Cardinals DC tracker: Patriots LB coach DeMarcus Covington requested for interview
Feb 17, 2023, 8:59 AM | Updated: 3:26 pm
New England Patriots defensive line coach Demarcus Covington during a preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Washington Football Team on August 12, 2021, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Arizona Cardinals have their next head coach in former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
Now, it’s onto filling out the rest of the coaching staff.
Not long after Gannon’s introductory press conference, the stone unturning began for the head coach when it comes down to both coordinator positions.
That included taking a gander at in-house option and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who was reportedly released from the team after sitting down with Gannon on Thursday.
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A look at the names being linked to the Cardinals for their vacant DC job:
DeMarcus Covington, New England Patriots DL coach
The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly requested an interview with New England Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport adds that Covington, 33, and Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort developed a relationship during their time together with the Patriots (2017-19).
Covington’s first crack at the NFL was as a Patriots coaching assistant from 2017-18. From there, he was promoted to outside linebackers coach in 2019 before accepting his current role as the team’s DL coach in 2020.
Since Covington took over his current role, New England has been no lower than 11th in terms of points allowed per game. They jumped up to second in that category in 2021 before dropping to seventh this past season. The Patriots have also produced two top-10 defenses when looking at total yards allowed with Covington coaching the defensive line.
Before joining the NFL ranks, Covington got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at UAB in 2012. He then headed to Ole Miss as a defensive graduate assistant from 2013-14 before joining UT Martin’s staff as its DL coach in 2015. He served as Eastern Illinois’ co-defensive coordinator and DL coach in 2016 before making the move to the NFL.
Dave Borgonzi, Chicago Bears LBs coach
Chicago Bears linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi is the first known candidate interviewing for the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator opening, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Borgonzi will interview on Saturday for the open position.
Gannon is familiar with Borgonzi, having served on the Indianapolis Colts’ staff with him from 2018-2020 under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Gannon coached defensive backs in Indianapolis, while Borgonzi had the same title as he does with the Bears.
Eberflus recruited Borgonzi to Chicago when he took over as Bears head coach prior to last season.
In 2020 when Gannon and Borgonzi were on the staff in Indianapolis, the Colts were a top-10 defensive team by total yards (332.1 yards per game) and points allowed (22.6 points per contest).
Most notably across the entirety of the duo’s three-year tenure in Indianapolis, the Colts were a top-10 team in rush yards allowed.
Prior to joining Indianapolis, Borgonzi was a defensive quality control assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014-17, an offensive assistant for Dallas in 2013 and a defensive assistant for the Cowboys from 2011-12.
Borgonzi got his start as a graduate assistant for Syracuse in 2006-07 and then from 2008-10 was a defensive backs coach for Harvard.
He played college football as an inside linebacker at Amherst College.
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