Three Candidates To Be Next Cleveland Browns Special Teams Coordinator

 

Wendi Oliveros

February 21 2023

The Cleveland Browns made a late decision to fire the 2022 special teams coordinator Mike Priefer on February 21, 2023.

By NFL standards, a head coach that remains in the job (as Kevin Stefanski is) usually fires staff members at the end of the season.

He fired the defensive coordinator Joe Woods over a month ago.

Some believe the late-in-the-game firing means that Stefanski has a candidate in mind who is suddenly becoming available.

It is not clear if that is the case.

Here are three potential candidates for the vacant Browns special teams coordinator job ranked in descending order for the likelihood of getting hired.

3. Phil Dawson

48-year-old Phil Dawson has not been contacted by the Browns for an interview, but he would be an outstanding special teams coach for the team.

He is a living legend in Cleveland, spending 14 years as the Browns kicker from 1999-2012.

Dawson knows the intricacies of kicking at FirstEnergy Stadium because of the wind and conditions and would be a great coach and mentor for Browns second-year kicker Cade York out of LSU.

2. Raymond “Bubba” Ventrone

The Browns want to interview Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, 40.

This would be a lateral move for him so the Colts could prohibit the interview from happening.

Ventrone spent four seasons with the Browns from 2009-2012 and was part of their special teams unit.

He would be a fan favorite, but the fact that it is a lateral move complicates things.

1. Anthony Blevins

The Browns have requested permission from the New York Giants to interview assistant special teams coordinator Anthony Blevins.

The Giants cannot refuse because this would be a promotion for Blevins.

Blevins is 46 years old and a former XFL player.

He started in 2018 and has worn a lot of hats on the Giants coaching staff.

Blevins began as the Giants’ assistant special teams coach but also served as the assistant defensive backs coach and the assistant linebackers coach.

Prior to his time with the Giants, he was the assistant special teams coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-2017.

Blevins has plenty of experience, and this would be a well-deserved promotion which is why he is the most likely candidate to get the job.

Matt Guerrieri Named IU's Co-Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach

 

February 17, 2023

IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head football coach Tom Allen announced the hiring of Matt Guerrieri (gurr-AIR-ee) as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach on Friday afternoon.

“Matt fits in perfectly with our culture and aligns with our goals schematically,” Allen said. “He is innovative, energetic, and a tremendous family man. We welcome Matt, his wife, Alex, and their son, James, to IU!” 

Guerrieri spent 2012-21 at Duke, including four years as defensive coordinator, and joined the Ohio State staff in 2022.

“I am excited for the opportunity to join Coach Allen and his staff at IU,” Guerrieri said. “Coach Allen is a great coach and I look forward to working with him. My family and I can’t wait to get to Bloomington!”

Guerrieri has been a part of a College Football Playoff semifinalist, seven bowl teams, two 10-plus win teams, and five eight-plus win teams during his coaching career.

He served as a senior advisor and analyst with the Buckeyes before being named defensive coordinator at Tulsa on Jan. 6, 2023.

With the Blue Devils, Guerrieri was co-defensive coordinator from 2018-21 and safeties coach from 2015-21. He worked as a graduate assistant his first three campaigns.

Guerrieri was one of three finalists for the 2020 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Assistant Coach of the Year, a nominee for the 2018 Broyles Award, and one of 247Sports Top 30 Coaches Under 30 in 2018 and 2019.

He mentored All-American Jeremy Cash and five additional all-conference honorees. The 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Cash also was a finalist for both the Nagurski Trophy (best defensive player in the nation) and the Thorpe Award (top defensive back in the nation).

Guerrieri’s 2019 secondary propelled Duke to third in the ACC in pass defense, allowing just 199.0 yards per game, and a top-five finish in pass defense efficiency (123.8). 

The 2017 Blue Devils ranked among the conference leaders in opponent pass completion percentage (2nd), scoring defense (3rd), passing defense (3rd), and total defense (4th). They yielded 25-or-fewer points in 11-of-13 contests.

Duke surrendered 20.23 points per game, the program’s lowest total since 1977.

Guerrieri took part in the inaugural AFCA 30 Under 30 Coaches Leadership Institute in 2015.

Before joining the Blue Devils, Guerrieri spent 2011 as a defensive graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he helped coach the secondary and the outside linebackers.

A three-year letterman at Davidson College, Guerrieri started at safety for the Wildcats. He was a senior captain and a three-time All-Pioneer Football League Honor Roll selection.

Guerrieri graduated from Davidson in 2011 with a degree in sociology. He earned his master’s degree in Christian studies from Duke in 2014.

Matt is married to the former Alex Thompson and the couple has one son, James.

Allen Hands Defensive Play Calling to Matt Guerrieri

 

February 18, 2023

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers will have a new defensive play caller in 2023 as head coach Tom Allen said he will be handing the reins of the defense over to new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Matt Guerrieri at his introductory press conference on Saturday morning.

“So excited to have him with us. Going to be a -- the situation is the way that I would like for this to be organized. Really, I want to follow the pattern we used in 2019.” Allen explained. “I'm going to have -- Coach Guerrieri will be calling the defense, much like Coach [Kane] Wommack did. And I will be heavily involved, but he will be the play-caller on game day. That way it will allow me to be a better head football coach to it this team. With everything that we have and the dynamics of college football today, I really feel like that's the best direction to go but had to have the right person for that particular role.”

Allen took over the play calling for the 2022 season as defensive coordinator Chad Wilt adjusted to his first year at the position. The Hoosier defense finished 120th nationally in scoring and 119th in total defense in the 2022 season.

IMAGE: INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Allen and the Hoosiers want to replicate the success they had in 2019 and 2020 when Allen handed the reins over to then-defensive coordinator Kane Wommack (current head coach at South Alabama).

“I can equate it to what we did in '19, that it's going to be our system and someone that really believes in it. And just from all that time together and then just obviously, you know, you watch people play and the things that they do and there's certain philosophical alignments that you have in, how you attack things, what are your answers in situations, and you have to have that core belief that that's how do you it.” Allen said.

Guerrieri has similar philosophies to Allen and believes he will be able to take IU’s defense to the next level.

His philosophy “aligns directly with Coach Allen's. We've been a base 4-2-5 for a number of years. I've played in numerous different -- I played in the 3-4 defense. I've been in a 4-3 and a 3-3-5 and 4-2-5. I think it goes to from a philosophy standpoint, Coach Allen would say tackling, take-aways, and effort. Those are the three pillars of who we are. That's not going to change from that standpoint.” Guerrieri said on Saturday.

The Hoosiers are set to open spring practice on March 4th culminating in a “Spring Football Event” on Saturday, April 15th.