Raiders hire former Chargers assistant
Pagano was AFC West rival’s D-coordinator for past four seasons
ALAMEDA — The Raiders hired former Los Angeles Chargers assistant John Pagano on Monday, a hire that likely will impact the duties of defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.
Pagano, 49, was the defensive coordinator for the Chargers for the past four years.
Norton’s spot on the staff is said to be secure, but the Raiders struggled on defense last season, allowing an NFL-worst 6.1 yards per play.
Pagano was given the title of “assistant head coach/ defense.” He knows the AFC West, having coached for the Chargers since 2002, starting out as a quality control coach, moving on to linebackers and being named defensive coordinator in 2012.
The Chargers defense under Pagano was ranked 13th last season and tied for the NFL lead with 18 interceptions. He came available when new Chargers coach Anthony Lynn hired Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator.
Pagano worked with Raiders coach Jack Del Rio when Del Rio got his start in coaching with the New Orleans Saints in 1997 under Mike Ditka. He is the younger brother of Chuck Pagano, the Indianapolis Colts head coach.
49ers: Kyle Shanahan, the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator and the 49ers’ presumptive new coach, got high praise from his current boss Monday.
“I’m really proud of him,” Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn said. “It’s not easy to do when there’s a lot of speculation and things going on outside of your world. Being on point and going for it, he totally nailed that.”
Once the Super Bowlbound Falcons finish this week’s practices and meetings Friday, Shanahan will be free to meet with the 49ers that night and perhaps Saturday for the first time since his initial interview Jan. 6. He emerged a week ago as the remaining candidate, at least out of six the 49ers interviewed, in their search to replace Chip Kelly.
General manager candidates are expected to interview along with Shanahan, including the Minnesota Vikings’ George Paton and possibly the Arizona Cardinals’ Terry McDonough.
Quinn went through a similar balancing act two years ago, serving as the Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator en route to their Super Bowl win while also closing in on the Falcons’ head-coach job. League rules prevent teams from finalizing deals until candidates’ season’s end.
“I tried to just give him my experience,” Quinn said. “Not tell him what to do, but tell him this is some of the pitfalls, and these are some of the things that went well. I tried to do the same this week, to make sure these are the guidelines, and as long as you know how to use them, then you don’t get jammed up.
“You definitely have to use your imagination some to make sure everything will be dialed in like you want it. He honestly nailed it.”
Tomsula hired: Washington turned to internal candidates to fill two critical vacancies, promoting Matt Cavanaugh to offensive coordinator and Greg Manusky to defensive coordinator.
Cavanaugh was the team’s quarterbacks coach and Manusky its outside linebackers coach last season. The team announced the promotions Monday along with the hires of Kevin O’Connell as quarterbacks coach and former 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula as defensive line coach.
It has been an offseason of upheaval for the coaching staff after Washington fired defensive coordinator Joe Barry, and offensive coordinator Sean McVay left to become head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.