After interviewing Aubrey Nice today, the Raiders will proceed the search for his or her recent defensive coordinator tomorrow. In line with Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Las Vegas will interview Seahawks safeties coach Jeff Howard for the position on Saturday.
Following a playing profession as a linebacker at Eastern Recent Mexico, Howard immediately turned to the coaching route, heading over the border into Texas to change into the defensive coordinator at Odessa Permian HS (TX) of Friday Night Lights fame. After 4 years of highschool coaching, Howard remained in West Texas after accepting a position as offensive line assistant at Texas Tech. He was quickly moved to the opposite side of the ball as a defensive quality control coach working with safeties.
Howard made the jump to the NFL two years later, joining the Vikings as assistant to the top coach. He was promoted to defensive assistant in 2014 before being named assistant linebackers coach the subsequent season. He spent his last season in Minnesota in an assistant defensive backs coaching role before heading to Cleveland in 2020 to function defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator. After three years with the Browns, Howard joined the Chargers for a 12 months as linebackers coach before being named to Mike Macdonald‘s defensive staff in Seattle as safeties coach.
In two years in Seattle, Howard helped develop a talented safeties room comprised of Coby Bryant, Julian Love, Ty Okada, and rookie roamer Nick Emmanwori. After 13 years of NFL coaching experience, Howard is getting his first opportunity to interview for a coordinator role within the NFL. If he were hired, Howard can be following recent head coach Klint Kubiak within the trip from Seattle to Las Vegas. The 2 also coached together for a 12 months in Minnesota, where Kubiak served as quarterbacks coach before earning his first offensive coordinator opportunity.
Howard shall be the team’s second candidate to interview for the position tomorrow, following Nice’s meeting today. Quite a lot of other candidates have been rumored, though, with more potential interviews expected.