The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Posted at 4:15 PM ET, 01/28/2008
Larry Brooks - Next D Line Coach??/Fun With Titles At Redskins Park

Certainly looks like Larry Brooks is a strong candidate to be defensive line coach. He interviewed today. Saw him at Redskins Park. Brooks was Greg Blache's defensive line coach in Chicago and they also worked together in Green Bay. (He's part of the Mariucci family, also, for what that's worth).

"That's Blache's right-hand man," one NFL source said. "There's a lot of trust there. If he's in there today, then I'm telling you that's Blache's guy."

Brooks, 57, is already versed in the technique and terminology that Blache teaches - Blache was formerly Washington's D Line coach before his promotion to head of the defense on Saturday - and they have a long history together. Brooks spend 2006 with Arizona and has worked for Seattle, Chicago, Green Bay and Detroit as well. He was also a member of Steve Mariucci's staff with the Lions for his two seasons there - for those of you playing the connect-the-dots game at home - and worked under Mariucci's mentor - Mike Holmgren - for nine seasons in all. Mariucci and Brooks coached together for two years in Green Bay. (West Coast in the house).

Brooks has been touring the facility with Blache today, making the rounds. He is a native of Prince George, Virginia and attended Virginia State. Was a fierce defensive tackle back in the day and made the Pro Bowl 5 years in a row with the Rams (1976-1980)

Also waiting to see what the promotion of Scott Campbell, formerly head of college scouting means for Louis Riddick. Campbell is now director of player personnel; Riddick was the director of pro personnel last season and to this point the team has made no announcement of a change in his status (many scouts and execs were entering the final year of their deals, so some movement in this regard was inevitable).

Spoke to some execs who found it odd that, after top dog Vinny Cerrato was promoted, Riddick was not next in line. (The again when you're hiring assistants before head coaches, etc, what's the difference, right?). Instead it was Campbell, who is thought of highly and has served the organization well, who got the next promotion. According to execs, a director of player personnel designation would be slightly higher than pro personnel, with "player personnel" tied to both college and pro players, and thus more responsibility.

Riddick has been Cerrato's right-hand man for a long time and has spent seven years in the organization. We'll see if his title remains the same. The Redskins offered no clarification on Riddick's status when asked about it today. Riddick, contacted in his office, said: "That's something you need to talk to Vinny about

Posted at 6:40 PM ET, 01/28/2008
Assistant Coaches Update

League sources believe that the hiring of Larry Brooks as defensive line coach is imminent. That would complete the staff, except, obviously, for the position of head coach.
Most of the assistants had one year left on their contracts and have signed extensions, sources said. Don Breaux and Jack Burns, offensive assistants under Joe Gibbs, could emerge with new titles that are more in a consulting vein. Many coaches have signed already, with only a couple still mulling the extension offer. Running backs coach Earnest Byner, whose contract expires Thursday, was offered only a one-year deal, league sources said, and is scheduled to interview with Tampa Bay Tuesday. The new coaching hierarchy, with two coordinators at the top, is a more traditional model than it was under Gibbs.
New offensive coordinator Jim Zorn is expected to work closely with Jason Campbell, which likely means the end of Bill Lazor's tenure as quarterbacks coach.

Posted by Cindy Boren | Permalink | Comments (73)
Other Blogs' Comments: Technorati talk bubble Technorati

CanesSkins26 wrote:Sportsnight also reported that Bugel will be back.

Brooks agrees to become Redskins' defensive line coach

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: January 29, 2008, 9:33 AM ET

Continuing to add to a staff that still doesn't have a head coach, the Washington Redskins have reached an agreement in principle to hire veteran NFL assistant Larry Brooks as their defensive line coach.

The pending addition of Brooks, which will be finalized shortly, essentially completes the revamped Washington staff, except for one glaring exception.

Owner Daniel Snyder has yet to settle on a head coach to lead the staff, and will not name a successor to the retired Joe Gibbs until next Monday at the earliest.

Brooks, 57, was out of the league in 2007, and most recently served as the Arizona Cardinals' defensive line coach for the 2006 season. But he is regarded as a top-notch assistant, possesses 21 years of experience as a line coach, and is close to new Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache.

Primarily in charge of the defensive line, Blache was promoted to coordinator on Saturday, when the Redskins fired Gregg Williams from that position. Blache and Brooks worked together on staffs in Green Bay and Chicago. When Blache was the Bears' defensive coordinator in 2003, Brooks was his line coach.

Brooks was a standout defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams for 11 seasons (1972-82), and was chosen to play in five Pro Bowl games.

After his retirement, Brooks worked as an assistant coach with the Rams for eight seasons (1983-90). His resume also includes stops at Green Bay (1994-98), Seattle (1999-2002), Chicago (2003), Detroit (2004-2005), and Arizona (2006)

SkinsFreak wrote:.. Sorry, not posting a link for Fat Len.

CanesSkins26 wrote:So not only is the new head coach going to have his coordinators in place, but also most of his staff. This whole thing makes zero sense.

SkinsFreak wrote:

CanesSkins26 wrote:So not only is the new head coach going to have his coordinators in place, but also most of his staff. This whole thing makes zero sense.

Unless that's what Mariucci told Snyder he wanted, because then it makes perfect sense.

CanesSkins26 wrote:

SkinsFreak wrote:

CanesSkins26 wrote:So not only is the new head coach going to have his coordinators in place, but also most of his staff. This whole thing makes zero sense.

Unless that's what Mariucci told Snyder he wanted, because then it makes perfect sense.

It would make sense with the coordinators, but not the rest of the staff. How much contact has Mooch had with the assistant coaches that are staying put or that have been hired? I guess what I am saying is, do you think that the staff that is in place now (all the staff not just the coordinators) are the same ones that Mariucci or Fassel would have picked if they were coming in with a clean slate?