Report: Mike LaFleur, John Benton among 4 coaches joining Robert Saleh’s Jets staff
Robert Saleh is beginning to form his coaching staff.
The Jets’ head coach is taking two 49ers assistants with him to New York, according to NFL Network’s Michael Silver. Mike LaFleur, who was San Francisco’s passing game coordinator, will serve as Saleh’s offensive coordinator, while John Benton will take on the role of offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
LaFleur is the younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. The 33-year-old experienced a quick rise under Kyle Shanahan, serving as an offensive intern for him in Cleveland before becoming an offensive assistant in Atlanta. He then followed Shanahan to San Francisco, where he was the team’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2017-18. He dropped the wide receiver coach’s title in 2019 and 2020.
Benton has 33 years of coaching experience, including 16 seasons in the NFL. The new Jets offensive line coach just completed his fourth season in San Francisco. Benton’s notable achievements include serving as the Houston Texans offensive line coach from 2006-13, where his offensive line helped establish one of the NFL’s most potent offensive attacks. The Texans set franchise records for rushing yards (2,448) in 2011 and passing yards (4,564) and total offense (6,129 yards) in 2009.
Benton’s unit was instrumental in San Francisco’s march to the Super Bowl in 2019. The 49ers’ offense ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards per game (144.1) and fourth in the league in total offense (381.1 yards per game).
In addition, Silver also reported that former Falcons quarterbacks coach Gregg Knapp will join the Jets in the same role, while Broncos quality control coach Rob Calabrese will be New York’s passing game coordinator.
Knapp has significant NFL experience as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, including his work with Michael Vick in Atlanta from 2004-06. Knapp most recently served as the Falcons QB coach from 2018-20.
Calabrese has had a fast rise up the coaching ranks. The former college quarterback was the offensive coordinator at Wagner University before becoming an offensive quality control coach with Denver from 2019-20.
