Matt Cavanaugh

Last updated

Matt Cavanaugh
Matt Cavanaugh.jpg
Cavanaugh in 2015
No. 12, 6
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1956-10-27) October 27, 1956 (age 67)
Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:212 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High school: Chaney (Youngstown)
College: Pittsburgh
NFL draft: 1978  / Round: 2 / Pick: 50
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
As player
As coach
Career NFL statistics
TD–INT:28–30
Passing yards:4,332
Passer rating:71.7
Completions:305
Attempts:579
Games played:112
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR
Coaching stats at PFR

Matthew Andrew Cavanaugh (born October 27, 1956) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback, winning two Super Bowl titles. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Contents

After retiring from playing following the 1991 season, Cavanaugh worked as an offensive coach and offensive coordinator for teams including the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens (where he earned a third ring as a coach), Washington Redskins, and New York Jets.

Biography

Early career

Cavanaugh was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Chaney High School. He was a football standout and went on to the University of Pittsburgh after graduating. In 1976, he was the starting quarterback for the undefeated Pittsburgh Panthers (he was on the same team with Tony Dorsett) and contributed to the team's National Championship 27–3 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. On that day, Cavanaugh was selected as the Sugar Bowl's Most Valuable Player. [1]

Cavanaugh was also named MVP of the 1977 Gator Bowl, throwing four touchdown passes in a 34–3 win over Clemson.

In 1977, Cavanaugh threw for 1,844 yards with 15 touchdowns against six interceptions. Cavanaugh threw for the second-most passing yards in Pittsburgh history, only trailing quarterback Ken Lucas's 1,921 yards in 1965. [2]

Playing career

Cavanaugh was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1978 NFL draft, but spent much of his career as a backup. [3] His professional playing career included stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants. Cavanaugh was the backup quarterback in both the 1984 Super Bowl XIX and the 1990 Super Bowl XXV to Joe Montana and Jeff Hostetler, respectively. Cavanaugh retired as a professional player following the 1991 season, appearing in 112 games with 19 starts, completing 305 of 579 passes for 4,332 yards, 28 touchdowns, 30 interceptions and a 71.7 passer rating. [3]

Coaching career

Following his retirement, he has served in the following positions: chief recruiter and offensive coach, University of Pittsburgh (1992–1993); offensive coach, Arizona Cardinals (1994–1995); offensive coach, San Francisco 49ers (1996); offensive coordinator, Chicago Bears (1997–1998); and offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens (1999–2004), winning Super Bowl XXXV with the Ravens in 2000. [3] Cavanaugh served as offensive coordinator for his old college team, the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, until 2008 when he accepted a position as an assistant coach and quarterbacks coach with the New York Jets. He would remain with the Jets until 2012.

On January 18, 2013, it was announced that Bears head coach Marc Trestman has hired Cavanaugh as the quarterbacks coach, replacing Jeremy Bates. [4]

On January 28, 2015, Cavanaugh became the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins. On January 23, 2017, Cavanaugh was promoted to offensive coordinator of the Redskins, replacing Sean McVay, who became the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. On January 29, 2019, Cavanaugh was demoted to senior offensive assistant of the Redskins. [5]

On August 25, 2021, Cavanaugh was hired by the New York Jets as a senior offensive assistant. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rod Woodson</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Roderick Kevin Woodson is an American former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Widely considered one of the greatest defensive players of all time, Woodson holds the NFL record for fumble recoveries (32) by a defensive player, and interceptions returned for touchdown (12). He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Engram</span> American football player and coach (born 1973)

Simon J. "Bobby" Engram III is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the wide receivers coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Engram played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Engram also played for the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs before becoming a coach by the 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Lewis (wide receiver)</span> American football player and coach (born 1980)

Gregory Alan Lewis Jr. is an American football coach and former player. He is the wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played wide receiver in the NFL for eight seasons. After playing college football for Illinois, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played for the Eagles for six seasons from 2003 to 2008 and the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons from 2009 to 2010. Lewis has served as assistant coach for the University of San Diego, San Jose State, Pittsburgh Panthers, Eagles, and Chiefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Dorsey</span> American football player and coach (born 1981)

Kenneth Simon Dorsey is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, where he won the national championship and the Maxwell Award in 2001. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft, later playing for the Cleveland Browns and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), before retiring in 2010.

Marty Mornhinweg is an American football coach and former player who was most recently a senior offensive consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 1997 to 2000, head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2001 to 2002, offensive coordinator for the Eagles from 2006 to 2012, offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 2013 to 2014, and offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens from 2016 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Kubiak</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Gary Wayne Kubiak is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos before coaching, serving as head coach for the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013 and the Broncos from 2015 to 2016 before stepping down from the position on January 1, 2017, citing health reasons.

The Chicago Bears American football franchise is a charter member of the National Football League (NFL), and has played in all of the league's 100 seasons. The team has captured nine NFL championships – eight NFL championships and one Super Bowl – second most all time behind the Green Bay Packers. The franchise has also recorded more victories than any other franchise (739), retired the most uniform numbers (14), and have the most members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (29). The Bears have played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Grimm</span> American football player and coach (born 1959)

Russell Scott Grimm is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans. As a professional, Grimm had multiple selections to both the All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. Grimm played 11 seasons for the Redskins and was a first-team selection to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Whisenhunt</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Kenneth Moore Whisenhunt is an American football coach and former tight end who is currently a special assistant to the head coach for Alabama. He played college football at Georgia Tech and was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, with whom he played for four years. He subsequently played two more years with the Washington Redskins and another two with the New York Jets.

William Scott Musgrave is an American football coach and former player who is the senior offensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He is a former quarterback, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for multiple NFL teams. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, earning all-conference honors in the Pac-10. He is also the uncle of Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Shanahan</span> American football coach (born 1979)

Kyle Michael Shanahan is an American football coach who is the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, whose offense in 2016 led the league in points scored and helped the team reach Super Bowl LI. Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers the following season, whom he has led to three division titles, four postseason appearances, four NFC Championship Game appearances, and two Super Bowl appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Caldwell (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1955)

James Caldwell is an American football coach who is a senior assistant for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. As an assistant coach, Caldwell was the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Colts team that won Super Bowl XLI and the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens team that won Super Bowl XLVII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam Cameron</span> American football player and coach (born 1961)

Malcolm "Cam" Cameron is an American football coach. He is the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the LSU Tigers football program. Cameron attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and played quarterback for the school. Cameron began his coaching career in the NCAA with the Michigan Wolverines. After that he switched to the National Football League (NFL), where he was offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens and the San Diego Chargers and head coach for the Miami Dolphins, coaching them to a 1–15 record in his only season.

Todd Washington is an American football coach and former offensive lineman who most recently served as the assistant offensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the New York Jets, Orlando Apollos, Baltimore Ravens, Hartford Colonials and the University of San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Knapp</span> American football coach (1963–2021)

Gregory Fishbeck Knapp was an American professional football coach in the National Football League (NFL). He served as an assistant coach for 25 seasons with the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football and later coached at California State University, Sacramento.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Cignetti Jr.</span> American football coach (born 1965)

Frank Cignetti Jr. is an American football coach who was the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Before Pitt, he was the offensive coordinator at Boston College and the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He has also been the quarterbacks coach for the New York Giants in 2016 and 2017. Prior to that, he served as the quarterbacks coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2012 to 2014 and offensive coordinator for the Rams in 2015.

This article details the history of the Arizona Cardinals American football club, which can be traced to the 1898 formation of the amateur Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago. The Cardinals are the oldest extant professional football club in the United States, and along with the Chicago Bears, are one of two charter members of the National Football League still in existence. The franchise moved from Chicago to St. Louis in 1960 and to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Hostler</span> American football coach (born 1966)

Jim Hostler is an American football coach who is a senior offensive assistant for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin O'Connell (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1985)

Kevin William O'Connell, nicknamed "KOC", is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). O'Connell played quarterback for the San Diego State Aztecs, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft. O'Connell also played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 2012. O'Connell's NFL coaching career began in 2015; he held various assistant coaching roles on the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and Los Angeles Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Tabor</span> American football player and coach (born 1971)

Chris Tabor is an American football coach who last served as interim head coach and special teams coordinator for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears, and has more than 20 years of coaching experience between the high school, collegiate and professional levels.

References

  1. ↑ Livingston, Pat (August 17, 1977). "Cavanaugh's Heisman Bid Up in the Air". Pittsburgh Press . p. C-24. Retrieved September 20, 2016– via Google News.
  2. ↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/pitt/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/06guide-recordbook.pdf Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. 1 2 3 Mayer, Larry (July 9, 2013). "Cavanaugh driven by will to win Super Bowl". Chicago Bears. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ Mayer, Larry (January 1, 2013). "Bears hire assistant coaches Cavanaugh, Peete". Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Kevin O'Connell - Los Angeles Rams - NFL". www.nbcsports.com.
  6. ↑ Wells, MacGregor (August 25, 2021). "Jets Hire Matt Cavanaugh As Senior Offensive Assistant". Gang Green Nation. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.