stenavich to be the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Stenavich got his first NFL opportunity in 2017 as the 49ers assistant offensive line coach after some college coaching stints at Michigan, Northern Arizona, and San Jose State. After two seasons in San Francisco, Stenavich got hired in Green Bay at his most recent position before getting today’s promotion.

The Packers had previously denied the Broncos’ request to interview Stenavich and this most recent report confirms the suspicions that soon followed that denial. Stenavich will be shouldered with the burden of building a new offensive coaching staff. It is expected that, after being denied Stenavich, the Broncos will pursue Hackett’s former tight ends coach Justin Outten to become the offensive coordinator in Denver, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter).

In three seasons with Stenavich as the run game coordinator, the Packers have ranked 15th (2019), 8th (2020), and 18th (2021) in the NFL in total rushing yards. Combining the rushing offense’s inconsistency from year to year with questions in the air about quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ future, Stenavich could have a difficult task in front of him following a season where the Packers’ offense helped Green Bay to the NFC’s only first round bye.

Broncos Hire Nathaniel Hackett As Head Coach

January 27th, 2022 at 8:02am CST by Adam La Rose

The first domino has fallen in the 2022 head coaching hiring cycle. The Broncos have hired Nathaniel Hackett as their new head coach, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 

Hackett, 42 has been the offensive coordinator in Green Bay since 2019. While he hasn’t handled play-calling duties during that time, he is credited to a large degree with the high level of play QB Aaron Rodgers has sustained well into his thirties, and the Packers’ three-straight 13-win seasons.

Prior to his time in Green Bay, he had established himself as one of the best young offensive minds in the league during stints in Buffalo and Jacksonville. He interviewed with the Jaguars once already, and had a second meeting scheduled for today. That sped up the hiring process for Broncos general manager George Paton, who “stepped in Wednesday night to get a deal done”, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Hackett will take on a HC role for the first time in his career, both at the college and NFL levels. Meanwhile, he marks the fourth coach hired by Denver since 2016, a stretch that includes five consecutive losing seasons. The offense-based background for Hackett represents a departure from that of the recently-fired Vic Fangio, as well as Dan Quinn, the Cowboys’ DC who has been the hottest name in this year’s hiring cycle and was a finalist for this job.

For the Packers, QB coach Luke Getsy, who also interviewed in Denver, is the favorite to take over as their OC. Meanwhile, this news strengthens the case for Byron Leftwich to get the Jacksonville gig.

Here’s how Denver’s HC search ended up looking:

Be sure to check in on our Head Coach Search Tracker for all the latest updates as more vacancies begin to be filled.

Jaguars Schedule Second Nathaniel Hackett HC Interview

January 26th, 2022 at 6:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

After some buzz about Nathaniel Hackett remaining in the mix for Jacksonville’s HC position, the current Packers OC indeed will meet again with his old team.

Hackett has a second Jaguars interview scheduled for Thursday, according to the Florida Times-Union’s Gene Frenette (on Twitter). A former Jaguars OC, Hackett joins Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich and Colts DC Matt Eberflus as the known finalists for this position.

Leftwich and Eberflus have already conducted two interviews apiece with the Jags. News surfaced about Jags GM Trent Baalke backing Eberflus, while Leftwich has built momentum over the past day. Hackett remaining in play adds an interesting wrinkle, given his past with the team.

Hackett is also one of three finalists for the Denver HC job. He went through his second Broncos interview Tuesday. Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and Rams OC Kevin O’Connell join Hackett in that mix. A Jacksonville landing would be quite interesting for Hackett, who worked as the Jags’ OC from 2016-18. The Jags fired Hackett from that post late in the 2018 season, the team’s last with Blake Bortles at quarterback.

While Hackett has transitioned to a non-play-calling OC role with the Packers, he called Jags plays before his ouster. The 42-year-old assistant has been in the mix for Aaron Rodgers‘ late-30s re-emergence on the MVP scene, though Matt LaFleur has called Green Bay’s plays since the two arrived in 2019. Son of former NFL OC Paul Hackett, Nathaniel also served as Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach during the latter part of Gus Bradley‘s HC tenure as well.

Byron Leftwich Moving Toward Jags’ HC Job?

January 26th, 2022 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

WEDNESDAY: More smoke is emerging here. The Jags and Leftwich continue to discuss a deal, with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times noting the two sides are working to close out an agreement. A conflicting report, via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, pushes back a bit, indicating the Jags still have Eberflus in the mix and have not yet decided on a direction here (Twitter links). Nathaniel Hackett, who is a finalist for the Broncos’ job as well, is also not out of the mix, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. Hackett would certainly be an interesting decision, considering the Jags fired him as offensive coordinator in 2018.

Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com writes that the Jaguars “launched” contract talks with Leftwich on Tuesday before the two sides hit an impasse this morning.

TUESDAY: The chances of a Byron Leftwich-Jaguars reunion appear to be improving. The Buccaneers offensive coordinator went through a second Jaguars interview Tuesday, and momentum is building toward a return to the place where his NFL career started.

Leftwich conducted an in-person interview with Shad Khan and GM Trent Baalke, and Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes many around the NFL expect him to land the job. Leftwich joins Colts DC Matt Eberflus as those who have taken second interviews with the Jaguars.

Moving to Tampa after working under both Bruce Arians and Steve Wilks in Arizona, Leftwich has begun sending out staff feelers. Bucs wide receivers coach Kevin Garver and outside linebackers coach Larry Foote are under consideration for a Leftwich-led staff, Wilson adds. Garver, 34, has been with the Bucs throughout Arians’ tenure and began his NFL coaching career with the Cardinals in Arians’ first season (2013). Foote, 41, both played under Arians with the Cards and worked for him in Arizona and Tampa. Leftwich and Foote played together with the Steelers in 2008 and in the early 2010s.

The Jags were under different ownership when they drafted Leftwich seventh overall in 2003. Khan did not own the team during Leftwich’s four-year stay in Jacksonville, though hiring a former Jaguar — one who is now a Super Bowl champion play-caller — may count as a positive step after the Urban Meyer debacle. Here is how the Jags’ coaching search looks as of Tuesday night:

Latest On Broncos’ HC Search

January 24th, 2022 at 11:56am CST by Adam La Rose

A bit more clarity has emerged with regards to the finalists for the Broncos’ head coaching position. In an update on Good Morning Football, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the job will come down to three candidates: Dan Quinn, Kevin O’Connell and Nathaniel Hackett. 

[Related: Broncos Down To “A Few” HC Finalists]

Quinn was the only coach listed by name as a frontrunner when it was reported yesterday that the search was coming down to a small number of candidates. The current Cowboys defensive coordinator has been linked to six of the seven HC vacancies this year, which should presumably give him multiple options to consider.

O’Connell was among the first set of interview requests the Broncos made following Vic Fangio‘s dismissal. In two years as the offensive coordinator for the Rams, the 36-year-old has been impressive. The unit’s 2021 numbers are down slightly due injuries hampering the running game, but he has overseen Matt Stafford‘s first year in L.A., which included Cooper Kupp‘s incredible production. O’Connell has also been linked to the open positions in Houston and Minnesota.

Hackett represents another offensive-minded candidate, something which would differ from the defense-oriented Fangio and Quinn. He has been an offensive coordinator in Buffalo, Jacksonville and, most recently, Green Bay. In three seasons there, he has helped the team win 13 games each time, including a highly efficient year in 2020. The Bears, Jaguars and Vikings have also interviewed the 42-year-old.

According to 9News’ Mike Klis, Quinn is coming to the Broncos’ headquarters sometime this week (Twitter link). The other two are expected to also interview in person, although nothing has been officially scheduled yet. Be sure to check in on our HC Search Tracker for the latest updates.

 

Vikings Request Interview With Rams’ DC Raheem Morris

January 18th, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another name has been added to the list of potential head coaching candidates in Minnesota. The team has requested an interview with Raheem Morris, the current Rams defensive coordinator (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Peter Schrager). 

Morris, 45, has an NFL coaching background dating back to 2002. He has spent time primarily as a defensive backs coach, serving in that role in Tampa Bay (on two different occasions, including the Super Bowl XXXVII-winning squad) and Washington. However, he also took over as the Bucs’ head coach after the firing of Jon Gruden in January of 2009. He had an encouraging year in 2010, posting a 10-6 record, but the one preceding and following that campaign saw the team put up a combined record of 7-25.

After a three year stint in Washington, Morris got his next prominent coaching positions in Atlanta. He served as an assistant head coach and pass game coordinator from his arrival in 2015 to 2019. Then, in 2020, he became the team’s DC until taking over as interim HC following Dan Quinn’s firing. He interviewed to remain in Atlanta on a full-time basis, but the team ultimately went with former Titans OC Arthur Smith.

This past offseason, Morris was hired by the Rams to take over for now-Chargers HC Brandon Staley as the team’s defensive coordinator. His work in L.A. has prompted many to expect more head coaching opportunities, so it was surprising this is the first request he has received in the 2022 coaching cycle.

The news brings the total number of candidates linked to the Vikings’ HC vacancy to ten. Here is the updated list:

 

Vikings Request Permission To Speak With Six More Coaches About HC Job

January 15th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Ben Levine

And like that, we’ve got a growing list of candidates for the Vikings HC job. Following news that the Vikings requested permission to interview Todd Bowles for the gig, we’ve learned that the organization requested permission to interview six additional coaches:

  • Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles) (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
  • Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter)
  • Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams) (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Twitter)
  • Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys) (via Pelissero on Twitter)
  • DeMeco Ryans, defensive coordinator (49ers) (via Pelissero on Twitter)

Five of those coaches have already been connected to other HC vacancies, but this is the first reported interview request for Ryans. The former NFL linebacker has been on the 49ers coaching staff since 2017, and he was promoted to defensive coordinator last offseason after Robert Saleh left for New York. During his first season in the role, the 49ers defense ranked third in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed.

Of course, the Vikings may not be sticking with only seven candidates. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin tweets that the Vikings have also explored the candidacy of Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Per Pelissero (on Twitter), the Vikings are hoping to find a replacement for former GM Rick Spielman before they hire a replacement for former HC Mike Zimmer. However, considering the anti-tampering rules, the Vikings only have until Sunday to interview coaches on byes, so they have reason to speak with someone like Hackett ASAP. The Vikings plan to kick off their GM interviews on Sunday, with Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort first in line.

Coaching Notes: Broncos, Fangio, Jags, Lions

January 12th, 2022 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ten candidates have emerged in the Broncos‘ coaching search. Despite the team going back-to-back with defensive coaches, Dan Quinn is believed to be one of the early frontrunners, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler (ESPN+ link). Despite being fired early in the 2020 season, the ex-Falcons HC has become a hot name in the 2022 interview cycle. The interest in Quinn puts him in position to be picky, as the current Cowboys DC has raised his stock after turning around the NFC East champions’ defense this season. He has yet to interview for the Broncos job yet. Quinn and Denver GM George Paton worked together in Miami under Nick Saban from 2005-06. Quinn, 51, was the Dolphins’ defensive line coach in those seasons. The Broncos have also done extensive work on Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, Fowler adds. Both Hackett and Green Bay QBs coach Luke Getsy are on Denver’s HC interview list.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Bill O’Brien interestingly finds himself in the mix for NFL jobs on two tiers, with the Panthers eyeing him as an offensive coordinator and the Jaguars are set to interview him for their head coach job. O’Brien’s ignominious Texans exit notwithstanding, he has become a candidate to watch for the Jacksonville job, Fowler notes. O’Brien just finished his first season as Alabama’s OC.
  • Should O’Brien land the Jags gig, Vic Fangio will be a DC target, per Fowler. Given Fangio’s history of DC success, and the Broncos sporting an above-average unit during his tenure despite major injuries to Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, the recently fired coach will likely have a few options. The Jags are prepared to be patient this time around, with Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson noting this process could last for an additional two weeks (Twitter link). Second interviews are expected here. The Jaguars being thorough should not surprise, given their rash decision to hire Urban Meyer last January.
  • The Lions are considering hiring their next OC from within. After parting ways with one-and-done Anthony Lynn, Detroit is examining tight ends coach Ben Johnson for that role, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from Lynn midseason, but Johnson’s responsibilities expanded as well. Johnson joined the Lions as a quality control coach in 2019. GM Brad Holmes is also leaving the door open to Campbell remaining the team’s play-caller.
  • Seahawks assistant head coach Clint Hurtt is on the University of Miami’s radar, with Fowler tweeting the Hurricanes are eyeing him for their defensive coordinator job. A Miami alum, Hurtt has spent the past five years as Pete Carroll’s defensive line coach.
  • Joe Judge‘s Giants staff will likely splinter soon. One of Big Blue’s position coaches, D-line coach Sean Spencer, will land on his feet. Duke is hiring Spencer to be a co-defensive coordinator, USA Today’s Josina Anderson tweets. Spencer was set to leave regardless of Judge’s status. Spencer’s pre-Giants coaching resume unfolded entirely at the college level. The 51-year-old assistant spent six years at Penn State prior to his short Giants stay under Judge.
  • Second-year Browns assistant Jeremy Garrett is expected to leave Cleveland and become the Liberty D-line coach, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman tweets.
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