Christopher Harris
Since releasing Mike Caldwell a week ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been looking for a new defensive coordinator. With five interviews already set, we dig deep into each of the candidates:
Harris quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming an assistant DB coach with the (San Diego) Los Angeles Chargers in 2016. He spent four seasons with the Bolts, and by the time he was ready to go, the Chargers had finished sixth in the league in overall defense, allowing only 313.1 yards per game. In addition, the team ranked seventh in the NFL in passing yards per game (200.3).
Harris was hired as defensive backs coach at Wasington in 2020. The Commanders finished seventh in the NFL in passing defense (213.1 yards allowed per game) and fourth in total defense (323.4 yards per game) in three years in DC.
Harris earned a reputation for player development, particularly for his work with Kendall Fuller and rookie Benjamin St. Juste. Last season with the Titans was more difficult, with Tennessee finishing mostly around the middle of the pack in most defensive passing stats – despite allowing the eighth-most passing touchdowns in the league.
Harris had a lot of interviews for defensive coordinator positions last offseason and came very close to landing the position with the Green Bay Packers. Harris’ defense has the hallmarks of working with Gus Bradley at the Chargers, with his secondaries known for tough, sticky man coverage.
Bowen, Shaen
Shane Bowen began his coaching career at the collegiate level and has spent his entire NFL coaching career in the AFC South, including two years as a defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans before joining the Titans in 2018. Bowen began his tenure with Tennessee as the outside linebackers coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021, a position he has held for the previous three seasons.
Bowen made an immediate effect as a coach, and if you like a strong run defense, you’ll be glad to know his teams finished second in rushing yards allowed in 2021 (84.6) and first in the league in 2022 (76.9 yards).
Bowen oversaw a defense that ranked third in third-down defense in 2022, allowing a conversion rate of 34.2 percent (77 of 225). He was assisted by Jeffery Simmons and others. Despite major talent losses, he accomplished this; the 28 total starters Bowen employed on defense were the second-highest total in the NFL, and the 40 total players used on defense led the league.
Following a dip in 2023, Bowen’s departure from Tennessee was also motivated by the departure of Mike Vrabel as head coach, implying that he won’t need to be enticed away from a similar post. If the Jaguars decide to hire him, they must act quickly because Bowen has already interviewed for the open defensive coordinator position with the New York Giants.
Martindale, Wink
Why is there a vacancy for a DC in New York? Because Don ‘Wink’ Martindale resigned from the role after the regular season ended. Martindale has been coaching for 38 years, the past 20 of which have been at the professional level. He’s played for the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and New York Giants, the latter three of which he was the defensive coordinator.
Wink’s defenses are inherently aggressive, employing a hybrid defense that switches between three and four man fronts and prefers to use the ‘Leo’ linebacker/defensive end role. They try to stress offensive lines with stunts and pre-snap movement in the hopes of gaining pocket penetration. Martindale is one of the league’s toughest blitzers, bringing pressure from everywhere – and his teams live and die by their ability to get to the quarterback.
Martindale received the 2023 Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award for career performance as an NFL assistant coach during the offseason. Despite the Giants’ poor season, Wink’s defense finished tenth in the league on third downs, which is an important metric in determining how good a defense is at getting off the field. Martindale, who is 60 years old, may have hoped for a shot at head coaching, but that market has yet to materialize; in fact, the Jaguars are the only team to have offered him an interview for a defensive coordinator position.
Hewitt, Chris
Chris Hewitt, like Chris Harris, transitioned from a professional career as a defensive back to a coaching job manning secondaries. After eight seasons as Rutgers’ cornerbacks coach, Hewitt joined the Baltimore Ravens as DB coach in 2012 and has been there ever since. Hewitt added the title of ‘pass defense coordinator’ to his resume in 2020, and his success with the Ravens led to his first interview request for a coordinator position.
The fact that the Jaguars are the lone team interested in Hewitt should not distract from his stellar coaching career.
Since Hewitt took over as secondary coach in 2015, Baltimore’s defense has been near the top of the NFL in multiple areas, including points allowed per game (second – 20.0), yards allowed per game (first – 324.7), and third-down conversion percentage (second – 35.9). The Ravens also allowed the NFL’s sixth-best opponent completion percentage (62.3) and sixth-best opponent passer rating (86.7) during this time.
Working with Mike MacDonald in Baltimore has clearly helped Hewitt. Unless he impresses the Jags during the interview process – with MacDonald getting HC interviews, perhaps his best hope would be to stay home and be ready to move up – 2024 might be a season too early for him to take the next step.
Manuel Marquand
For good measure, how about one more ‘DB turned secondary coach’ candidate? After an eight-year playing career, Marquand Manuel began his coaching career with the Seattle Seahawks. He spent three years in the Pacific Northwest, working under Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn, and then followed the latter to Atlanta when Quinn was named head coach. Manuel took over as Falcons defensive coordinator in 2017, a position he held for two years. In his first season as coordinator, the defense ranked in the top ten in scoring defense (eighth), total defense (ninth), rushing defense (ninth), and red zone defense (fifth).
After taking a year off in 2019, Manuel returned to the New York Jets as safeties coach for the last four years. Being retained by Robert Saleh after the disaster that was the Adam Gase period was a credit to Manuel’s ability to coach – and he’s padded his strong resume under the new management.
Manuel has been praised for his ability to nurture youthful talent, with names like Marcus Maye, Ashtyn Davis, and Sauce Gardner all rising through the ranks to become elite starters in the league. Manuel, 44, has more experience than the other younger candidates and has been to the Super Bowl twice. The names being interviewed indicate that the Jaguars seek a coordinator who can tighten up their leaky secondary – does Manuel fit the bill?
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