Senior Bowl announces 2023 coaching staffs
The Senior Bowl announced its coaching staffs for the 2023 event on Wednesday, highlighted by a new format.
Whereas the Senior Bowl traditionally used whole coaching staffs of non-playoff teams, this year will introduce the new "coach up" format in an effort to promote young coaching talent in the NFL.
The league's 18 non-playoff teams were invited to nominate coordinators for head coaching positions, position coaches for coordinator positions, and so on. Here's how the Senior Bowl explained it:
This year marks the first time in the Senior Bowl’s rich history that two full staffs from NFL clubs will not be coaching the game. Under a new arrangement to promote professional development, NFL Football Operations has implemented a “coach up” format where coordinators and assistant coaches are placed into elevated or different roles from the ones they currently hold with their respective clubs. Head coaches and general managers from all non-playoff teams had the opportunity to nominate assistant coaches and those candidates were then selected by a group comprised of league office executives, representatives from the General Managers Advisory Committee, and Senior Bowl leadership. In total, at least one coach from all 16 teams that submitted nominations were chosen and six clubs had multiple coaches appointed to this year’s American and National rosters (New Orleans Saints 4, Washington Commanders 4, Chicago Bears 4, Las Vegas Raiders 3, Cleveland Browns 2, and Pittsburgh Steelers 2).
As such, Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will serve as the head coach of the American team, and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will lead the National squad.
American
Head coach: Luke Getsy (Bears OC)
Offensive coordinator: Charles London (Falcons QBs coach)
Defensive coordinator: DeMarcus Covington (Patriots D-line coach)
National
Head coach: Patrick Graham (Raiders DC)
Offensive coordinator: Ronald Curry (Saints QBs coach/passing game coordinator)
Defensive coordinator: Grady Brown (Steelers DBs coach)
“I am extremely honored to be selected as the head coach for the American Team in the 74th Senior Bowl," Getsy said. "It is a privilege to be able to work alongside my peers from around the league and to be able to lead this special group of men that are the future of the NFL. Thank you to everyone at the Senior Bowl for this awesome opportunity and I look forward to a great week in Mobile.”
“It is a true honor to be selected as head coach of the National Team for the Senior Bowl," Graham added. "I look forward to meeting and working with these talented young players and getting to know them on an individual and collective basis during Senior Bowl festivities. To be able to evaluate and cultivate relationships with these young men as they begin their professional journeys is an invaluable experience and I sincerely thank Jim Nagy and the Senior Bowl for this tremendous opportunity."
The 74th Senior Bowl will be played Saturday, Feb. 4 at South Alabama's Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala (2:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network). All three practice days will be televised on ESPN and NFL Network.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
