Background:
Possible Chicago Bears 2018 head coach Teryl Austin was born in Pennsylvania in 1965. Like many natives of that state he played his college ball at Pitt before joining the short-lived World League of American Football. After just one year he realized his chances in the pros as a player were too long and retired. He became a graduate assistant at Penn State. That’s where he met friend and future Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell.
Austin would go on to various jobs at Wake Forest, Syracuse and Michigan before catching his first break as defensive backs coach with the Seattle Seahawks in 2003. Four years later he took the same job with the Arizona Cardinals. He got his first shot at defensive coordinator for Florida in 2010 but was gone after just one season.
He didn’t worry too much about it. The Baltimore Ravens quickly made him their secondary coach where he’d spend three seasons. Finally his old friend Caldwell came calling, aiming to make him defensive coordinator in Detroit. It’s the job he’s held since.
Qualifications:
One thing that becomes clear about Austin right away during his NFL tenure is success seems to follow him. In Seattle his defensive backs became one of the best groups in the league at producing turnovers. The Seahawks made the playoffs every year and reached the Super Bowl in 2005. His group delivered two big interceptions in the NFC championship.
In 2007 he pretty much repeated the same thing in Arizona. Under his direction Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all became Pro Bowlers. The Cardinals went to their first Super Bowl in team history in 2008. Following his brief stint at Florida, Austin painted his masterpiece as a defensive backs coach in Baltimore.
Not only did he get two Pro Bowls out of Ed Reed, who was well into his 30s by 2011 and 2012. He even got one out of Corey Graham, the former Chicago Bear. Baltimore went on to win the Super Bowl the latter year, his group delivering the only interception of that game.
Since joining the Lions, Austin has done some excellent work coordinating their defense. It ranked 3rd in points allowed his first year and 13th in 2016. So far this season they are 7th. This despite some rather pedestrian talent to work with outside of Ezekiel Ansah and Darius Slay. It’s a surefire sign that he knows how to get the most from the players he has.
Concerns:
Austin has only been a coordinator for four seasons and already is 52-years old. That’s a bit on the older side for a man getting his first head coaching opportunity. It begs the question of why he hasn’t been able to get hired by this point. Are there personality issues? Then there’s the matter of his strict defensive background.
The NFL these days is a league built entirely around the quarterback position. Teams tend to prefer hiring coaches who have at least some understanding of how to develop one. It’s why the vast majority of coaching hires are on the offensive side. In fairness the Bears can relate. Neither John Fox nor Lovie Smith could solve that puzzle.
Austin has strictly been a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator since he got into coaching. He’s had zero hands-on lessons handling the other side of the ball. That’s troublesome for a lot of head coaches. It means they either have to have that natural instinct, or they need to hire a talented offensive coordinator to deal with it.
Connections:
The good news is that Austin, while having to wait a long time, is a well-traveled man. He’s coached for several teams just in the NFL over the past 14 years. This has enabled him to meet a lot of people in that time, many of them fellow coaches. Some of whom might have some talent worth exploiting. Keep in mind that Austin has coached for Seattle, Arizona and Baltimore. All three are considered among the NFL elites in terms of team building. Just the staff he’s assembled for the Lions defense is impressive.
Bill Sheridan coaches the linebackers and won a Super Bowl in 2007 with the Giants. Safeties coach Alan Williams spent nine years in Indianapolis from 2002 to 2011 where he won a Super Bowl. Corners coach Tony Oden helped the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl in 2009. One of the most overlooked qualities of a great coach is recognizing others who can do the job too. Austin seems to have that knack, at least on the defensive side.
Bottom Line:
It’s difficult not to like Teryl Austin. He’s experienced, accomplished and well-respected around the league. His prowess as a play caller is showcased by an ability to adapt his scheme to his players’ strengths. Doing more with less is the mark of any great coach. Austin proved he can do that consistently during his time in Detroit.
Another mark is having success at every stop along his journey. Austin left behind Pro Bowlers and Super Bowl runs with three different teams prior to his arrival with the Lions. He has a ring. What more must the guy do to get attention?
Well being an offensive coach it would seem. Brilliant as he is at coaching defensive football, the questions will linger about whether he can properly develop a quarterback. That is the test for every head coach, especially these days. One point worth making is he’s seen it done a number of times already.
He saw Mike Holmgren do it with Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle. He saw Todd Haley do it with Kurt Warner in Arizona and then Caldwell do it with Joe Flacco in Baltimore. Austin may not be an expert but he’s had some great teachers.
