From the team website: Devlin, Henderson Get New Staff Roles Published: 02-20-08 By Jets PR Department The New York Jets have named Mike Devlin tight ends/assistant offensive line coach and Jerome Henderson defensive backs coach. The announcements were made by Jets head coach Eric Mangini. Devlin, in his third season with the Jets, returns to coaching tight ends and assisting with the offensive line, the position he held in 2006, after sharing the offensive line duties with Tony Wise in 2007. Devlin will assist Bill Callahan along the offensive line. Devlin played 101 games as an offensive lineman in three seasons with Buffalo (1993-95) and four with Arizona (1996-99). He played in Super Bowl XXVIII with the Bills. Henderson was the Jets' assistant defensive backs coach in 2007 and spent the past two years as the team's director of player development.
The New York Jets have named Kevin O’Dea special teams coach. The announcement was made by Jets head coach Eric Mangini. O’Dea spent the last two seasons as an assistant special teams coach for the Chicago Bears. In both seasons, the Bears led the NFL in overall special teams rankings, according to the Dallas Morning News ranking system. Under O’Dea’s guidance, Bears kicker Robbie Gould led the NFL with 63 field goals and 269 points. O’Dea helped Gould become the ninth kicker in NFL history with back-to-back seasons of 30 field goals made, including 32-of-36 in 2006 when he was selected to the Pro Bowl. Punter Brad Maynard has landed 51-of-165 punts inside-the-20 over the last two seasons under O’Dea’s tutelage and the Bears punt coverage unit ranked third in the NFL in 2007, allowing just 5.9 yards per return. Penn State (1991-93), Virginia (1988-90), Cornell (1987) and Lock Haven (1986). Before joining the Bears, O’Dea was the special teams coach for the Arizona Cardinals in 2004-05. O’Dea worked with Neil Rackers, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl following the 2005 season after he set an NFL record for most field goals in a season with 40, including a streak where he hit 31 consecutive field goals. The Cardinals set three NFL records in 2005: most field goals over 40 yards (19); most field goals by an individual (Rackers, 40) and most field goals by a team (43).
Wow, nice find in O'Dea. He's got some intriguing credentials coming in just with Gould and Rackers alone. I really like this in Mangini...he really seems to want to surround himself with good coaching talent around him.
True...but it's a plus when the young HC of your franchise: 1. Hires alot of them. We have a coach for everything. 2. Hires them both young and old. 3. Targets some guys who have coached some very good units or coached in some very good systems and actually gets them. Even a "little" trait like wanting to surround himself with good coaching talent can be huge in the long run. Can I ask whats wrong with praising the HC who hasn't been getting much lately on this board for making a good move? I mean it seems OK to bash his mistakes judging by the 382038123 posts doing just that, so whats wrong with praising him?
Oh, I'm not opposed to praising Mangini. I think Mangini is willing to learn from his mistakes- I was elated when the Jets picked up Callahan. It was a tacit admission from Mangini that the way he had handled the offensive line had failed miserably, which I think most of us here have been saying. From hiring Wise onwards, I think Mangini knew he just hadn't made the right moves on the O-line and he needed somebody with better skills in that area. Not everybody is humble enough to do that and that's laudable. Hiring good coaches is not a praiseworthy event in and of itself though.
Well, you're kind of right. But I place alot of emphasis on little things like this when we're so early into his career. I do it for players too. Things like this are a sign of intelligence and a plan. It gives hope for a future. These things that don't seem so praiseworthy now...good hirings...not bending over for Kendall...just might look very praiseworthy in the future. Herm seem randomly hired guys who were good coaches, but may or may not have been on the same page with him. This is different, and it's nice.
Well let's not knock him too much for the Wise hire. Wise is known league wide as being very good at developing young O-line talent. He isn't a great scheme or gameplanning type..but they're maybe no one better at teaching technique. Anyone who understands OL jargon who's been to jets TC will attest to this. He's a fantastic teacher.. I believe he was brought here solely to develop Brick/Mangold to be the corps of our OL. Despite what many think, Both are developing quite nicely. It was time to bring someone in who's better at OL scheme and gameplanning...and that has been done.
Yes, I agree about Herm and Mangini. Herm hired clueless coaches such as Dick Curl who served no purpose. You're definitely right that a lot of them weren't on the same page with him. Remember how hyped up the Heimerdinger hire was? Herm is/was terrible at assembling a staff. I was/am a fan of Herm, but assembling a good coaching staff is not a strength of his. Kurt, you know 1000000x more about O-line strategy and technique than me so I'm going to cede to you on that. Unlike most, I think Brick is a very good player and I think consensus is solid on Mangold already. In fact, I think very few young LT would have even been able to survive a whole year with what he had next to him at LG. I'm a big fan.
He doesn't sound as great in Cimini's blog: It took several weeks, but the Jets finally hired a special teams coach - Kevin O’Dea, who spent the last two seasons as the Bears’ assistant special teams coach. Too bad he can’t bring Devin Hester along in a package deal. In 2004 and 2005, O’Dea was the Cards’ special teams coach. The best thing that happened there was the emergence of PK Neil Rackers, who enjoyed a Pro Bowl year. The Jets neglected to mention in their press-release announcement that, in 2005, the Cardinals allowed four touchdowns on returns (three kickoffs, one punt). In 2004, they allowed two touchdowns (one kickoff, one punt). It’s not surprising that he was replaced after the 2005 season. O’Dea, 47, has big shoes to fill. His predecessor, Mike Westhoff, was regarded as one of the best special teams coaches in the league http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/
It sounds like his strengths are improving the play of the kicker and punter, while his weakness is coverage schemes. We'll see.
Rich Kotite. Seriously the asshole was notorious for wanting to dumb down his assistants so no one was smarter then he was. I find that almost impossible that he could find dumber people but hey maybe champ was on that staff.
The sad thing is those are some of my early football memories. I actually used to think all HC's thought like that when I was a kid...
The way the OL works as a single unit is the most important focus. Individual training takes second place behind the offensive line's integration with one another. This is why most people in the know say it take an offensive line unit two or three years to really jell together. I guess that Callahan brings this offensive line integration focus with him. Otherwise we are in trouble. But in addition to this, the strength coach has a great deal to do with getting these big guys strong and quick enough to do their jobs. You look at the manhandling that the OL tackles and guards (and sometimes even the center) took as a matter of course this year, and you can see that they are not as strong or as quick as they have to be. This is just not about lifting weights. It is a lot more than that. And it has to be nearly year round if it's going to take, too. The strength coach's input is indispensible -- otherwise all the schemes in the world won't make up for a just a slightly too slow and sometimes wimpy guy.
This is why I am a huge Mangini guy..Its not about him, its about making the team better..always..He has a belief in the way things should be run,but I rather have a guy like that instead of some wishy-washy f**k. You never hear players bad mouth him because they know he is bustin his ass and that was evident in how the entire team played balls out for 16 games this year despite our record..I think he also recognizes what he needs to improve, he seems like that type of guy who always questions how they can do things better..Hey its the NFL and its about wins-loses and championships but I feel we have the coach that can get the job done sooner then later.
