Vance Joseph - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Coaching Notes: Broncos, Browns, Jaguars

January 7th, 2017 at 10:22am CST by Ben Levine

Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is set to interview with the Broncos today, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Denver gig is the job that Shanahan “identifies with.” The reporter notes that the coordinator is also intrigued by the Jaguars head coaching position.

In a separate tweet, Rapoport notes that Shanahan will “be picky and patient” as he decides which opportunity he wants to pursue. As our head coaching tracker shows, the 37-year-old is also set to meet with the Rams and 49ers.

Let’s take a look at some other coaching notes coming out of the AFC…

Chiefs’ special teams coordinator Dave Toub interviewed for the Broncos head coaching gig this morning, and Mike Klis of Denver7 writes that the coach impressed the organization during the four-hour meeting.
Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is considered a favorite for the Broncos head coaching gig. If he ends up getting the position, Albert Breer of MMQB.com tweets that former Chargers head coach Mike McCoy could be an option as Denver’s new offensive coordinator.
After firing Ray Horton yesterday, the Browns have started searching for a new defensive coordinator. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets that the organization reached out to former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley regarding the opening. ESPN’s Pat McManamon writes that the team also approached Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
We learned yesterday that Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is in “prime position” to get the Browns defensive coordinator gig, and Toni Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets that Williams would bring at least three additional Rams coaches to Cleveland (assuming he gets the job).
Fortunately for the Browns, it appears that at least one coach will be staying put. Cabot tweets that running backs coach Kirby Wilson isn’t expected to go elsewhere. The longtime coach is a “longtime friend” of Browns head coach Hue Jackson.

Vance Joseph Favorite For Broncos’ HC Job

January 5th, 2017 at 8:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although he hasn’t met with Denver officials, Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has emerged as the front-runner to become the Broncos’ head coach, multiple league and team sources told Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Sporting News’ Alex Marvez previously named Joseph as the likely successor to Gary Kubiak, citing Joseph’s connection with Broncos director of player personnel Matt Russell (Twitter link).

While Joseph hasn’t yet spoken with Denver’s brass this week, the former University of Colorado quarterback did interview with the club before it hired the now-retired Kubiak in January 2015. It’s also notable that Joseph once worked under the Broncos’ most recent defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, in Houston.

“I have so much respect for that man,” Joseph said of Phillips in October (via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post).

Despite Joseph’s affinity for Phillips, Marvez reported Thursday that the latter is likely on his way out of Denver. If hired, Joseph would probably promote defensive backs coach Joe Woods to replace Phillips, whose contract is up.

Joseph, who’s preparing to counter the Steelers’ offense in this weekend’s wild-card round, is in the midst of his first season as a coordinator. While it hasn’t gone well statistically (Miami finished the regular season 18th in scoring, 19th in DVOA and 29th in total defense), Joseph is nonetheless drawing plenty of interest from teams without head coaches. That could add to the Broncos’ urgency to hire the 44-year-old, who’s facing competition from Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan – who prefers Denver’s job to others – and Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub. Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn‘s name has also come up, though the Broncos haven’t sought an interview with him, according to Klis (Twitter link).

Coaching/FO News & Rumors: 1/5/17

January 5th, 2017 at 6:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints will have a significantly different coaching staff next year, as the team parted with assistants Joe Vitt (assistant head coach/linebackers), Bill Johnson (defensive line), Greg McMahon (special teams coordinator), Stan Kwan (assistant special teams) and James Willis (assistant linebackers) on Thursday, according to Sporting News’ Alex Marvez (Twitter link). These changes are a sign that head coach Sean Payton isn’t going anywhere, observes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Vitt is the longest-tenured staff member to go, having served with the club since 2006. He filled in as New Orleans’ interim head coach when the NFL suspended Payton for the entire 2012 season because of the Bountygate scandal.

Let’s check in on more of the latest coaching- and front office-related happenings:

49ers: With vacancies at general manager and head coach, the Niners are set to to interview a couple members of the Carolina organization. Panthers assistant general manager Brandon Beane and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will meet with the 49ers next week, per FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager (Twitter links). Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable will also discuss the 49ers’ head coaching opening with the team next week, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
Bills: Buffalo still has not submitted an official request to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com. There has been follow-through after the initial contact between the two sides, he adds (Twitter link).
Broncos: Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, whose contract is expiring, is unlikely to return to Denver, reports Marvez. If Dolphins D-coordinator Vance Joseph becomes the Broncos’ head coach, Denver’s defensive backs coach, Joe Woods, would likely succeed Phillips (Twitter links).
Chargers: Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith interviewed with the Bolts on Thursday, becoming the first candidate to do so, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The aforementioned Sean McDermott will follow him Friday, relays Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. The club has also requested permission to interview Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn, according to Rapoport (Twitter links here).
Rams: Los Angeles’ previously reported interview with Anthony Lynn will go down on Sunday, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
Redskins: In addition to bouncing defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the Redskins also canned defensive line coach Robb Akey and defensive backs coach Perry Fewell on Thursday, via James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks is a name to watch as the Redskins look for Barry’s successor, Rapoport tweets. Wilks has a history with Josh Norman dating back to their time together in Carolina.
Bookmark PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker for an up-to-date primer on who’s interviewing where.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Vance Joseph Hasn’t Talked With Broncos Yet

January 5th, 2017 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

As shown in PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has already been linked to a number of jobs. However, we may need to pump the brakes on one potential gig. Joseph told reporters today that he has not talked to the Broncos during this cycle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s James Walker).

Here’s what we do know: the Bills, Rams, Chargers, and 49ers have all requested interviews with Joseph. The Broncos did interview Joseph two years ago before hiring Gary Kubiak, but they have yet to loop him into the discussion this time around. Recently, Broncos GM John Elway said there are three or four candidates the team is “excited about,” but it’s not clear whether Joseph is a part of that exclusive group.

So far, Denver has booked interviews with Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub, and Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn.

Coaching Rumors: Lynn, 49ers, McDaniels

January 4th, 2017 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

The latest news on the league’s coaching vacancies:

For a complete rundown of every interview scheduled for the teams in search of a new coach, check out PFR’s 2017 NFL Head Coaching Tracker.
Anthony Lynn‘s interview with the 49ers will take place today (Wednesday), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will interview with the Rams, Jaguars, and 49ers all on the same day, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. McDaniels will huddle up with all three teams on Saturday in separate rooms at a hotel near Gilette Stadium. Those three teams will be permitted to interview McDaniels again in the week after the AFC title game, if the Pats make it to the Super Bowl.
The Chargers won’t force assistants on a new head coach, but they value their offensive staff, Rapoport tweets. There’s a good chance offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and his fellow offensive coaches stay put.
The Broncos are expected to talk to Lynn at some point and will interview Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph as soon as the rules allow, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets.
Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin is scheduled to meet with the Rams on Thursday and the Bills on Saturday, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub will interview with the Broncos on Friday and then he has the Chargers on Sunday, Rapoport tweets.

49ers To Interview Sean McVay, Vance Joseph

January 3rd, 2017 at 4:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay and Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph are the latest serious candidates to fill the 49ers’ head coaching vacancy. McVay will interview next Monday, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, and Joseph will also meet with the team sometime in the near future, tweets Rand Getlin.

If McVay were to land the job, the soon-to-be 31-year-old wunderkind would become the youngest head coach in the modern era. McVay, who has three years’ experience as a coordinator, teamed with head coach Jay Gruden to guide the Redskins to the NFL’s third-best total offense and a fifth-place DVOA ranking this season. The Rams are also targeting him as a result, though going to San Francisco – where his grandfather, John McVay, once thrived as an executive – would perhaps make for a more interesting story.

Unlike McVay, Joseph’s season isn’t over – the playoff-bound Dolphins will take on the Steelers in the wild-card round this weekend. Thus, it’s unclear when he’ll meet with the Niners. The Broncos will also interview Joseph, according to Getlin, while the Rams, Bills and Chargers have expressed interest in sitting down with him. Joseph, 44, is amid his first year as a defensive coordinator, one in which the Dolphins finished the regular season with unspectacular rankings in scoring (18th), DVOA (19th) and total defense (29th).

Coaching Notes: Joseph, Bills, Rams

January 2nd, 2017 at 8:54pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s been a busy day around the NFL, especially when it comes to coaching rumors. We’re keeping track of all of those interviews, and you can find our tracker here.

In the meantime, let’s take a look at some more coaching whispers from around the NFL…

The Rams, Bills, and Chargers are requesting permission to speak with Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). We learned earlier today that the 49ers have also expressed interest in Joseph.
If Joseph indeed gets a head coaching gig, linebackers coach Matt Burke is likely to replace him as the Dolphins defensive coordinator, Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com tweets. Burke joined the Dolphins last offseason after having previously served as the linebackers coach with the Bengals and Lions.
The Bills are expected to interview Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich for their head coaching opening, sources tell Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (via Twitter). Prior to his time in Philly, Reich was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers.
The Bills have done some homework on Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports tweets. Richard just completed his second season in that role.
All Rams assistants have been told they are free to seek other employment, freelance NFL reporter Michael Silver tweets. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise since the next coach in L.A. will probably want to bring in a lot of his own guys. Even if the next head coach wants to keep some of the current assistants, it wouldn’t be fair to hamstring them while the search continues.
The Rams, Jaguars, Broncos, and 49ers will all interview Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan between Friday and Saturday, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
The Rams are planning on interviewing Panthers secondary coach and assistant head coach Steve Wilks for their head coaching gig, reports Rapoport (via Twitter). The 47-year-old has been in the NFL since 2008, and he’s also coached for the Bears and Chargers.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Coaching Rumors: Shanahan, Rams, Broncos

January 2nd, 2017 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s a New Year and a new start for many teams on the sidelines. With a zillion interviews being requested today, we’ll run down the latest coaching rumors and requests here:

The Rams and Broncos have requested permission to talk to Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, as Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. GM John Elway says the team will consider “three or four” candidates for the job, which means that Shanahan is on the short list. It will be interesting to see if the rocky relationship between Elway and Shanahan’s father, Mike Shanahan, plays a role in his candidacy.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians confirmed that the Bills and Rams have asked permission to interview offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin (Twitter link via Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic). As previously reported, the Jaguars will interview Goodwin today.
The Bills will make a push for former Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley as their defensive coordinator, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. La Canfora, like many, expects Anthony Lynn to shed the “interim” title this offseason and take over as head coach.
The Rams have requested interviews with Lynn and Matt Patricia (Patriots defensive coordinator), according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
The Jaguars will interview Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith for their head coaching vacancy, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said teams have contacted Miami about talking to Vance Joseph for head coaching jobs, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets.

49ers Targeting Tom Cable, Others For HC Job

January 2nd, 2017 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Josh McDaniels isn’t the only candidate on the 49ers’ list. The team is also looking to bring in Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn, Jaguars interim coach Doug Marrone, and Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco.

The Jets interviewed Cable for their head coaching vacancy before the 2015 season, but he did not receive any interviews last offseason. Cable, of course, offers head coaching experience after nearly three years at the helm in Oakland. From 2008-2010, the Raiders went 17-27 under Cable and never finished higher than third in the AFC West.

Meanwhile, the top GM candidates right now are Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, and Seahawks co-player personnel directors Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer.

CEO Jed York and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe are leading the search to fill both vacancies. After witnessing years of discord between former coach Jim Harbaugh and former GM Trent Baalke (and perhaps some disagreement between Baalke and recent ex-coach Chip Kelly), the 49ers may opt for a ready-made GM/coach combo like McDaniels and Caserio. McDaniels appears to be one of the hottest coaching candidates on the market this offseason and Caserio has been viewed as a rising front office star for the last couple of years.

Vance Joseph A Candidate For Broncos HC?

January 1st, 2017 at 1:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Given reports that Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is likely to retire at season’s end, general manager John Elway & Co. could soon be conducting a head coaching search. Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph could be a strong candidate for the position, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Joseph, 44, interviewed for Denver’s vacant head coaching position during the 2015 offseason when he was still the Bengals’ defensive backs coach. Though the Broncos ultimately hired Kubiak, the club maintained strong interest in bringing Joseph in as defensive coordinator, but Cincinnati blocked the move. Since that time, Joseph has moved on to Miami, where he’s helped improve the team’s defense from a No. 25 DVOA rank in 2015 to No. 17 this year.

Meanwhile, Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is also expected to be on the Broncos’ “radar,” tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Shanahan will be a candidate for nearly every head coaching job that opens this offseason, but a move to Denver could be particularly difficult given Shanahan’s father’s relationship with Elway, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Some sources say Mike Shanahan — who coached Elway to two Super Bowl victories — doesn’t get along with the current Denver GM, per Florio.