Dom Capers

Dom Capers

Date of birth	August 7, 1950 (1950-08-07) (age 61)
Place of birth	Cambridge, Ohio
Position(s)	Defensive Coordinator
College	Mount Union
Awards	AP NFL Coach of the Year (1996)
Regular season	48-80-0
Postseason	1-1
Career record	49-81-0
Stats
Coaching stats	Pro Football Reference
Coaching stats	DatabaseFootball
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1972-1974 1975 1975-1976 1977 1978-1979 1980-1981 1982-1983 1984-1985 1986-1991 1992-1994 1995-1998 1999-2000 2002-2005 2006 2007 2008 2009-present	Kent State (Graduate Assistant) Washington (Graduate Assistant) Hawaii (Defensive Backs Coach) San José State (Defensive Backs Coach) California (Defensive Backs Coach) Tennessee (Defensive Backs Coach) Ohio State (Defensive Backs Coach) Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (Defensive Backs Coach) New Orleans Saints (Defensive Backs Coach) Pittsburgh Steelers (Defensive Coordinator) Carolina Panthers (Head Coach) Jacksonville Jaguars (Defensive Coordinator) Houston Texans (Head Coach) Miami Dolphins (Special Assistant to the Head Coach) Miami Dolphins (Defensive Coordinator) New England Patriots (Special Assistant/Secondary) Green Bay Packers (Defensive Coordinator)

Ernest Dominic "Dom" Capers (born August 7, 1950) is an American football coach, the current defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers, and the only man to serve two different National Football League expansion teams as their inaugural head coach.

Early years

After playing high school football for the Meadowbrook Colts in Byesville, Ohio Capers attended Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio where he played linebacker and defensive tackle. He is a brother of the Alpha Nu chapter of Alpha Tau Omega.

Coaching career

College

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kent State University and the University of Washington. Later he was an assistant coach at Hawaii, San Jose State, California, Tennessee and Ohio State.

Professional

After a stint in the USFL, he began his NFL career as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints and was named defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992, including a trip to the AFC Championship game in 1994. He remained with the Steelers until becoming head coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995. After 1995's 7–9 season, a record breaking mark for an expansion team, the Panthers went to the NFC Championship game in 1996. Continuing to spend against the salary cap, and eventually taking control of personnel matters in 1997, the Panthers went 7–9, followed by a dismal 4–12 season in 1998, at the end of which he was terminated.

After being let go from the Panthers, he served as an assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars until becoming the head coach of the expansion Houston Texans on January 21, 2001. After starting out 4–12 (2002) and 5–11 (2003) in his first two seasons in Houston, the Texans posted a 7–9 mark in 2004.

Capers was known for his abilities as a defensive coach, and for his conservative play-calling on offense. Several TV announcers were known to predict Texans plays on occasion. He was also famous because he kept a 17 hour per day work schedule and sleeping just five hours per night, often on a couch in his office.

The Texans announced in 2005 following their record of 2-14 that Capers would be fired January 2, 2006.

On January 23, 2006, the Miami Dolphins announced the hiring of Dom Capers as the team's defensive coordinator. There, he served as assistant head coach. With an annual salary of $2.6 million, Capers was the highest paid assistant coach in the NFL, alongside Washington Redskins assistant head coach Gregg Williams. On Thursday, January 3, 2008, Dom Capers was fired along with all offensive and defensive coaches. It was said that the new head coach may hire the assistants back.^[1]

On January 29, 2008, Capers interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys for the vacant linebackers coach position. It is rumored that he was offered the defensive coordinator or defensive consultant position.^[2]

On February 21, 2008, Capers was hired by the Patriots as their secondary coach/special assistant, replacing Joel Collier.

On January 19, 2009, Capers was named the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator by head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson, where he replaced the 4-3 defense Green Bay has used since 1992 with the 3-4 he used in Miami.^[3] Green Bay's defensive ranking in his first year improved to second in the league in 2009, from 21st in the league in 2008.^[4] In spite of being decimated by injuries in the 2010 season, Capers' defense finished the season ranked 2nd in scoring defense, 5th in total defense, 2nd in interceptions, 2nd in sacks, and 1st in opposing quarterback passer rating.^[5]

Head coaching record

Team	Year	Regular Season					Post Season
		Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
CAR	1995	7	9	0	.438	4th in NFC West	-	-	-	-
CAR	1996	12	4	0	.750	1st in NFC West	1	1	.500	Lost to Green Bay Packers in NFC Championship Game.
CAR	1997	7	9	0	.438	2nd in NFC West	-	-	-	-
CAR	1998	4	12	0	.250	4th in NFC West	-	-	-	-
CAR Total		30	34	0	.468		1	1	.500
HOU	2002	4	12	0	.250	4th in AFC South	-	-	-	-
HOU	2003	5	11	0	.312	4th in AFC South	-	-	-	-
HOU	2004	7	9	0	.437	3rd in AFC South	-	-	-	-
HOU	2005	2	14	0	.125	4th in AFC South	-	-	-	-
HOU Total		18	46	0	.281		-	-	-
Total[6]		48	80	0	.375		1	1	.500

References

1. ^ ESPN: Fins to make Capers highest-paid assistant
2. ^ Dallas Morning News: Dom Capers will interview with Dallas Cowboys
3. ^ http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/37856129.html
4. ^ http://www.coachescorner.com/n_input/nnweb/scores/header_nfl_def_rank.htm
5. ^ http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/112818184.html
6. ^ Dom Capers Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com

External links

• New England Patriots biography
• Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator Bio

Sporting positions
Preceded by Mark Hatley	New Orleans Saints Defensive Backs Coach 1986–1991	Succeeded by Jim L. Mora
Preceded by Dave Brazil	Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinator 1992–1994	Succeeded by Dick LeBeau
Preceded by Dick Jauron	Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Coordinator 1999–2000	Succeeded by Gary Moeller
Preceded by Richard Smith	Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator 2007	Succeeded by Paul Pasqualoni
Preceded by Bob Sanders	Green Bay Packers Defensive Coordinator 2009–present	Succeeded by current

Persondata
Name	Capers, Dom
Alternative names
Short description	American football player and coach
Date of birth	August 7, 1950
Place of birth	Cambridge, Ohio
Date of death
Place of death