DMN Blog: Cowboys express interest in former Cincy LB Coach Ricky Hunley

[WoodysGirl]

Waiting on Spagnuolo
5:03 PM Tue, Feb 05, 2008 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
As the Cowboys try to put the finishing touches on their staff overhaul, it's important to realize a key figure in all of this sits on the periphery.

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is sitting down with Commanders owner Dan Snyder today in regards to the head coaching position in D.C. If Spagnuolo gets the job -- and the Massachusetts native didn't hurt himself in the playoffs, holding the top three ranked offenses in the NFL to a total of 51 points -- it could set off a falling of dominoes.

That would open the coordinator position in New York. Cowboys candidate Dom Capers, who interviewed last Tuesday at Valley Ranch, was DC under Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville in 1999 and 2000. And contrary to the belief that he's strictly a 3-4 coach, Capers ran a 4-3 defense while serving under Coughlin, and one that held opponents to 13.6 points per game during the Jags' 14-2 season in '99.

So there's a chance that Capers would wait and see what happens with the Giants before making any move. Also, the Cowboys are showing an interest in former Bengals linebackers coach Ricky Hunley, who was part of a purge of the Cincy defensive staff last month.

Hunley was brought into the league by Steve Spurrier in 2002, spending a year as the Commanders defensive line coach before heading to Cincinnati with Marvin Lewis in 2003. He coached previously at USC, Missouri and Florida, where he worked with Spurrier.

 

[Coakleys Dad]

Dont know much about him. Good? anyone?

 

[TellerMorrow34]

How did we go from talking about potentially Capers and Williams to a guy who coached in Cincy?

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Hmm...

 

[DasTex]

Well there LB core starting actually showing up late in the season...but I don't know jack about him.

 

[Hostile]

A Tucson native, a former Arizona Wildcat, a very nice guy, and a pretty fair football coach.

I know his brother. Nice guy.

 

[theogt]

Obviously Jerry is forcing this upon Wade. We're doomed.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

lol.

Nice job theogt!

 

[WoodysGirl]

Richard "Ricky" Hunley (born November 11, 1961 in Petersburg, Virginia) has been the Linebackers coach for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals since 2003.

Coaching Career

He started his NFL coaching career through the NFL Minority Fellowship Coaching Program in 2002 as the defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders with Steve Spurrier, where he met Marvin Lewis. He also served on the board of directors for the Black Coaches Association.
He coached at the University of Southern California (1992–93), University of Missouri (1994–2000), and University of Florida (2001).

Professional Career

Ricky went on to an NFL career with the Denver Broncos (1984–87), Phoenix Cardinals (1988), and the Los Angeles Raiders (1989–90). It is noted that Hunley was drafted by the Bengals but after failing to reach a contract agreement was traded to Denver. He was elected executive vice president of the NFL Players Association (1990–92).

College Career

From 1980–83, Hunley played linebacker at the University of Arizona. In 1982, he became the University of Arizona's first consensus All-American as a linebacker, an honor he received two consecutive years. [1]
In 1998, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and remains the only player from the University of Arizona to be inducted.

Personal

He founded the Ricky Hunley Football Camp, a non-profit instruction center for high school boys.[2]
Hunley and his wife Camille, have two daughters, Alexis and Kenady.

External links
http://www.bengals.com/team/coach.asp?coach_id=10
------------


Ricky Hunley

Linebackers
Defense
11/11/1961




Ricky Hunley is in his fifth season as Bengals linebackers coach. A former All-American college linebacker, he played seven seasons in the NFL and was a starting linebacker in two Super Bowls.

Hunley made the most of a difficult personnel situation in 2006, as his troops were affected by as much personnel upheaval as any position group in recent Bengals history. Due to various circumstances, the three starters entering training camp were limited to only nine of a projected 48 regular-season starts.

OLB David Pollack played only a handful of snaps, suffering a season-ending neck fracture in the second game. MLB Odell Thurman, coached by Hunley to a standout rookie season in '05, wound up missing the entire year on an NFL suspension. And Hunley got less than a full season from veteran Brian Simmons, who started only eight games due to a neck strain.

But the LB corps rallied behind aggressive performances from a group of young players. Third-year OLB Landon Johnson wound up leading the team with 132 tackles, and strong contributions also were made by third-year player Caleb Miller (100 tackles) and rookies Rashad Jeanty and Ahmad Brooks.

Hunley has an association with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis that dates from the early 1990s. At that time, as a college coach, Hunley did a stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL's minority intern coaching program. Lewis was on the Steelers staff from 1992-95.

Hunley and Lewis connected again in 2002. Hunley was defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders, with Lewis serving as his defensive coordinator. When Lewis took the Bengals head coaching job in 2003, he made Hunley one of his first staff hires.

Hunley's coaching talent was recognized in 2003, when the University of Arizona�his alma mater�had him as a finalist for its head coach position.

With the Bengals, Hunley has "returned" to the team that drafted him as a player in 1984. A two-time consensus All-American linebacker at Arizona, Hunley was Cincinnati's first pick in the '84 NFL Draft. But he never signed with the Bengals, and when contract negotiations remained stalled into September, the team traded his rights to Denver.

Hunley played four seasons (1984-87) for the Broncos, and was a starter at right inside linebacker for Denver in Super Bowls XXI and XXII. He also played for the Phoenix Cardinals (1988) and the Los Angeles Raiders ('89-90).

His college playing career at Arizona earned him induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

He got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Southern California (1992-93), after which he spent seven seasons at the Univ. of Missouri, including 1998-2000 as associate head coach/linebackers coach. In 2001, he joined head coach Steve Spurrier's staff at the Univ. of Florida, overseeing the defensive line. He moved with Spurrier in 2002, when Spurrier became Commanders head coach.

Hunley was born Nov. 11, 1961 in Petersburg, Va. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Arizona in 1987. In 1988, he was voted Executive Vice-President of the NFL Players Association, a position he held for two years. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Black Coaches Association and on the Minority Issues Committee of the American Football Coaches Association, and he has represented the Big 12 and the SEC on the AFCA's Assistant Coach Committee.

In 2004, Hunley was selected by the Bengals to participate in the NFL-Stanford University Executive Education Program for Managers.

He is married, with two children.

PLAYING AND COACHING HISTORY � 1980-83: Played linebacker at Univ. of Arizona. 1984-87: Linebacker, Denver Broncos. 1988: Linebacker, Phoenix Cardinals. 1989-90: Linebacker, Los Angeles Raiders. 1992-93: Graduate assistant, Univ. of Southern California. 1994-97: Assistant coach (AC), Univ. of Missouri. 1998-2000: Assistant head coach/linebackers coach, Univ. of Missouri. 2001: AC, Florida. 2002: AC, Washington Commanders. 2003-present: AC, Bengals.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

OLB David Pollack played only a handful of snaps, suffering a season-ending neck fracture in the second game.

that's a name I haven't heard in awhile

 

[David276]

lakdjalkdjlkaj. what happened to capers. i know quite a few people who arent going to be happy if capers didnt join because we wanted to keep DC of the year brian stewart.

 

[WoodysGirl]

lakdjalkdjlkaj. what happened to capers. i know quite a few people who arent going to be happy if capers didnt join because we wanted to keep DC of the year brian stewart.

If you read the whole blog entry, it says that Capers might be waiting to see what NY's Spags wants to do. If he goes to the Skins for any reason, Capers might be interested in the DC opening in NY.

 

[theogt]

If you read the whole blog entry, it says that Capers might be waiting to see what NY's Spags wants to do. If he goes to the Skins for any reason, Capers might be interested in the DC opening in NY.

I would actually look forward to seeing Capers in New York instead of Spagnuolo. For me, that says everything that needs to be said about Capers.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Yeah I figured Capers is waiting out what happens with Spags. I really think that Spags is gonna wind up staying in NY. I don't know why, it just has that feel to it.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Man, we need Dom here .......he would help termendously

 

[WoodysGirl]

I would actually look forward to seeing Capers in New York instead of Spagnuolo. For me, that says everything that needs to be said about Capers.

Doesn't tell me much, really. I'm not a fan of Capers anyway.

That said, he's a coaching free agent. I think he'd be remiss to not weigh all his available options.

 

[theogt]

Doesn't tell me much, really. I'm not a fan of Capers anyway.

That said, he's a coaching free agent. I think he'd be remiss to not weigh all his available options.

I meant that it tells you what my opinion is, not that my opinion means anything.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I meant that it tells you what my opinion is, not that my opinion means anything.

Gotcha...

The guy's got alot of defensive knowledge, but his Houston tenure is a huge turn off for me. And I didn't really see much in his Miami tenure either.

 

[theogt]

Gotcha...

The guy's got alot of defensive knowledge, but his Houston tenure is a huge turn off for me. And I didn't really see much in his Miami tenure either.

Indeed. He's a coaching JAG. I mean, Parcells even chose to pay him and not have him coach for him.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Indeed. He's a coaching JAG. I mean, Parcells even chose to pay him and not have him coach for him.

Glad I'm not the only one who's not excited by him.

Granted, if he comes on board, I want him to do his best. But if he chooses to go elsewhere, my feelings won't be hurt.