Assistant Coach Roundup

Added on Jan 30, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

While many of the NFL’s best were soaking up sun on the beaches of Hawaii and scoring 100 points in the laughable Pro Bowl, several teams were busy at work filling in their assistant coach ranks. The list of new hires include an ex-head coach, a former interim head coach and a recently retired offensive coordinator forced out of his job. Here’s a quick roundup of the latest moves.

Jim Caldwell had to wait weeks for his fate to be decided in Indy, but his time spent in the unemployment line will be short after joining the Ravens as an offensive assistant. It’s unclear what his title will be, although he could serve as quarterbacks coach, a position he held for seven seasons with the Colts.

Former Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles was a candidate for head coaching gigs two weeks ago. Now he’s the new defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. Bowles, who played at Temple, has spent most of his career teaching secondaries. He replaces Johnnie Lynn, who was dismissed earlier this month.

One team’s trash is another’s treasure. Bruce Arians may have been kicked to the curb by the Steelers, but his playcalling skills are apparently good enough for the Colts. Arians has been tapped to run an Indy offense that may or may not have Peyton Manning under center.

With the offensive coordinator vacancy filled, Colts head man Chuck Pagano has turned his attention to the defensive side of the ball. Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler tops the wish list and is expected to interview for the job tomorrow.

In other coordinator news, much maligned Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo will return in 2012. Castillo struggled to grasp defensive concepts after spending over a decade as an offensive line coach. Steve Spagnuolo was rumored to be in the running to replace Castillo until being hired as New Orleans defensive coordinator.

Source: ESPN, NFL.com