American football player and coach (born 1955)
For the former American college football player and coach, see
Jim Hazlett
.
American football player
Jim Haslett
Haslett with the Tennessee Titans in 2021
|
|
Position:
| Linebacker
|
---|
|
Born:
| (
1955-12-09
)
December 9, 1955
(age 68)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, U.S.
|
---|
Height:
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
---|
Weight:
| 232 lb (105 kg)
|
---|
|
High school:
| Avalon
|
---|
College:
| IUP
(1975?1978)
|
---|
NFL draft:
| 1979
/ Round: 2 / Pick: 51
|
---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
---|
|
|
|
---|
|
|
|
Regular season:
|
- NFL: 47?61 (.435)
- UFL: 6?0 (1.000)
- XFL: 7?3 (.700)
|
---|
Postseason:
|
- NFL: 1?1 (.500)
- UFL: 0?1 (.000)
- XFL: 0?1 (.000)
|
---|
Career:
|
- NFL: 48?62 (.436)
- UFL: 6?1 (.857)
- XFL: 7?4 (.636)
|
---|
|
Player stats at
PFR
|
Coaching stats at
PFR
|
|
|
James Donald Haslett
(born December 9, 1955) is an
American football
coach and former
linebacker
who was most recently the
head coach
of the
Seattle Sea Dragons
of the
XFL
. He played
college football
for the
IUP Crimson Hawks
before being drafted by the
Buffalo Bills
in the second round of the
1979 NFL Draft
; he went on to be named
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
.
Haslett's coaching career began in the late 1980s, with him rejoining the NFL by the mid 1990s. In 2000, he was hired as
head coach
of the
New Orleans Saints
and was named the
NFL Coach of the Year
. He has also served as head coach for the
Florida Tuskers
of the
United Football League
(UFL).
Playing career
[
edit
]
Haslett attended
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
, and was selected in the second round of the
1979 NFL Draft
by the
Buffalo Bills
. He was a
linebacker
for the
Buffalo Bills
through 1985; he broke his leg during a 1986 preseason contest, ending his time with the Bills. He made a brief comeback with the
New York Jets
in 1987. He was named the
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
for 1979. In a 2005 article in the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
, Haslett admitted to using
steroids
while playing for the Buffalo Bills. Haslett went on record saying that "everybody tried it" to gain a competitive advantage against opposing teams.
[1]
Coaching career
[
edit
]
Early coaching career
[
edit
]
Haslett began his coaching career at the
University at Buffalo
in 1988 as a linebackers coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1989.
[2]
[3]
After three seasons with Buffalo, Haslett became the defensive coordinator for the
Sacramento Surge
of the
World League of American Football
for the team’s inaugural season in 1991.
[4]
The league suspended operations after the 1992 season.
NFL coaching career
[
edit
]
Haslett began his NFL coaching career as a linebackers coach for the
Los Angeles Raiders
in 1993.
[5]
After two seasons with the Raiders, Haslett was hired as linebackers coach for the
New Orleans Saints
. He was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 1996 season. After head coach
Jim Mora
quit during the season, Haslett was offered the interim head coach position, but he declined, and was not retained by new head coach
Mike Ditka
for the 1997 season.
[6]
Haslett was then hired as the defensive coordinator for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
, where he coached for three seasons from 1997-1999.
[7]
New Orleans Saints
[
edit
]
In January 2000, Haslett was named head coach of the
New Orleans Saints
. He was reportedly hired to a three-year contract.
[7]
That season, he guided the
Saints
to a 10–6 regular-season record, their second
NFC West
division championship, and the first playoff victory in franchise history (defeating the
St. Louis Rams
; they lost to the
Minnesota Vikings
the next week). As a result of the Saints' turnaround from their previous 3–13 season (under his predecessor,
Mike Ditka
), Haslett was named
NFL Coach of the Year
. This was the only playoff appearance in Haslett's six years in New Orleans. They would only notch one other winning record in 2002. That year, the Saints started 9-4, but three consecutive losses, including to the 1-14 Cincinnati Bengals, resulted in them missing the playoffs by a single game.
In 2005, the Saints crashed to a 3–13 record. The season was marred by
Hurricane Katrina
's devastation of New Orleans. This forced the franchise to temporarily relocate to
San Antonio
, playing three of their 'home' games in the
Alamodome
. Another four home games were played in
Baton Rouge
at
LSU
's
Tiger Stadium
, and one took place at
Giants Stadium
in New Jersey (against the
New York Giants
).
Haslett was fired after the 2005 season. He finished his six-year tenure as the head coach of the Saints with the second most head coaching wins in franchise history, with a regular season record of 45-51.
[8]
St. Louis Rams
[
edit
]
Haslett became the
St. Louis Rams
' defensive coordinator to start the 2006 season. On September 29, 2008, Haslett was named the interim head coach of the Rams after
Scott Linehan
was fired. The Rams gave Haslett an interim coach's contract, containing a clause that promised him the permanent head coach's job if the team won at least six games that season. Within a few weeks, this clause was nullified by the NFL, because it violated the league's "
Rooney Rule
". He won his first game as interim head coach of the Rams with a 19-17 victory over the 4-1
Washington Redskins
. That win was followed by a 34-14 drubbing of the Dallas Cowboys on October 19, 2008. This brought the Rams to a 2-4 record. The team would lose their final 10 games, leaving Haslett with an interim record of 2-10 on the year. On January 15, 2009, the Rams announced that Haslett was no longer in consideration for the permanent head coaching position and that the team would be going in a "new direction".
[9]
Florida Tuskers
[
edit
]
Haslett coached the
Florida Tuskers
of the
United Football League
during its inaugural season in 2009.
[10]
The team went 6-0 but were upset in the first-ever UFL Championship Game by the
Las Vegas Locomotives
. He won UFL Coach of Year in their inaugural season.
[11]
Washington Redskins
[
edit
]
Haslett was hired as the
Washington Redskins
defensive coordinator on January 12, 2010, under head coach
Mike Shanahan
. Haslett replaced the retiring
Greg Blache
.
[12]
After many speculated he would be fired after the disastrous
2013 season
, new head coach
Jay Gruden
announced Haslett would remain on the team for the upcoming
2014 season
. The move reunited the pair, as Gruden had worked as the offensive coordinator under Haslett for the Tuskers in the 2009 season. On December 31, 2014, the Redskins announced that Haslett would leave the Redskins by mutual agreement.
[13]
Cincinnati Bengals
[
edit
]
After spending the 2015 season as a consultant for
Penn State
,
[14]
Haslett was hired as the linebackers coach for the
Cincinnati Bengals
on January 15, 2016.
[15]
Following the
2018 season
, the Bengals chose not to retain Haslett along with several other assistant coaches after the firing of longtime head coach
Marvin Lewis
.
[16]
Tennessee Titans
[
edit
]
On February 6, 2020,
Tennessee Titans
head coach
Mike Vrabel
hired Haslett as the team's
inside linebackers coach
.
[17]
Haslett spent two years in the role. He was not retained after the 2021 season.
[18]
Haslett was announced as an XFL head coach in 2021, later revealed to be for the Seattle Sea Dragons.
[19]
Due to the
Covid-19 pandemic
, the XFL ceased operations in 2021 and 2022. Haslett was the head coach of the Sea Dragons for their final season in 2023, guiding them to a 7-3 record before losing in the divisional round of the playoffs 37-21 to the
DC Defenders
.
[20]
On January 1, 2024, it was announced that the Sea Dragons would be disbanding. Eight teams from competing spring football leagues, the
XFL
and
USFL
, merged into the
United Football League
going into the 2024 season; the Sea Dragons were not one of the teams selected for the merger.
[21]
Head coaching record
[
edit
]
Team
|
Year
|
Regular season
|
Postseason
|
Won
|
Lost
|
Ties
|
Win %
|
Finish
|
Won
|
Lost
|
Win %
|
Result
|
NO
|
2000
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
.625
|
1st in NFC West
|
1
|
1
|
.500
|
Lost to
Minnesota Vikings
in
NFC Divisional Game
|
NO
|
2001
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
.438
|
3rd in NFC West
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
NO
|
2002
|
9
|
7
|
0
|
.563
|
3rd in NFC South
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
NO
|
2003
|
8
|
8
|
0
|
.500
|
2nd in NFC South
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
NO
|
2004
|
8
|
8
|
0
|
.500
|
2nd in NFC South
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
NO
|
2005
|
3
|
13
|
0
|
.188
|
4th in NFC South
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
NOR total
|
45
|
51
|
0
|
.469
|
|
1
|
1
|
.500
|
|
STL
|
2008*
|
2
|
10
|
0
|
.167
|
4th in NFC West
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
STL total
|
2
|
10
|
0
|
.167
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total
[22]
|
47
|
61
|
0
|
.435
|
|
1
|
1
|
.500
|
|
*
Interim head coach
Team
|
Year
|
Regular season
|
Postseason
|
Won
|
Lost
|
Win %
|
Finish
|
Won
|
Lost
|
Win %
|
Result
|
SEA
|
2023
|
7
|
3
|
.700
|
2nd in XFL North
|
0
|
1
|
.000
|
Lost to
DC Defenders
in XFL North Division Championship
|
Total
|
7
|
3
|
.700
|
|
0
|
1
|
.000
|
|
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Bouchette, Ed (March 24, 2005).
"Haslett admits to using steroids"
.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
.
- ^
Harrington, Mike and Robert J. Summers (April 20, 1989).
"UB football program steps up improvement, Haslett and Pry will coordinate 'new emphasis'
"
.
The Buffalo News
. Archived from
the original
on February 23, 2022
. Retrieved
February 23,
2022
.
- ^
Brady, Erik (January 2, 2020).
"Ex-Bills linebacker Jim Haslett: 'That city deserves a championship'
"
.
The Buffalo News
. Archived from
the original
on January 3, 2020
. Retrieved
January 2,
2020
.
- ^
"The Official Site of the Tennessee Titans"
.
www.tennesseetitans.com
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
White, Lonnie (February 18, 1993).
"Former NFL Linebacker Jim Haslett to Join Raiders as an Assistant Coach"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
"Saints Name Haslett New Coach - CBS News"
.
www.cbsnews.com
. February 3, 2000
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
a
b
FOSTER, MARY.
"Saints hire Haslett as head coach"
.
The Ledger
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
"Haslett won't return as Saints head coach"
.
ESPN.com
. January 2, 2006
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
Rams Remove Haslett From Search
SI.com, January 15, 2009
- ^
Haslett to Coach UFL Team
SI.com, March 11, 2009
- ^
Smith, Sutton.
"Former Titans assistant coach Jim Haslett named head coach in XFL"
.
The Tennessean
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
Thomas, Jim (January 12, 2010).
"Haslett headed to Washington as Redskins defensive coordinator"
.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
. Archived from
the original
on January 14, 2010
. Retrieved
January 12,
2010
.
- ^
Jones, Mike (December 31, 2014).
"Redskins announce mutual parting with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
December 31,
2014
.
- ^
WOGENRICH, MARK.
"How Jim Haslett, an NFL coaching veteran, ended up as a Penn State football 'intern'
"
.
York Dispatch
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
"Jim Haslett joins Bengals staff as LB coach"
.
- ^
"NFL Rumors: Bengals Fire Multiple Asst. Coaches, HC Will Come from 'The Outside'
"
.
Bleacher Report
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
"Titans name Jim Haslett as inside linebackers coach"
.
ESPN.com
. February 6, 2020
. Retrieved
February 9,
2020
.
- ^
"Jim Haslett, three other assistants out in Tennessee"
.
NBC Sports
. January 25, 2022
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
"XFL UNVEILS TEAM MARKETS AND VENUES: ARLINGTON, HOUSTON, ORLANDO, LAS VEGAS, SAN ANTONIO, SEATTLE, ST. LOUIS, WASHINGTON D.C."
www.xfl.com
. Retrieved
July 28,
2022
.
- ^
Garrett, Shawn (May 1, 2023).
"Seattle Sea Dragons end inaugural season after elimination from playoffs"
.
KIRO 7 News Seattle
. Retrieved
February 23,
2024
.
- ^
Alexander, Mookie (December 31, 2023).
"Report: RIP, Seattle Sea Dragons?!"
.
Field Gulls
. Retrieved
January 1,
2024
.
- ^
Jim Haslett Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com
|
---|
# denotes interim head coach
|
|
---|
|
# denotes interim head coach
|
|
---|
|
Franchise
| |
---|
Stadiums
| |
---|
Important figures
| |
---|
Key personnel
| |
---|
World Bowl appearances (1)
| |
---|
League championships (1)
| |
---|
WLAF seasons (2)
| |
---|
See also
| |
---|
|
---|
- Founded in 2018
- Formerly the
Seattle Dragons
(2020)
- Defunct
XFL (2020)
club 2018?2024
- Based in
Seattle, WA
|
Franchise
| |
---|
Stadiums
| |
---|
Key personnel
| |
---|
Affiliations
|
- League:
XFL
Conference: West (2020); North (2023)
|
---|
Seasons
| |
---|
|
---|
|
The Franchise
| |
---|
Stadiums
| |
---|
Head Coaches
| |
---|
Key Personnel
| |
---|
UFL Championships (1)
| |
---|
UFL Championship
Game Appearances (3)
| |
---|
Seasons (4)
| |
---|
League Affiliation
| |
---|