John DeFilippo

Coaching Record

Years Coached Record Win % Playoff record Playoff win %
17 109-163-1 40.11% 5-4 55.56%

Biography

Career Summary

John DeFilippo was a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2021, finishing his career as the offensive pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach of the Chicago Bears. Over his seventeen years of coaching his teams compiled a cumulative win/loss record of 109-163-1.

Personal Information

DeFilippo was born on Wednesday, April 12, 1978 in Youngstown, Ohio.

Table of Contents

Playing Career

John DeFilippo’s football career was greatly influenced by his father Gene, who spent years as a coach and athletic director. It was when his dad was serving as AD at Villanova University, in Philadelphia, that John played the quarterback position at Radnor High School. Upon graduation from high school, in 1996, John entered college at James Madison University. Here he would play in three seasons for The Dukes. In his senior season as a backup quarterback at James Madison, he saw action in 11 games. While his senior stats as a backup weren’t necessarily impressive, completing 8 of his 18 attempted passes for 90 total yards, it was enough to help his team compile an 8-4 record that year, winning the Atlantic 10 title, and gaining a spot in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. It wasn’t so much his playing that would shape his future career in his time at James Madison but the fact that he spent two of his summers serving as an intern for two NFL teams.

NFL Coaching Internships

Carolina Panthers

In the summer of 1997, while attending James Madison University, DeFilippo decided to expand his knowledge of football while extending his network of coaching connections. He sought ought NFL internships and settled on the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers were coming off a 12-4 season in 1996, their third season in the league. "Flip" would be working under John Shoop, the quarterbacks coach of the Panthers under head coach Dom Capers.

Indianapolis Colts

In the summer of 1998,DeFilippo decided once again to intern with an NFL team. This time with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts were coached by Jim Mora, Sr. and were struggling. Ultimately, however, it would lead to their being able to choose Peyton Manning in the draft that would change the face of the franchise forever. In 2000, armed with a Bachelor’s Degree in speech communications with an emphasis on public relations and his taste of interning in the NFL, John DeFilippo began his coaching career.

Coaching Career

Coaching in College

Fordham University

DeFilippo’s first foray into coaching began at Fordham University when he was 22 years old. Then head coach Dave Clawson, gave John his opportunity working with his squad based on previous relationships Clawson had with John and his father. This “favor” of hiring John DeFilippo, mainly to take care of mundane tasks, would soon have the Fordham coach declaring that “John has a gift.” “Flip”, as he was known to close associates, was spending time with quarterbacks weightlifting, reviewing video and going over plays incessantly. He was detail oriented and focused. He called out an underachieving starting quarterback in Kevin Eakin and helped inspire him to lead Fordham to 17 wins in two years. But “Flip” wouldn’t see Eakin graduate as after just one year at Fordham, John was on to bigger things. The relationships his father had built and he continued to nurture, would continue to play a role in his coaching career.

Notre Dame

Now, still just 23 years old, DeFilippo decided to move to Notre Dame as a Graduate Assistant with the storied program. In that 2001 season with the Bob Davie’s led Fighting Irish, DeFilippo helped in coaching the wide receivers and tight ends. The next year he assisted Ty Willingham in working with the quarterbacks. Just a year later he would be making his next move.

Columbia

From 2003 to 2004, DeFilippo worked as Bob Shoop’s quarterback coach at Columbia. With DeFilippo back in New York at Columbia, it took only two years before he caught the attention of the NFL’s New York Giants.

Coaching in the NFL

New York Giants

It was 2005 when DeFilippo took an offensive quality control position with the Giants. This time, he would be working under head coach Tom Coughlin. The position didn’t have the authority of being a quarterbacks coach, but it marked DeFilippo’s return to the NFL, added to his resume, and exposed him to the experience of another head coach with a long football resume.

Oakland Raiders

Just two years later the Las Vegas Raiders offered DeFilippo their job as a quarterback coach in 2007. It was under Lane Kiffin's tenure and in spite of a rocky regime, DeFilippo kept his position even after the Raider’s in-season head coaching change to Tom Cable in 2008. The end of that 2008 season however saw the Raider’s purge their entire staff. He would end up back in the Big Apple.

New York Jets

In 2009, DeFilippo’s return to New York was not as quarterback coach, but as assistant quarterback coach. After the house-cleaning in Oakland his position with the New York Jets was not perfect but it was the NFL. It would also lead to his first meeting with then offensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who earned DeFilippo’s respect quickly for how he could command a room. DeFilippo was also impressed with Pettine’s offensive knowledge. The two would meet later in their careers.

A Return to College Football

San Jose State

In 2010, DeFilippo returned to college football when he took a position as quarterback coach at San Jose State. The next year he would become became offensive coordinator. That season, his second at San Jose State, the team’s offense rose 32 spots in the national rankings. His return to the NFL was imminent.

Return to the NFL

Oakland Raiders

What seemed improbable just a few years earlier happened in 2012 with John’s return as quarterback coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. DeFilippo career in Oakland saw him spending time coaching quarterbacks like Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, Matt McGloin and Derek Carr. He is credited particularly for his work with Derek Carr, who, as a rookie, tossed for more than 3,200 yards. Carr was also able to complete 21 touchdowns (most among NFL rookies) against just 12 interceptions. DeFilippo was building his resume and his NFL contacts. That would pay off again in 2015, with a position that would give him his most responsibility yet.

Cleveland Browns

On January 21, 2015, John DeFilippo’s career would take a big step. He was named offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns by Mike Pettine, who he met during his time with the New York Jets. Pettine remembered the hard working young man on the offensive side of the ball years earlier and tapped him to replace Kyle Shanahan. This will prove to be both a challenge and the greatest opportunity for the hard-working coach.

Defilippo will be charged with taking on a Brown’s offense without a clear-cut leader. The Browns have journeyman quarterback Josh McKown who is coming off a 1-10 season with Tampa Bay. They also have the much ballyhooed Johnny Manziel who is coming off a disappointing NFL debut and rehab. The Browns also happen to have quarterback-turned- receiver Terrelle Pryor, who DeFilippo molded into a serviceable quarterback in Oakland.

History

Year Position Record Playoff record
2021 Chicago Bears Offensive Pass Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach 6-11-0 0-0
2020 Chicago Bears Quarterbacks Coach 8-8-0 0-1
2019 Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Coordinator 6-10-0 0-0
2018 Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator 8-7-1 0-0
2017 Philadelphia Eagles Quarterbacks Coach 13-3-0 3-0
2016 Philadelphia Eagles Quarterbacks Coach 7-9-0 0-0
2015 Cleveland Browns Offensive Coordinator 3-13-0 0-0
2014 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 3-13-0 0-0
2013 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 4-12-0 0-0
2012 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 4-12-0 0-0
2009 New York Jets Assistant Quarterbacks Coach 9-7-0 2-1
2008 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 5-11-0 0-0
2007 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 4-12-0 0-0
2006 New York Giants Offensive Quality Control Coach 8-8-0 0-1
2005 New York Giants Offensive Quality Control Coach 11-5-0 0-1
1998 Indianapolis Colts Summer Intern 3-13-0 0-0
1997 Carolina Panthers Summer Intern 7-9-0 0-0

Coach history guide

Seasons with a championship win Seasons with a conference championship

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