Five “Other” Coaches That We Need to Recognize
It’s Halloween season if you weren’t aware. One of my favorite times of the year - getting to dress up as whatever/whoever you want with little to no repercussions? And an excuse to eat things you probably shouldn’t. Who doesn’t love that? I’m also a horror fan, and growing up, one of my favorite horror movies was “The Others” starring Nicole Kidman. I remember being able to scare my sister at any time of day just by simply saying “the otherrrrssss” and she would run and cry in fear. It was fantastic. But that movie pertained to ghosts, or beings who lurked in the shadows. And that is the purpose of this article today.
We are about to embark on Week 8 of the NFL season. And we have done a solid job talking up teams, players, fanbases, etc. But one area we haven’t really covered is the coaching department. More than any other sport in the United States, NFL coaching is wildly important. It’s the sport where motivation and messaging to your players is a key ingredient to yearly success. It’s also something that can absolutely derail a team. We always talk about how coaches come in and change the “culture” around the league for different squads all the time. Last year we saw Brian Daboll and Doug Pederson do it. This year DeMeco Ryans and Shane Steichen are doing a really good job at changing the culture in Houston and Indianapolis, respectively. But the purpose of today’s article is to highlight some of the guys who aren’t on the surface, and lay beyond the shadows - much like the ghosts in “The Others”. See how I’m connecting the dots here? I know, really invaluable writing.
I like to think I have a good eye for things like this - so I’ve been thinking about different positional groups and even coordinators who have gone under the radar over the past couple of years and to give them their opportunity to shine today. So if you’re looking for an article on Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, Ben Johnson or Wink Martindale - I apologize, but you won’t here those names. We are taking a much deeper look into some of the “other” best coaches in the NFL.
*These are in no particular order, just five guys who deserve recognition
Hank Fraley - Offensive Line Coach, Detroit Lions (4th Year)
Hank Fraley has been with the Lions now for six years, starting out as assistant offensive line coach in 2018 and taking over the main duties in 2020. Over his time with Detroit, we have seen the Lions become one of, if not the premiere team in the NFL when it comes to offensive line play. You want to hear something wild? This is the Lions current starting offensive line:
LT - Taylor Decker
LG - Jonah Jackson
C - Frank Ragnow
RG - Graham Glasgow
RT - Penei Sewell
Every single one of these players was drafted by the Detroit Lions. Three in the first round (Decker, Ragnow, Sewell) and two in the third round (Jackson, Glasgow). Four of them have spent their entire career with Detroit - Glasgow spent the last couple of seasons with Denver but then came back to Detroit for 2023. And the kicker? Decker and Glasgow started in 2016, Ragnow in 2018, Jackson in 2020 and Sewell in 2021. Hank Fraley developed all of them. And now he is reaping the benefits of his boys dominating every week up front. The Lions currently rank 2nd in pass protection and 4th in run blocking in 2023, according to PFF. This is the second year in a row that they have been in the top 10 in run protection. We all know that EDGE rushers are the hot thing in the NFL today, and while there are plenty of men who make offensive lines sleep at night, the Lions are not one of those teams. They have consistently gotten better in Sacks Allowed since Fraley’s arrival. Their year over year ranking in Sacks Allowed since Fraley took over as OL Coach - 22nd, T-8th, T-5th, T-3rd. You are reading that right. They jumped from 22nd in 2020 to tied for 8th in 2021 (and that was with a Frank Ragnow season ending injury). They also have three all-pro caliber players on the line with Decker, Ragnow and Sewell. Fraley clearly has an eye for talent - he may not be a scout, but if you think he doesn’t have any impact on what lineman the Lions are taking, you are out of your mind. We have seen the Lions go through a massive culture shift since Dan Campbell took over. And Campbell kept Fraley on staff in 2021, believing in his ability to develop. Well, he has done that and then some as the Lions now have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. And they wouldn’t be able to do it without the play of their dominant offensive line, and Hank Fraley has a ton to do with that. Ben Johnson gets a lot of chatter in Detroit, but don’t forget about Hank Fraley - one of the key cogs to the engine that makes the Lions go.
2. Clint Hurtt - Defensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks (2nd Year)
I remember the 2022 off-season. The quarterbacks stole a lot of the headlines - mainly Aaron Rodgers retirement talk and Russell Wilson’s impending trade from Seattle. Once Wilson was traded, everyone (and I mean everyone) had the Seattle Seahawks pegged as being one of the worst team in the NFL that season. Well, the season played out and Geno Smith garnered most, if not all of the attention. Winning comeback player of the year and leading the Seahawks to a playoff berth when everyone thought they would be picking in the top three in the 2023 draft.
Now, if I handed you a blank piece of paper and asked you to name the Seahawks defensive coordinator, would you be able to? Probably not. And that’s ok. They go under the radar, and that’s the way they like it. Clint Hurtt took over in 2022 from Ken Norton Jr. and immediately made some changes. Hurtt switched the Seahawks base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 leading to an increase in team sacks from 34 in 2021 to 45 in 2022. Per the Seahawks official website, Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor were the only pair of teammates to each have 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles each last season. They also garnered one of the steals of the entire draft is Riq Woolen, a 5th round pick into a star corner who, if not for Sauce Gardner, probably would’ve won defensive rookie of the year. Fast forward to 2023 and the Seahawks are actually being carried by their defense. They are currently 7th in total defense according to PFF, the 6th best team against the run (87.2 YPG) and are one of thirteen teams giving up less the 20 PPG (19.7). They have also drafted extremely well - this past draft they spent their top 10 pick on Devon Witherspoon, the lanky, athletic corner out of Illinois - and that move is already paying dividends. He is currently the front runner for DROY as he already being matched up with top receivers on the other side of the field. They also drafted Derick Hall, the project rookie out of Auburn who is starting to make his presence known in the Seahawks D-line room.
Hurtt has been able to communicate extremely well during his stint in Seattle, and if he continues to impress and help lead the Seahawks to another playoff berth, ears may get perked up about possible NFL head coaching opportunities.
3. Bobby Slowik - Offensive Coordinator, Houston Texans (1st Year)
Let’s get one thing straight - DeMeco Ryans is a hell of a coach, and if the trend keeps on going, he will win coach of the year in 2023. Ryans is the second defensive coordinator to get hired from the Kyle Shanahan tree (Robert Saleh), but unlike Saleh, Ryans is making an immediate impact. He has the Texans at 3-3 through their bye week when people thought they were at least 1-2 years away. Ryans didn’t come alone though - he brought over Bobby Slowik from San Francisco to be his OC and help mold CJ Stroud into an NFL quarterback. Slowik was in San Francisco for 6 years and worked as the passing game coordinator under Shanahan - a role that will never get recognized because Shanahan gets all the praise for the offensive success. But think of the Quarterbacks that Slowik has worked with in his 6 years with the 49ers - Brock Purdy, Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance and Nick Mullens. He has proven to be successful with Jimmy and Brock. He has now moved over to Houston and is working wonders with CJ Stroud. As we all know, Stroud broke the record for most passes before throwing his first INT for a rookie; folks, that’s Bobby Slowik. He has done a masterful job at putting Stroud in positions to succeed. Slowik’s passing attack ranks 12th in the NFL through seven weeks and his receivers rank 6th. The run game hasn’t been able to get going as much, but I think that has to do with the depleted offensive line. The Texans are in the top half of the league in total yards per game and rank within the top 10 for passing yards per game. The turnaround in Houston’s offensive ability has been remarkable.
Will Slowik be able to keep Stroud upright and keep up these kind of numbers all year? I’m not entirely sure. But there is reason to be optimistic. Coming from the San Francisco school of coaching hasn’t been the worst thing in the world. While Robert Saleh and the Jets haven’t been able to find team success yet, Saleh has transformed the Jets into one of the top defenses in the NFL - that’s no accident. He, as well as Ryans, both had schemes in San Francisco extremely conducive to today’s NFL. I have faith that Slowik will fall from the same tree. Kyle Shanahan’s offense has proven to be wildly successful in the NFL - just look at his track record. And Slowik is doing it with guys who many people thought were afterthoughts in the NFL - Nico Collins, Robert Woods, John Metchie; just like the QBs in San Francisco. It seems after the disaster that the Texans went through the past couple of years, they finally got it right with DeMeco Ryans at the helm and Bobby Slowik as the OC.
4. Deshea Townsend - Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach, Jacksonville Jaguars (1st Season)
The one common theme amongst Jacksonville Jaguars coaches? Experience. Playing experience that is. The majority of their coaches have NFL experience prior to coaching, and Deshea Townsend may be the most decorated of them all. He is a two time Super Bowl champ, both with Pittsburgh, and amassed 21 career interceptions as well as 15.5 sacks over nine NFL seasons. Townsend has been around the block, both coaching in the NFL and college ranks. But, one common theme with him is that his secondaries have been successful anywhere he’s been. Lets review:
2011 - Assistant DB’s coach (Arizona Cardinals) Limited opponents to 215.9 net passing yards, 5th best in the NFC.
13-15: Cornerbacks Coach, Mississippi State - Led the nation in passes defensed (89) and passes broken up (73) while ranking 15th nationally in Interceptions (15).
19-21: Secondary Coach, Chicago Bears - Defenses ranked inside the top 12 every year in passing yards per game, with the best output being in 2021 where the Bears ranked 3rd in passing yards per game while finishing 7th in first downs allowed.
*All info via Jaguars.com
Townsend took a year off in 2022 and was then hired by Doug Pederson in 2023 to lead a young, hungry Jaguars secondary that the team had put a lot of resources into. A group led by draftees Tyson Campbell (2nd Round, Georgia) and Andre Cisco (3rd Round, Syracuse) as well as FA signings Darious Williams and Rayshawn Jenkins, the Jacksonville defense saw an increase in 2022, but were looking for more of a spark in 2023. How’s this for a spark. The Jacksonville Jaguars are number one in the NFL in coverage grade in 2023 (90.4). When you think of secondaries, you think of the Ravens, Jets, Saints, Falcons, Chiefs. You normally don’t think of Jacksonville. You need to start doing so. Takeaways? Check. They lead the NFL in takeaways through 7 weeks with 16. 9 of those are interceptions to go along with 29 (!!!) PBU’s. None of their starting secondary has a receiving rate higher than 65.2. They have only been called for five penalties. Five. Stat watchers will point and look at the fact that they rank 31st in passing yards allowed per game and say they aren’t good, but when you actually look at the numbers, this is an elite secondary. The Jaguars have been up in the second half in each of their last 4 games, so the opposing team has had to throw the ball to try and climb out of a hole. Both Gardner Minshew and Derek Carr had 50+ pass attempts when they played Jacksonville, something neither of those offenses want to do. Townsend has come in and been a stud for the Jags secondary, and if Mike Caldwell does get calls for Head Coaching opportunities this year, Townsend will be a popular pick to replace Caldwell as DC for Jacksonville.
5. Stump Mitchell - Running Backs Coach, Cleveland Browns (4th Season)
Right now when you think of the Cleveland Browns, you think of defense. You think of Jim Schwartz. Nick Chubb. Hell, you may still think of Baker Mayfield. I guarantee you don’t think of Stump Mitchell, who outside of rocking a sick beard, is maybe the best running back coach in the entire league. Mitchell has been a coach for 21 years, but his work with Cleveland the past four has definitely been his best. A former player, Mitchell has overseen five running backs rush for over 1,000 yards (Ricky Watters, Shaun Alexander, Clinton Portis, David Johnson and Nick Chubb). That is an impressive list. He was also the man behind Andre Ellington (remember him?) when he had his 1,000 yard scrimmage season. He was the running backs coach when Shaun Alexander set the record for 28 touchdowns in 2005. He has an extremely established background.
His work with the Browns though is great. Starting in 2019, he guided Nick Chubb in rushing for 1,494 rushing yards (2nd in NFL) as well as 1,772 scrimmage yards, which is the 5th most in Browns history. In 2020, Mitchell used the two headed monster of Chubb and Hunt; both running backs had over 1,000 scrimmage yards for the season and amassed a combined 23 touchdowns. In 2021, the Browns led the NFL in rushing average at 5.09. Chubb again finished 2nd in rushing and has been a pro bowler every year under Mitchell. This season has been a little different though. Nick Chubb had a nasty injury on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago that sidelined him indefinitely, and the Browns had little to no avenues of where they were gonna go for a rushing attack. But have no fear, Stump Mitchell is here.
The Browns inserted Jerome Ford into their starting role and picked up Kareem Hunt for a second stint with Cleveland as he was roaming the free agent streets. Anyone who thought the Browns would skip a beat in the rushing department should receive an “F” for something. This year, the Browns rank 5th in rushing with an 82.8 grade according to PFF, and are second in rushing yards per game at 147.5. That’s an astounding number. And doing it without Nick Chubb is all the better. It really is a testament to how Mitchell prepares his room each and every week. This is a Browns team that has had injuries at the QB and RB spot this year, and yet they are 4-2 behind some old school football - a hard, physical, violent defense and a thumping running attack. The days of being an OC or even a HC for Stump Mitchell may be gone, but Mitchell will be in the NFL as long as he wants to be. He’s been nothing but successful every step of the way.
