Jim Bates (American football coach)

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**Jim Bates**

Date of Birth	May 31, 1946
Birthplace	Pontiac, Michigan
Current position	Assistant Head Coach for defense
Current Team	Denver Broncos
Previous Team	Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl wins as a coach	0
Years as NFL Player	0
Years as a Coach	37
Years as an NFL coach	14
Years with Current Team	None
Win-Loss Ratio	7-8

Jim Bates (born May 31, 1946, in Pontiac, Michigan) is an American football coach. He has coached in the college, USFL, and NFL ranks for close to 40 years.

His first head coaching job in the NFL came in 2004 when he was named interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins following the resignation of Dave Wannstedt. He went 3-4 (including a victory over the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots) with the underachieving Dolphins. When new head coach Nick Saban took over the team, it soon became clear that Bates was not part of his plans, and Bates took over the defensive coordinator job with the Green Bay Packers.

When Mike Sherman was fired by Packers General Manager Ted Thompson on January 2, 2006, Bates was offered the opportunity to interview for the head position. He interviewed on January 10 but was informed the next day the organization would be hiring San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy instead.

Bates took the news very hard. McCarthy met with him on January 15 in hopes of convincing him to stay with the organization. However, after two meetings between McCarthy and Bates, the team announced on January 16 that they would be parting ways.

In early January of 2007, Bates was signed on by the Denver Broncos to replace Larry Coyer as the defensive coordinator. However, Defensive Backs coach Bob Slowik was promoted to the defensive coordinator position (nominal), and Bates was named "Assistant Head Coach of Defense."

Bates' defensive scheme uses the defensive tackles to plug the middle, with the defensive ends pressuring the quarterback. Special emphasis is on the linebackers, as short, speedy LB's are especially fitted for this format. Linebacker Zach Thomas and defensive end Jason Taylor are among the players Bates developed in Miami. Bates is well-liked among players for being a fiery, energetic, demanding, yet fair and hands-on coach.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he now lives in Oneida, Wisconsin. His son, Jeremy, is an offensive assistant for the Denver Broncos. James, his oldest son, played linebacker for the 1996 national champion University of Florida Gators.

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