NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A longtime NFL scout I know used to look forward to passing through Youngstown State.
From 2010 to 2018 Carmen Bricillo coached the offensive line there.
“When I went in asking about players, he would talk about schemes and techniques and then show film on how it was applied,” the scout said. “The details were impressive! His guys were 1-AA players who were worth looking at because they were so technical.”
New Titans offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo/ ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bricillo, the Titans’ new offensive line coach, had a hand in three Penguins linemen getting a look from the league as undrafted free agents. Lamar Mady played seven games for the 2013 Raiders. Chris Elkins was brought in by the 2014 Steelers, while Vitas Hrynkiewicz signed with the Rams in 2019.
Bricillo went from YSU to the Patriots, where he trained for a year under the legendary Dante Scarnecchia before taking over the line. He also coached the line with the Raiders and the Giants, where he worked for Brian Daboll, Tennessee’s new offensive coordinator.
He’s got a reputation as a great teacher who has been able to get a lot out of average personnel.
The Titans have better than that in Peter Skoronski and should also have better in JC Latham. Dan Moore fits in that average bucket and Lloyd Cushenberry may too if he’s back, while the future of Kevin Zeitler is currently unknown.
Bricillo is representative of something Robert Saleh said he is looking for out of all the members of his staff. Everyone should be able to have success with highly drafted players. He wants assistant coaches who can pull quality contributions out of later selections and undrafteds.
“You can’t have a team full of first-rounders,” Saleh said. “It’s the Day Three picks that really make up the meat of the roster and how we develop those young men to become key players to the success of this football team is everything.”
Bricillo coached the Raiders’ offensive line in 2022 and 2023. In his first season there, his starting line played 80 of 85 possible games, helping Josh Jacobs gain 1,653 yards with a 4.9-yard average and allowing just 2.1 sacks a game, eighth-best in the NFL. Derek Carr was the QB.
That line:
LT Kolton Miller — First-rounder
LG Dylan Parham — Third-rounder
C Andre James — Undrafted
RG Alex Bars — Undrafted
RT Jermaine Eluemunor — Fifth-rounder
“He’s the type of coach that is going to talk to every player in the locker room,” said Jason McCourty, the former Titans corner who overlapped with Bricillio in New England and is now a broadcaster for NBC. “Me as a DB, I would even have conversations with Carm about life and football.
“He’s a guy that linemen are going to gravitate towards and is someone who is going to build them up. I think it’s a good situation for him in Tennessee because there is a nice mix of veterans and young guys who he’ll be able to impact.”
Corey Levin crossed paths with Bricillo for just a week.
Released for the second time in a year, Levin joined the Patriots’ practice squad in September of 2020.
“I met with him extra a few times to learn the offense,” Levin said. “He seemed like a great guy who could connect with guys well. After my time off in the 2020 season, I got my foot back in the door with none other than… Robert Saleh and the NY Jets in April of 2021.”
I know a coach who’d worked with Bricillo.
He said he learned from Bricillo’s ability to explain strategy to players, something the coaching fraternity increasingly says is a key to getting production out of guys of this generation.
“He’s the best I’ve been around,” the coach said. “Let’s the players understand the whys behind everything — what the intent is and what is critical to the success of the play. Phenomenal teacher.”