Brian VanGorder left South Carolina to take the same job with the Atlanta Falcons.VanGorder spent last year as the Falcons’ linebackers coach.  Steve Spurrier hired him as co-ordinator last month during Week 15 of the NFL season.The Falcons hired Mike Smith as head coach on Wednesday. Smith replaced Bobby Petrino, who abruptly left the Falcons last month after just 13 games of a 4-12 season.VanGorder has held six jobs with four teams over the last five years.Petrino lost his defensive co-ordinator on Thursday when South Carolina hired him in the same capacity.Ellis Johnson left Petrino’s staff after just four weeks.

Mike McCarthy made a commitment to youth when he became coach of the Green Bay Packers in 2006. McCarthy stuck to it through the bad times.  He lost eight of his first 12 games but didn’t panic. With five of his nine draft picks in the starting lineup, the Packers won their final four games of the 2006 season to finish at .500. Green Bay expected to be a playoff contender in 2007.  McCarthy kept nine of his 2007 draft picks and 10 rookies total. He started three rookies in the season opener and the Packers went on a 4-0 tear to propel themselves to the top of the NFC North. Green Bay stayed there all season, finishing as the second seed in the NFC playoff bracket with a 13-3 record. That rookie class combined to start 31 games .

The Dolphins  will return with some assistants for new head coach Tony Sparano’s staff, and ousted Dolphins coach Cam Cameron could be on the verge of joining the Baltimore Ravens as their next offensive coordinator.Three Dallas Cowboys defensive assistants the Dolphins have had their eye on will become available Tuesday. Their contracts expired at the end of business today.The Cowboys reportedly have offered extensions to keep secondary coach Todd Bowles, linebackers coach Paul Pasqualoni and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers.Any or all could be officially reunited with Sparano as soon as Tuesday. Sparano was the Cowboys assistant head coach and offensive line assistant .As for the offensive side of the ball, longtime Bill Parcells associate Dan Henning has emerged as a candidate to be the next offensive coordinator.

Broncos fans would be able to sell their season tickets for any price they can fetch and to whomever they please under a bill sponsored by Sen. Lois Tochtrop. The Thornton Democrat said the bill was prompted by the Broncos’ crackdown last year on fans who were selling their season tickets online or through brokers. Fans selling their tickets through newspapers, the Internet or any other media could face losing their season tickets, the letter said. Tochtrop said the policy means even people trying to sell their tickets to neighbors or through the office bulletin board could lose their season tickets.