Wednesday January 17, 2018
Auburn: Multiple reports have surfaced this evening that Buffalo athletic director Allen Greene is expected to become the new athletic director at Auburn. 247 was among the first to report it.
LSU: Former Tigers running back Kevin Faulk is a possible addition to the staff as we reported this morning. Ross Dellenger reported later this morning the offer has been extended and tonight Bruce Feldman reported he is expected to join the staff. However, we continue to hear LSU needs IAWP clearance before this can become official.
Southern (FCS - LA): We are no longer accepting applications for the wide receivers job. Thank you for the considerable interest.
Arizona: Kevin Sumlin is meeting with Rich Rod's staff today. A number of good people aren't being retained. Will update later this evening.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers plan to promote quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner to offensive coordinator reports the Post-Gazette. Fights was OC at Memphis 2001-06 and at A-State '97-2000. He has served as QBs coach for the Steelers since 2007.
SMU: Lamar offensive line grad assistant Casey Kroll is headed to SMU in the same capacity source tells FootballScoop.
Arizona Cardinals: Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong is headed to Arizona for a second interview for the head job tweets RapSheet.
Montana (FCS): Source tells FootballScoop Bobby Hauck has added Sacramento State corners coach CJ Cox in the same capacity and Humboldt State defensive coordinator Barry Sacks who is expected to coach defensive line at Montana we hear.
New York Jets: The Jets are firing offensive coordinator John Morton tweets Manish Mehta.
Colorado: Boise State corners coach Ashley Ambrose is joining Colorado's staff reports Adam Rittenberg. ShaDon Brown coached the entire secondary last season for Mike MacIntyre's squad. The report says Ambrose will now coach the defensive backs "alongside" Brown.
Michigan: Michigan's new weight room looks legit. The caged basketball court is something to see.
Arizona: Garin Justice, who joined the staff as offensive line coach a few weeks ago after coaching the offensive line at FAU for two seasons, is not being retained by Kevin Sumlin, sources tell FootballScoop. Bruce Feldman has reported similar.
Minnesota: PJ Fleck has announced that Joe Rossi has been promoted to from quality control assistant to defensive line coach, and Fleck has also confirmed the hire of Clay Patterson in a to-be-determined on-field coaching role. Fleck also announced that Bryce Paup, who coached the defensive line last year, now has the title of pass rush specialist coach, and special teams coordinator Rob Wenger is adding duties as outside linebackers coach.
Redshirt proposal: The Division I council didn't take action today on the issue of allowing redshirts to retain eligibility if they play in four games or fewer, but the proposal is scheduled to be voted on in April and could go into effect by August, per a tweet from Mitch Sherman.
Azusa Pacific (D-II - CA): Per source, Jacob Thomas has been elevated from offensive assistant to tight ends coach. Thomas worked with the offensive line last year.
Chicago Bears: Illinois graduate assistant Shane Toub is expected to join the staff as an offensive quality control assistant, reports the Chicago Tribune. Toub is the son of Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub; Nagy came to Chicago from Kansas City.
NCAA: The NCAA has tabled a proposal to limit football staff sizes.
Minnesota: Sources tell FootballScoop PJ Fleck is hiring Clay Patterson in an on the field role - tenth assistant. Patterson stepped down earlier this week as Northeastern Oklahoma's head coach / offensive coordinator. Prior to returning to NEO, Patterson had spent the previous three seasons at Trinity Valley CC (TX) as offensive coordinator. Over the past few weeks we had heard rumblings of a number of Power 5 programs seeking to hire Patterson.
VMI (FCS): Sources tell FootballScoop two positions have opened on VMI's staff (defensive backs and running backs) as Brad Robbins has left to join the staff at Charleston Southern and Tim Maypray is joining the staff at Davidson.
Prairie View (FCS - TX): Southern University (FCS - LA) receivers coach Mark Frederick has accepted the same role at Prairie View source tells FootballScoop.
Seven Commandments of Army Football: Jeff Monken's Seven Commandments of Army Football are outstanding.
Houston Texans: Raiders special teams coach Brad Seely is joining the staff in the same capacity, Adam Schefter tweets.
ECU: Don Mahoney, who served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Concord (D-II - WV) last year and previously served as the offensive line coach at Tennessee, has been named offensive line coach.
Michigan:Coaching staff update - Wouldn't be surprised if there was another move coming as well....
UNLV: As we previously reported Tim Skipper is the new defensive coordinator at UNLV. Al Simmons is joining the staff as safeties coach as well we are told. Simmons coached corners at New Mexico this past year. Bruce Feldman also tweeted about Simmons addition to the staff.
Kansas: A.J. Ricker is expected to be KU's offensive line coach, per Jayhawk Slant. Ricker was previously the offensive line coach at Missouri, Western Michigan and Illinois and spent 2017 as an offensive analyst at Oklahoma State.
Michigan State: Former Kent State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell is returning to Michigan State where he previously spent two different stints as an assistant coach (position TBD) reports Hondo Carpenter. Carpenter adds that Dantonio is also strongly considering former Kent State head coach Paul Haynes as well. As we've previously reported, Haynes was offered spots at Cincinnati and Iowa State (and potentially other programs as well).
Alabama:Coaching staff update - A lot of moving parts & more to come per sources...
Miami Dolphins: Former Broncos assistant head coach / running backs coach Eric Studesville is heading to Miami as running backs coach / run game coordinator, Jeff Legwold tweets.
Pittsburgh Steelers: With Todd Haley out, Ian Rapoport tweets that quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner is considered the favorite to take over for Haley, but notes "no firm decision."
Miami Dolphins: Kris Kocurek has been hired to coach the Dolphins defensive line. Kocurek previously coached the defensive line for the Lions.
Oklahoma: Coaching staff update for the Sooners.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Offensive coordinator Todd Haley's contract expired at the conclusion of this season and will not be renewed, per Ian Rapoport.
College Football Playoff: Oregon AD Rob Mullens will serve as selection committee chairman, the Playoff has announced. Mullens replaces Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt, who rotated off the committee after the 2017 season. Additionally, Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione, former Arizona Republic sports columnist Paola Boivin, former Air Force, Arkansas, Clemson and Rice head coach Ken Hatfield, former USC All-American Ronnie Lott, Georgia Tech AD Todd Stansbury, and Florida AD Scott Stricklin have been formally added to the committee.
Troy: Brian Blackmon has joined the staff in an on-field coach role, AL.com reports, likely working with the tight ends. Blackmon spent last season as an offensive analyst for Gus Malzahn at Auburn, working closely with the offensive line.
Chicago Bears: Former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell could be in the mix for a number of position on the offensive staff, the Chicago Tribune reports. The Bears currently have an opening on staff for quarterbacks coach. New head coach Matt Nagy recently hired former Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich as the team's offensive coordinator.
Temple: Chris Wiesehan has been announced as run game coordinator / offensive line coach.
Houston: Chris Scelfo, the former Tulane head coach, who coached offensive line last season for the Cougars is no longer on staff. Prior to joining Major Applewhite's staff for the 2017 season, Scelfo coached tight ends for the Atlanta Falcons for a number of seasons.
Texas: The Longhorns have officially announced Herb hand as their new co-offensive coordinator / offensive line coach.
St. Scholastica (D-III - MN): Head coach Kurt Ramler has resigned, citing a desire to pursue other opportunities. Ramler went 33-9 leading the program for four seasons. George Penree, who served as associate head coach under Ramler, has been named interim head coach for 2018 and the search for a permanent replacement will come after next season.
Tennessee Titans: Albert Breer tweets that the weather in Nashville has forced the Titans to adjust their interview schedule and Texas defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel will interview Thursday, while Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFler will go on Friday.
Cumberland (NAIA - TN): Brad Bustle has been interim head coach. Bustle recently completed his fifth year on staff, serving as offensive line coach before being promoted to co-offensive coordinator this year.
Alabama: Aaron Suttles is reporting Joe Pannunzio will move off the field. Pannunzio coached tight ends / special teams this season.
Louisiana Lafayette: Source tells FootballScoop with Karl Scott now headed to Alabama (per sources), Billy Napier is considering offering his defensive coordinator position to Louisiana Tech DC Blake Baker. Baker was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2015 season after Manny Diaz left to go to Mississippi State.
Alabama: Sources tell FootballScoop Louisiana Lafayette defensive coordinator, who just a month ago was Texas Tech defensive backs coach, Karl Scott is set to join Nick Saban's staff, working with Pete Golding (with whom Scott coached at Southeastern Louisiana just a few years back...and at Tusculum before that).
East Mississippi CC (JC): Former Ole Miss defensive standout CJ Johnson is joining the staff as defensive line coach, per the Sun Herald. Johnson originally took a job at Pearl River CC (JC - CA), and previously served as a graduate assistant at FAU.
Arizona Cardinals: Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak has turned down a chance to interview for the Cards' head job, which puts Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores in play for the job, according to Adam Schefter. The Pats are already set to lose both coordinators after this playoff run.
Auburn: JB Grimes has returned to Auburn as offensive line coach, a position he previously held from 2013-2015, the school has announced.
LSU: Sources tell FootballScoop Ed Orgeron is considering offering Kevin Faulk a position on the staff in player development; however the University (like so many others) is carefully analyzing IAWP issues that would come with bringing Faulk on the staff in a non-coaching role. Faulk, the LSU legend and 3 time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, currently serves as an assistant at Carencro HS in Lafayette, LA.
USA Football National Teams:Coaches interested in being part of the National Team Program can learn more and apply here.
UConn: Offensive line coach JB Grimes has resigned, the school has announced. Grimes spent last year at UConn and previously has coached the offensive line at Cincinnati, Auburn, Arkansas State, Kansas, Mississippi State, as well as a number of other stops. Sources told FootballScoop yesterday Grimes was likely to be Gus' replacement for outgoing offensive line coach Herb Hand.
Alabama: Louisiana Lafayette defensive coordinator Karl Scott "has emerged as a name to keep an eye on" for the defensive backs opening on Nick Saban's staff, per Matt Zenitz.
FAU: Charlie Weis Jr. will be Lane Kiffin's new offensive coordinator, per Owl Access. More on Weis's meteoric rise here.
College Football Playoff: Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury will be joining the College Football Playoff selection committee, per Heather Dinich. Yesterday, Dinich noted that Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione is also joining the committee.
Chicago Bears: New head coach Matt Nagy is retaining linebackers coach Glenn Pires and assistant defensive backs coach Roy Anderson, per Alex Marvez's tweet.
Incarnate Work (FCS - TX): Brandon Lechtenberg, the defensive backs coach at UT Martin (FCS), has left to become the linebackers coach, per source.
Florida State: Deion Sanders has decided not to join Willie Taggart's coaching staff, per a tweet from Brett McMurphy. During the Seminoles bowl game, Sanders was asked about rumors that he may join the coaching staff, and replied "you never know," which only helped to fuel the idea.
Tennessee Titans: Longtime NFL defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau noted to The Tennessean that he would probably "be comfortable retiring" if the new head coach decided to not retain him. LeBeau turned 80 back in September and has spent 59 straight seasons as a coach or player in the NFL.
Miami Dolphins: Per a tweet from Albert Breer, the Dolphins are trying to hire Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
Green Bay Packers: Alex Marvez tweets that Colts defensive line coach Gary Emanuel has interviewed for the same job with the Packers.
Kent State: Per source, Marist HS (IL) offensive line coach Matt Battaglia is joining the staff as an offensive graduate assistant working with the offensive line.
Rice: Robbie Picazo, a quality control coach working with the quarterbacks at Stanford the past five seasons, has joined Mike Bloomgren's staff and will coach the quarterbacks, per source.
Briar Cliff (NAIA - IA): Briar Cliff has a graduate assistant opening working with the tight ends. This is a 10 month positon and includes a $5000 stipend, free tuition, and meal plan. Responsibilities include running positional meetings, assisting with special teams, helping with weekly game plan, film breakdown and data entry (HUDL), recruiting, and other duties assigned by the Head Football Coach. The ideal candidate would have a minimum 1 year coaching experience or collegiate playing experience at Tight End or Offensive Line. Candidates must be able to gain acceptance to graduate school, which is a 3.0 requirement. Review of candidates will begin immediately. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and references to Offensive Coordinator Robert Dutton at Robert.dutton@briarcliff.edu.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons are also talking to Greg Knapp about a spot on their offensive staff, per a tweet from Jason La Canfora. Knapp most recently served as the quarterbacks coach of the Broncos from 2013-2016.
Catawba (D-II - NC): Catawba College is no longer accepting resumes for the offensive coordinator position. Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming interest.
Florida State: Pete Thamel shared late last night that Maryland offensive coordinator Walt Bell is expected to join the staff as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Bruce Feldman later tweeted that David Kelly will also join the staff as wide receivers coach. Earlier this month we noted that David Kelly, who served as the director of recruiting at Oregon last year, was heading to Tallahassee, and last night Bruce Feldman tweeted that he will coach the wide receivers at FSU.
Head coaching changes: 2017-18 NFL & college head coaching changes