Happy New Year 2025

Tag: hire

Commanders hire John Madden’s grandson

The Madden family is back in the National Football League.

The Washington Commanders announced on Tuesday that they have hired John Madden’s grandson, Jesse, to their coaching staff as an offensive quality control coach.

Jesse was recently a member of the Michigan football program, graduating this past year after winning the national championship in 2024.

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John Madden poses with bust at NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, August 5, 2006. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

He was a quarterback for the Wolverines his freshman season in 2021 before switching to defensive back.

Madden, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, had a 103-32-7 record in 10 NFL seasons coaching the Oakland Raiders and led them to a win in the Super Bowl in the 1976 season before his lengthy run as an NFL broadcaster.

Michigan Wolverines defensive back Jesse Madden (43) looks on from the sideline against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the third quarter of the College Football Playoff semifinals hosted by the Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl in Pasadena Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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The 2024 season was a rousing success for the Commanders, who went from 4-13 to 12-5 and an NFC championship game appearance with Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels.

Madden’s name was attached to the NFL’s main video game in the 1990s.

The Commanders also have hired Brian Schneider as the team’s assistant special teams coordinator. He enters his 18th season as a coach in the NFL. He was the special teams coordinator in San Francisco in 2022 and 2023.

Michigan Wolverines defensive back Jesse Madden (42) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

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Schneider was the special teams coordinator in Seattle from 2010 to 2020, and his units ranked first in the NFL in takeaways (26) and second in blocked kicks (24) during that span.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 19, 2025
Cowboys hire Brian Shottenheimer as next head coach

The Dallas Cowboys are hiring offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer as the team’s next head coach, the team announced Friday.

Shottenheimer will take over as the team’s head coach after two seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator, replacing Mike McCarthy, who agreed to part ways with the team after a disappointing 7-10 season.

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Since the Cowboys parted ways with McCarthy a week after the season ended, the organization missed out on the chance to interview candidates like Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn earlier in the process.

Shottenheimer joined the organization in 2022 as a coaching analyst, before replacing Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator in 2023. Shottenheimer’s first year as offensive coordinator coincided with quarterback Dak Prescott’s best season, as the team won the NFC East and had the fifth-ranked offense in the entire league.

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However, 2024 was a different story. The team finished 16th in total offense after Prescott suffered a season-ending injury.

Still, Shottenheimer’s work as offensive coordinator was enough to prompt Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to choose him as head coach, bypassing other potential options including Deion Sanders and Jason Witten.

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Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer looks on prior to the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Shottenheimer, 51, brings nearly three decades of experience as an offensive assistant coach to the table. He served as an offensive coordinator for a few other teams before joining the Cowboys in 2022, working in that role for the Jets (2006-11), Rams (2012-14) and Seahawks (2018-20).

Schottenheimer is also the son of decorated former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer. The elder Schottenheimer was a head coach for four teams, recording the ninth-most wins (205) for a coach in NFL history.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 25, 2025
Raiders expected to hire John Spytek as new GM: reports

The Las Vegas Raiders have made their first big hire of the offseason.

The organization is expected to name John Spytek, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ assistant GM, as their next general manager, per multiple reports.

Spytek takes over for Tom Telesco, who lasted just one season after joining the Raiders in the same GM role he held with the Los Angeles Chargers.

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John Spytek, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vice president of player personnel, watches action on the field before a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins Aug. 13, 2022, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Spytek, 44, has an extensive track record in NFL front offices, and it all began as a Detroit Lions operations intern in 2004.

He moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles, serving as a college and pro scout from 2005-09, and then to the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos in similar scouting roles before eventually landing in Tampa Bay in 2016.

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He joined the Bucs as their director of player personnel, working alongside GM Jason Licht to build a Tampa Bay squad that won the Super Bowl during the 2021 season.

One of the main reasons for that Vince Lombardi Trophy heading back to Tampa Bay was the Bucs’ acquisition of Tom Brady, which Spytek played a role in after their time together as Michigan Wolverines.

That connection continues with the Raiders. Brady is a minority owner of the franchise.

John Spytek, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vice president of player personnel, watches action at Buccaneers rookie minicamp May 14, 2022, at the AdventHealth Training Center at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Fla. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Spytek worked his way through the Bucs’ front office, getting promoted to vice president of player personnel in 2021 and then moving to assistant GM in 2023.

With Spytek expected to assume his role soon, the next big hire will be head coach for the Raiders after the firing of Antonio Pierce one season after the team named him full-time head coach after an interim stint in 2023.

John Spytek, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vice president of player personnel, watches before a preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and the Buccaneers Aug. 13, 2022, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Then Spytek will aim to build a roster in desperate need of a franchise quarterback and some more playmakers on both sides of the ball. Las Vegas owns the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and some view the Raiders as a team that may trade up to get a quarterback like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025
Jets hire Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as new head coach: reports

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is returning to his roots for his first head coaching job in the NFL.

Glenn, one of the top coaching candidates this offseason, accepted the role of the New York Jets head coach on Wednesday, becoming the first former player to return as head coach in nearly 50 years, according to ESPN.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn after the Minnesota Vikings game on Jan. 5, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit. (Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Multiple outlets reported the news a day after Glenn met with Jets brass on Tuesday.

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The New Orleans Saints, who parted ways with Dennis Allen in November, were reportedly also in competition to land Glenn.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Glenn got his start in the NFL as a cornerback when he was selected by the Jets with the No. 12 overall pick in the 1994 Draft. He spent eight seasons in New York before being acquired by the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL expansion draft.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn talks with linebacker Jack Campbell during the Minnesota Vikings game at Ford Field in Detroit on Jan. 5, 2025. (IMAGN)

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Glenn turned to coaching not long after his playing career ended in 2008. He most notably spent the last four seasons overseeing the Lions’ defense and interviewed with several teams before accepting the job in New York.

Glenn also beat out more than a dozen other coaches in the Jets’ extensive search, which included Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley, Ron Rivera and Rex Ryan, among others.

According to The Associated Press, Glenn was the only candidate to receive a second interview.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches a replay during the 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional playoff game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (IMAGN)

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Glenn takes over with fans desperate for change. He replaces Robert Saleh, who was fired just five games into the season.

The Jets’ struggles looked like they were coming to an end when four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers was brought on in 2023. But a season-ending injury in his debut in New York derailed those plans.

The 2024 season wasn’t much of an improvement – not even the addition of Rodgers’ favorite target could change the outcome and the Jets extended their historic playoff drought.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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January 23, 2025
Joe Namath among Jets legends signing off on Aaron Glenn hire: ‘Wish the season would start next week’

Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is reportedly heading to the New York Jets, a team he played for during his NFL career, to become their next head coach.

It’s a move that many Jets legends, including “Broadway Joe” himself, loves to see.

“I’m hoping all [Jets] fans are as thrilled as my family and I are that Aaron Glenn is our new Head Coach,” Jets legendary quarterback Joe Namath posted on X. “I wish the season would start next week.”

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Joe Namath attends a game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 8, 2019, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

NFL.com’s Judy Battista also reported that Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, who led Glenn with the Jets and Dallas Cowboys as a player, was fired up to see his former pupil get his due as head coach.

“He’s not afraid to be contentious,” Parcells told Battista. “He’s just feisty. Not rude or impolite. He’s just willing to get his point across.”

DJ Reed, who spent the past three seasons with the Jets and is a free agent this offseason, also sent out a post on X.

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“Glenn is a great look!” he wrote.

Glenn’s departure from Detroit marks the second coordinator under Dan Campbell that found their own head coaching gig elsewhere. While Glenn went to another conference, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson landed with the Chicago Bears, a rival of the Lions in the NFC North.

Glenn’s return to the Jets heated up on Tuesday when he met with team brass. The initial thought was they weren’t going to let him leave the building, as well as GM candidate Lance Newark of the Washington Commanders, to make sure they got the candidates they wanted.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches a replay during the 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional playoff game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (IMAGN)

While that didn’t come to fruition, the belief that Glenn wanted the Jets job swirled around social media, and it landed on Wednesday.

Glenn also beat out more than a dozen other coaches in the Jets’ extensive search, including Brian Flores, Jeff Hafley, Ron Rivera and Rex Ryan.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Glenn was drafted 12th overall by the Jets in the 1994 NFL Draft. He spent eight seasons with the franchise before being acquired by the Houston Texans in the 2002 expansion draft.

Glenn takes over a Jets franchise desperately searching for the right man to lead a team back to the playoffs, where they haven’t been since 2010 – the longest drought in football.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn following the Minnesota Vikings game on Jan. 5, 2025, at Ford Field in Detroit. (Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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One of the big questions for Glenn and whoever ownership brings in as the new GM is whether they want Aaron Rodgers to return to Gang Green in 2025. Of course, Rodgers has to decide if he wishes to play his 21st season in the league.

Either way, Glenn is getting signs of approval from valued members of the franchise outside ownership, which is always a good start.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 23, 2025