Coach/Coordinator Superbowls

[Raiders Army]

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My defensive coordinator who won 3 superbowls signed a contract with another team as their offensive coordinator. His record, pct, playoff, and bowls went to zero. In the 6.2 version, he kept his bowls (and I think playoffs). Is this intentional?

[redfox000]

For that matter, has there ever been a coordinator in the NFL to switch sides like that? At least a successful one?

[gtmarc]

Wow, none come to the top of my head that have switched directly from offense to defense.

I wonder if some have done it with a head coach job in the middle? Ie, start as say a defensive coordinator, then become a head coach, then later take an offensive coordinator job.

To me, as someone who doesn't work anywhere near football in the 'real' world, it seems like the career paths of coaches tend to stay on one side of the ball or another. First they become a position coach, then they move up to a coordinator job on that side of the ball.

Not to say it couldn't be done. The NFL is littered with coaches who were considered experts on one side of the ball as an assistant, but who were then considered quite bright on the other side of the ball as a head coach. Understanding one side of the ball seems to lead to knowing how to attack that side as well.

IIRC, Brian Billick was considered an offensive genius before becoming the Ravens head coach. After coaching the Ravens, his reputation as a defensive coach is high enough that it wouldn't surprise people to see him as a defensive coach if he wanted to do it.

But, I'd be very surprised if a someone like a former LB coach who became defensive coordinator then jumped to an offensive coordinator job with another NFL team. Would seem to be a very risky move for both the team and the coach.