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vtroper
01-12-2009, 10:47 AM
Sources: Nolan Heading To Denver
The National Football Post has just been informed that former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan has officially been hired as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos continue their coaching overhaul as the Nolan hiring comes just one day after Denver hired former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to be their new head coach.

Nolan went 18-37 as the head coach of the 49ers.

More on this story as it develops.

Requiem / The Dagda
01-12-2009, 10:50 AM
Cool, I like Mike.

Elway007
01-12-2009, 10:52 AM
Sources: Nolan Heading To Denver
The National Football Post has just been informed that former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan has officially been hired as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos continue their coaching overhaul as the Nolan hiring comes just one day after Denver hired former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to be their new head coach.

Nolan went 18-37 as the head coach of the 49ers.

More on this story as it develops.
Glad we could snipe him from Green Bay. He strikes me as a good coordinator, just because he wasn't a good HC doesn't take away from his coordinating ability.

dogfish
01-12-2009, 10:57 AM
i knew i was wasting my time getting hyped for mcdermott-- oh well. . . .

Ziggy
01-12-2009, 11:02 AM
Nolan's Dcoordinator stats-

2000 Jets- 10th overall, 13th points allowed
2002 Ravens- 22nd overall, 18th points allowed
2003 Ravens- 3rd overall, 6th points allowed
2004 Ravens- 6th overall, 6th points allowed

tomjonesrocks
01-12-2009, 11:07 AM
No Spagnuolo for HC or Capers at DC. I hope this works out...

Dirk
01-12-2009, 11:12 AM
Nolan is fine. But, it will probably take a couple of years to get the D into shape.

And before I get a "Do ya think?" .... yeah I think! ha

broncofaninfla
01-12-2009, 11:13 AM
Does anybody have any detailed information on Nolan and the schemes he has used in the past. Sucesses, failures?

Medford Bronco
01-12-2009, 11:15 AM
Nolan's Dcoordinator stats-

2000 Jets- 10th overall, 13th points allowed
2002 Ravens- 22nd overall, 18th points allowed
2003 Ravens- 3rd overall, 6th points allowed
2004 Ravens- 6th overall, 6th points allowed

does this mean 3-4 as I hope so for the LONG run

Traveler
01-12-2009, 11:17 AM
i knew i was wasting my time getting hyped for mcdermott-- oh well. . . .

You heard something about McDermott? Where?

Cutler6MVP
01-12-2009, 11:24 AM
These are the best moves for the Denver Broncos, we are heading in the right direction. McDaniels is my choice but hes no shanny, we need shanny as out HC just not as our GM and defensive decisions.

Requiem / The Dagda
01-12-2009, 11:25 AM
Everyone just needs to be patient with this. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Denver Native (Carol)
01-12-2009, 11:28 AM
Does anybody have any detailed information on Nolan and the schemes he has used in the past. Sucesses, failures?

Found the following article:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1714-the-scheme-of-things-49ers-adjust-to-mike-nolans-3-4


The Scheme of Things: 49ers Adjust to Mike Nolans' 3-4

Coach Mike Nolan's new 3-4 defense promises big things for the San Francisco 49ers.

The 3-4 has fallen out of favor around the NFC, but it's still a dangerous tool when executed well. The Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and San Diego Chargers have all had success in the system, as did the Dallas Cowboys after implementing it last year.

The linebackers are the heart of any 3-4, and the Niners boast a good mix of veteran savvy and youthful talent.

Former Patriot and 3-4 vet Tully Banta-Cain joined the team as a free agent in the offseason, and will complement Derek Smith in the middle. Rookie Patrick Willis, the 11th pick in the 2007 Draft, has shown considerable skill and determination throughout training camp, and used his speed and instincts to collect four tackles in the Niners' loss to the Broncos on Monday night.

Up front, veterans Bryant Young, and Marques Douglas should provide solid support for third-year NT Ronald Fields. In the secondary, the offseason acquisitions of cornerback Nate Clements and safety Michael Lewis give the Niners one of the best defensive backfields in the NFC.

Clements and Pro Bowl corner Walt Harris should provide the sort of one-on-one coverage that will allow the Niners to blitz more aggressively. In a dynamic 3-4, that could spell trouble for opposing offenses.

Despite Monday's loss, Nolan's defense seems to be coming together. If anything needs to improve, it's tackling—the Broncos marched 67 yards for a touchdown on their first possession, thanks largely to runs of 16, 11, 9, and 6 yards.

Still, the defenders seem to be adjusting to the new system, and the smart money says they'll be ready to make a serious playoff run once the season starts.

I know I for one will be keeping an eye on things as the Niners D gets into the scheme of things.

claymore
01-12-2009, 11:31 AM
I think this all is still peculation on Shefter's report.

Denver Native (Carol)
01-12-2009, 11:31 AM
AND:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/37427559.html

Packers miss on Nolan
Report says he'll run Denver's D

By Greg A. Bedard and Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jan. 12, 2009



Green Bay - Mike McCarthy's presumed top choice to become his next defensive coordinator is off the market.

The NFL Network reported late Sunday night that former San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan is expected to be named the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, according to a Broncos team source. Former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was named Broncos head coach on Sunday.

Nolan was the special teams/linebackers coach in Denver from 1987-'92 under former coach Dan Reeves.

Nolan was thought to be the front-runner for the Packers' job that was vacated when Bob Sanders was fired along with five other defensive assistants on Jan. 5. Nolan, who hired McCarthy as his offensive coordinator in San Francisco in 2005, interviewed with McCarthy on Thursday in Green Bay.

McCarthy will likely turn his attention to his two other top candidates: former Jacksonville Jaguars coordinator Gregg Williams and Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach Sean McDermott.

Williams, who was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001-'03, interviewed with McCarthy on Friday. But the New Orleans Saints appear to be strongly pointing at Williams to replace Gary Gibbs, who was fired on Wednesday.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Sunday that Williams had "extremely strong interest" in the Saints opening, according to Williams' agent, Marvin Demoff.

If McDermott is McCarthy's top choice, McCarthy will have to wait to interview him.

By virtue of the Eagles' 23-11 victory over the New York Giants in a playoff game Sunday, McDermott will be off limits for at least another week.

According to NFL anti-tampering rules, only assistant coaches who are being considered for head coaching jobs are eligible to be interviewed while their teams are still in the playoffs. McDermott would be considered for a defensive coordinator's job, which under NFL rules is a lateral move.

The NFL simplified its rules to break coaching prospects into two groups: those being sought for head coaching jobs and those for assistant coaching jobs. It doesn't matter if it's a promotion from position coach to coordinator, it's still considered a lateral move.

Sources said McDermott had drawn interest from McCarthy, but since he can't interview him for at least another week - and possibly as long as three weeks if the Eagles make it to the Super Bowl - he might not consider him.

McDermott would presumably bring the same complex blitz scheme that Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has used so successfully in Philadelphia and passed on to former Eagles secondary coach Steve Spagnuolo, who left to become the New York Giants' defensive coordinator and is now a candidate for a head coaching job.

The Packers still have assistant head coach/linebackers coach Winston Moss on staff. He has interviewed for the head coaching vacancy with the St. Louis Rams, and will interview for the same position with the Oakland Raiders this week.

Moss has stated his desire to be a defensive coordinator.

Ziggy
01-12-2009, 11:33 AM
Here's an article on Nolan from Green Bay, when they thought he would be coming there to take over as DC:



Green Bay's defensive scheme last year was relatively simple: the front four were responsible for covering running lanes and generating pass rush, the linebackers filled any gaps in both run coverage and pass coverage, the cornerbacks played a tight pressing version of man-to-man coverage on the outside, and the safeties were either both over the top or split (one in coverage, the other in run support).

That's it in a nutshell. Sure, you can throw in wrinkles here and there and maybe blitz sometimes, but that's the Green Bay defense at its core. It's very plain, very reactionary, very vanilla. There's admittedly not much creativity on this side of the ball; everyone has a job and is expected to cover their assignments.

Now the question at Lambeau is whether or not to change that defensive philosophy. Do they want to put last year behind them and continue with the system as is, or would they prefer to move to a different style of play? And if the latter is the case, what system is best for the Packers? A basic Tampa 2 scheme? Maybe a switch to a 3-4 (a move that has had some scattered support around Packer Nation)? McCarthy and Winston Moss (the only defensive coach left standing from the January Purge...if he stays, that is) need to identify what type of system is best for success in the NFC North and perhaps beyond.



The first step is the shortest, but also the most important. Bob Sanders' departure started the process of finding a replacement, a process that isn't very transparent to the everyday fan and sometimes to other NFL teams. However, there has been movement on this front the last few days.



Meet Mike Nolan, currently the leading candidate for the defensive coordinator position. Right now, it seems to be a three man race between Nolan (who has an interview this coming Thursday), Bronco's defensive line coach Bill Johnson (who is also scheduled to interview for the position) and current assistant head coach/linebackers coach Winston Moss, with former Bills head coach and Jacksonville DC Gregg Williams also in the conversation.

First, a little history. Nolan was the starting safety at the University of Oregon during his time there, then made his rounds in the college community, including stops at Stanford, Rice, and LSU. In the late 80's, he made the jump to the NFL as a defensive assistant, where he caught the eye of Dan Reeves while Reeves was with the Broncos.

Reeves brought Nolan with him from Denver (where he was linebackers coach) to New York to be the Giants Defensive Coordinator in 1993. Nolan excelled at the position and his success served as a springboard for later success with other teams.

Nolan continued to serve as DC for the Giants until 1996, then moved on to the Washington Redskins for three years, followed by a one year stint as DC for the New York Jets. Nolan met relative success during his tenure with these three teams, but after moving to Baltimore in 2001, he earned his stripes.

The Ravens have ranked among the league's best defenses during Nolan's tenure. He took over a Ravens unit in transition in 2002; Baltimore used eight rookies to get through the season, and despite their youth the Ravens finished first on defense.After three stellar seasons as Baltimore's DC, Nolan got hired by San Francisco as their new head coach. Taking on a squad that went 2-14 the year prior and had "earned" the first overall pick in the draft, Nolan had his work cut out for him. And he never got it done in San Francisco; from 2005-2007, Nolan's record was a paltry 16-32, a win percentage of 33%. Then, seven games into the 2008 season, Nolan was replaced with this guy...

(Pic of Singletary)

...who needed to chew out his players and, yes, drop his pants to get them to 7-9 on the season.

Does this mean that Nolan is a bad coach? Absolutely not. Remember, Nolan got stuck with two abysmal top-5 draft picks in Vernon Davis (the TE equivalent of former Lions WR Mike Williams) and Alex Smith (lost his job to J.T. O'Sullivan/Shaun Hill). Plus he had Mike Martz and all his insanity to deal with. And the 49ers' defensive woes? Take it, CBS Sportsline blogger quoting a San Jose Mercury News article:

After all, the reason that Nolan had so much success with the Ravens is that he had top notch personnel on the defensive line. A solid front four can apply pressure without the need for blitzing. The 49ers did not have that.
Let's face it, the only real defensive players Mike Nolan ever had to work with in San Francisco were Patrick Willis and Nate Clements. This team started Mark Roman, for God's sake. You can't expect a coach to succeed without at least average personnel across the board, no matter how well dressed he may be. Between 2004 and now, I wouldn't even use the 49ers in Madden unless I stood to make a lot of money by somehow succeeding with them (hint: lots and lots of Frank Gore. Video game RB's don't get tired.)

But what does this all mean for Green Bay? Well, as we all know, Nolan and McCarthy are close; McCarthy served as Nolan's offensive coordinator in San Francisco before getting the Green Bay gig. And they reportedly have a friendly relationship, which means that the coaching dynamic won't be too difficult. Also, Nolan has some expertise on the 3-4 defense from his time in Baltimore and, to a lesser extent, San Francisco. This means that we might see a major departure from business-as-usual on defense.

But there's a lot of questions surrounding his hire. Will he be a good fit for Green Bay? Will he change his style to fit the 4-3? Will he force a change to the 3-4? What about personnel? Does this mean bye-bye to players that might not fit, such as Al Harris or Ryan Pickett? As the foremostest expert on the team, I approach this whole issue with one question: Will Mike Nolan be able to dream up a system that contains players like Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, Matt Forte, and the rest of the offensive playmakers in the NFC North? That's the question we'll be exploring in the near future. Personally, I don't care if he runs a 4-3, a 3-4, a 5-2, or a 1-1-9, as long as he finds a way to fix the defense.







I love the part in bold.

Requiem / The Dagda
01-12-2009, 11:34 AM
Thank you for the articles Carol.

tomjonesrocks
01-12-2009, 11:36 AM
Everyone just needs to be patient with this. Rome wasn't built in a day.

No, but it better be in 2-3 seasons...or else. :goodnight: