Five Candidates to Replace DeFilippo for Oakland Raiders QB Coach
Jun 12, 2014; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel talks with quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains during minicamp at Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
2. Dowell Loggains
Dowell Loggains is currently the QB’s coach of the Cleveland Browns, and may stay the QB’s coach of the Cleveland Browns if he’s still wanted there to work with John DeFilippo. Loggains, who is only 34, is a former quarterback at the Univesity of Arkansas. He is a very young coach but has some solid experience, having started his career in Tennessee much like Craig Johnson.
Loggains started coaching on Jeff Fisher’s staff in 2008 as the Quality Control coach, but was quickly promoted to Quarterbacks Coach and Passing Game Coordinator, replacing Craig Johnson at the QB’s spot. He served as in this role from 2010 through 2012: in his first year, Vince Young had his career high passer rating and Kerry Collins threw for over 1,800 yards and 14 TDs in seven starts.
Both Young and Collins were gone in 2011, replaced by rookie Jake Locker and veteran Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck started all sixteen games for the Titans in 2011, and looked like his old Seahawks self, throwing for nearly 3,600 yards and 18 TD’s while completing 61.6% of his passes. Locker, who got some playing time later in the season late in some losing efforts, threw for 542 yards and 4 TD’s, putting together a respectable 99.4 passer rating on 66 pass attempts.
In 2012, Loggains was promoted from Passing Game Coordinator and QB’s Coach to full-on Offensive Coordinator under Mike Munchak. He spent 2012 and 2013 attempting to develop the young Jake Locker in the Titans offense, while getting solid performances from Hasselbeck and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Unfortunately for Loggains and for Locker, injuries derailed a promising 2013 campaign, and Mike Munchak was fired, along with Loggains.
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Loggains spent last season as the QB’s coach of the Cleveland Browns. Loggains was charged with developing the young and talented Johnny Manziel, but did his best work with journeyman and career backup Brian Hoyer. Hoyer started most of the year for Cleveland, and go the team off to an unexpected 6-3 start, throwing 10 TD’s to only 4 INT’s. Hoyer struggled down the stretch, however, throwing eight picks and only one TD as the team lost three of his next four starts.
Manziel was tapped to start late in the year, but struggled as a passer and a runner, throwing two picks and recording 29 yards rushing and 175 yards passing. Rookie Connor Shaw started the final game of the season and was unimpressive as well.
Loggains is not quite as experienced and does not have the resume of many of the other coaches out there, and is still currently on the Browns staff, but remains an interesting option, especially if DeFilippo’s hiring causes the Browns to seek out another QB’s coach. He would take a back-seat to the more seasoned Bill Musgrave on the Raiders staff, but his thorough experience in Tennessee – including working to prepare to face Jack Del Rio four times – gives him some unique perspective.
He’s also had some experience working with young quarterbacks, and has helped a few quarterbacks put up some of their best performances. Unfortunately he hasn’t had a true success story emerge from under his tutelage yet, though his work with Brian Hoyer shows that he can coach up a winner.
Next: Candidate #3: Geep Chryst