Leslie Frazier, Anthony Lynn among NFL’s “Coach Accelerator” participants

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 18, 2023, 9:38 AM EDT
Los Angeles Chargers v Kansas City Chiefs
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For the second straight year, the NFL will use its “Coach Accelerator” program to put a diverse collection of coaches in the same room as NFL owners.

The league announced that 40 coaches are participating last year, including former head coaches Leslie Frazier and Anthony Lynn, both of whom are hoping to get another head-coaching opportunity. The meetings between coaches and owners will take place May 21-23 at the spring meeting in Minneapolis.

“In the year since its inception, we’ve been encouraged by the positive response to the Accelerator from both club owners and participants,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to build on an incredible program that supports diverse talent.”

The participants this year are:

Teryl Austin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Chris Beatty, Los Angeles Chargers
Marcus Brady, Philadelphia Eagles
Callie Brownson, Cleveland Browns
Mike Caldwell, Jacksonville Jaguars
DeMarcus Covington, New England Patriots
Ronald Curry, New Orleans Saints
Matt Daniels, Minnesota Vikings
Sean Desai, Philadelphia Eagles
Tony Dews, Tennessee Titans
Aden Durde, Dallas Cowboys
Jon Embree, Miami Dolphins
Leslie Frazier (no current team)
Jerry Gray, Atlanta Falcons
Pep Hamilton (no current team)
Richard Hightower, Chicago Bears
Frisman Jackson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Brian Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
Jerrod Johnson, Houston Texans
Randy Jordan, Washington Commanders
Kerry Joseph, Seattle Seahawks
Cato June, Indianapolis Colts
Thaddeus Lewis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Charles London, Tennessee Titans
Anthony Lynn, San Francisco 49ers
Keenan McCardell, Minnesota Vikings
Thomas McGaughey, New York Giants
Dave Merritt, Kansas City Chiefs
Scottie Montgomery, Detroit Lions
Jeff Nixon. New York Giants
Tony Oden, New York Jets
Christian Parker, Denver Broncos
Aubrey Pleasant, Los Angeles Rams
Kris Richard (no current team)
Kelly Skipper, Buffalo Bills
Willie Taggart, Baltimore Ravens
Drew Terrell, Arizona Cardinals
Troy Walters, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Whitt Jr., Dallas Cowboys
Greg Williams, Green Bay Packers

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10 responses to “Leslie Frazier, Anthony Lynn among NFL’s “Coach Accelerator” participants”

  1. It’s a mystery why Leslie Frazier, the architect of 13 seconds isn’t getting another head coaching gig.

  2. What is meant by “diverse” coaches and talent? Any program to improve one’s chances of achieving a desired position should be open to any and all who wish to participate. THAT is what equal and unbiased is.

  3. I thought Frazier was stepping away from football for a while?

  4. No love for Raiders DC Patrick Graham? Oh, hell. The Raiders don’t even want him. Who would anyone else?

  5. Didn’t these guys already fail as HCs? Not everybody is cut out to be a HC. Many great coordinators don’t make it as HCs. There are only 32 in the NFL and a team paying that kind of $ should be hiring the best candidate possible. Everything else is secondary. Maybe try the USFL, XFL and NCAA and to prove yourself.

  7. Why are these old, retreads in the Accelerator program. Should be young guys who have never had the opportunity.

  8. Kudos to the NFL owners for their willingness to embrace this program. Open communication between the owners and the 40 participants is a good thing. Hopefully some meaningful relationships may develop as a result. Though I wish all of the participants the very best I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit I’m pulling most for Leslie Frazier (a class act) and Anthony Lynn to get an opportunity/2nd chance. Without dating myself I remember a time over my lifetime when the namesake of the Super Bowl winning trophy couldn’t get a head-coaching opportunity because his name ended in a vowel sound. Progress is a good thing. Best wishes to all of the participants.

  9. This is to see who’s qualified and capable of hanging with the country club and yacht crowd.
    If you choose the wrong wine to go with your caviar, you don’t stand a chance of advancing in the NFL.

  10. What I’ll remember most about Anthony Lynn is that he chose to play Tyrod Taylor over Justin Herbert, and only an injury to Taylor got Herbert on the field.

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