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https://larrybrownsports.com/football/10-nfl-coaches-fired-black-monday/477822
10 NFL coaches who could be fired on Black Monday
by Dan Benton
This year, as many as 10 coaches could be sent on their way, joining two who have already been sent packing in Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns) and Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers). Here’s a look at the 10 head coaches or coordinators who could be given the boot only days after Christmas.
10. Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
This space could have just as easily gone to Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, but early indications are that he’ll return to the team in 2019. That leaves Doug Marrone, who is also likely to return in 2019, but he may be on shakier ground than Rivera. The Jaguars opened the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but have completely fallen apart.
They’ve gone 2-9 over the last 11 games, falling out of contention and once again looking like bottom of the NFL barrel. And with Tom Coughlin still calling most of the shots, that sort of futility will not stand for very long. If Marrone is brought back in 2019, it could be his last hurrah unless he manages to win 10 games and return to the playoffs.
9. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
It wasn’t all that long ago the Washington Redskins were leading the NFC East and looked like a shoo-in for the playoffs. Three quarterbacks later, the Redskins are losers of five of their last six games, have lost their stranglehold on the NFC East, have been eliminated from the playoffs and will barely hold off the New York Giants to avoid a basement finish.
And following their latest crushing loss, safety D.J. Swearinger ripped defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and the coaching staff, leading to his release. But the veteran’s outburst and subsequent release shouldn’t be swept under the rug as it raises a huge red flag — a fractured locker-room and the beginning of a revolt against those in charge. Things are toxic in DC, and Gruden may pay the ultimate consequences as a result.
8. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
Tempers were already beginning to boil in Miami even prior to a Week 16 loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, but that embarrassing display just pushed things over the edge. After starting the season off hot, the Dolphins have since collapsed save for a last-second fluke upset victory over the New England Patriots, and as a result, vice president Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Adam Gase may suffer the consequences.
After finishing at 10-6 as a rookie head coach in 2016, Gase’s Dolphins have gone 13-18 since, dropping his coaching record below .500. That may cost him his job in a win-now league. Whether or not Gase gets another shot elsewhere remains to be seen, but his first head coaching stint could be ending after Week 17.
7. Steve Sarkisian, Atlanta Falcons
No, Steve Sarkisian is not a head coach. He’s the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, but the reality is that Dan Quinn will not be fired and someone may need to take the fall for an ugly season in Atlanta. That will likely be Sarkisian, whose offense, despite being stocked with incredible talent, will finish near the middle of the pack when the season ends and has managed over 20 points just twice since Week 9.
The fall from grace has been dramatic and swift, both on the road and at home, which not only cost the Falcons a chance at the playoffs, but really calls into question their overall direction entering 2019. Quinn will likely survive this go-around, but Sarkisian may not.
6. Ron Zook, Green Bay Packers
If you think fans only clamor for head coaches to be replaced, you’d be wrong. Those in Green Bay cannot wait for Zook to be fired as the Packers’ special teams coach. He’s in his fifth season with the Packers and fourth as their special teams coordinator. Last week’s overtime win over the Jets wouldn’t have been as close if not for all the mistakes by Zook’s units, which included terrible kick and punt coverage, and fumbles.
The Packers are allowing 25.6 yards per kick return (4th worst in the league), one of only five teams to allow a kick return for a TD, and they’re in the bottom part of the league for yards gained per punt and kickoff return. He deserves to be fired.
5. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
Marvin Lewis is always an interesting name when the Black Monday rolls around because he always seems like a coach who could be cut loose, but never is. 2018 will be no different as the Bengals have once again faded into mediocrity, this time even finding themselves in the AFC North basement behind the Cleveland Browns.
The decision to bring on Hue Jackson seems like a poor one, as they’ve gone 1-6 since his arrival, and that doesn’t even take into account Lewis’ playoff record. For reference, the Bengals have won a grand total of zero playoff games (0-7) during his 16 years as head coach. There is speculation that Lewis could walk away from the team after the season.
4. Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dirk Koetter could have very well topped this list, but the Buccaneers aren’t exactly keen on further shakeups. Additionally, quarterback Jameis Winston and other players have spoken out publicly in favor of Koetter, saying they’d like to have their coach back in 2019. Tampa Bay may very well oblige, but that decision has not yet been made.
In the meantime, Koetter remains on the hot seat and could find himself on the chopping block if the Buccaneers are blown out in Week 17 and sent home for the season with a 5-11 for the second consecutive year. Either way, Koetter represents a true 50/50 coin flip come Black Monday — he could get one final opportunity or the Bucs could move on.
3. Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos
Vance Joseph will likely be fired at the conclusion of the season, with an ugly loss on Monday night perhaps cementing his fate. Quarterback issues have plagued Joseph’s two short seasons in Denver, and it very nearly cost him his job a year ago before the franchise gave him a second shot.
Reports suggest that John Elway & Co. already have their sights set on John Harbaugh, should he become available, but either way, Joseph is not the future. Instead, he’ll probably hit the market and could end up serving as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals or another team.
2. Steve Wilks, Arizona Cardinals
Leading up to Week 16, expectations for Steve Wilks’ future were somewhat mixed. He is a first-year head coach after all, but his rookie campaign not only failed to live up to the hype, but has been a complete disaster from top to bottom. And following the team’s 12th loss of the season, it was reported that the Cardinals will part ways with Wilks at the conclusion of the season.
That means he’ll be handed his walking papers immediately after the team’s Week 17 game or will be among the first fired on the morning of Black Monday. Either way, his Cardinals tenure will end much sooner than anticipated. If they finish the season with a 3-13 record, it will match the team’s worst record since moving from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988.
1. Todd Bowles, New York Jets
Todd Bowles insists he’s not worried about his future with the Jets, but the reality is, he should be. Expectations were that he’d be fired weeks ago, but owner Woody Johnson has held off for now. That said, the writing is on the wall and Bowles’ exit from East Rutherford appears inevitable.
Already there have been rumors about potential interest in Jim Harbaugh — something the Jets have publicly denied — and that’s likely just the beginning. And while they will appear true to Bowles for at least another week, his name is one of many that will appear in the headlines come Black Monday, fair or unfair.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/12/27/nfl-coaching-rumors-2019-browns-jets-buccaneers-dolphins-ravens
A Quick Spin on the Coaching Carousel: 10 Nuggets as Black Monday Looms
By ALBERT BREER
Let’s do some math.
Since the year the current CBA was agreed to—a CBA that led to new TV deals, which showered owners in disposable cash with which to pay plenty of fired coaches—there have been 57 head-coaching changes (not including interim coaching switches) over eight hiring cycles. Only six clubs (New England, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Seattle) haven’t hired coaches over that span.
That adds up to 26 teams accounting for more than two coaching changes per team since 2011. Take that, and you may be able to guess the affect on the candidate pool.
It’s been sapped dry.
The effect has forced teams in recent years to take chances on younger or less experienced candidates. It’s worked out in some cases, as with Sean McVay in Los Angeles. It hasn’t in others, as seems to be the case with Vance Joseph in Denver. And this is looking like the year that the destabilization of the NFL coaching ranks approaches its nadir.
One prominent agent said he regards the 2019 crop of prospective head coaches the weakest he’s seen in decades. That situation, I’m told, was part of the reason Baltimore slammed the brakes on the persistent buzz that it would part ways with John Harbaugh after the season. Why make a change, after all, when the most attractive candidate for an opening is already on your payroll?
So this is the backdrop to all the movement coming over the next week. Some teams may look at the landscape and decide to give their coach a stay of execution. Others will get creative with their coaching searches. And teams will take chances, like the Rams and Broncos did two years ago, or like the Titans and Cardinals did in 2018 on one-year defensive coordinators who’ve since gone in divergent directions.
But we’re starting with the 2019 NFL hiring cycle, one arriving to more uncertainty and unusual twists than any I can remember in the past. There’s no obvious belle-of-the-ball candidate. The closest thing is probably a guy who’s coaching in college (Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley). What you do have is a number of candidates the casual fan isn’t aware of, and others they might not be too inspired by.
That said, hope exists. Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll weren’t the most popular hires in 2000 or 2010, respectively, and both of them have been OK. Asshole Face, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh weren’t exactly brand-name candidates ahead of landing their jobs, which all three have held for more than a decade. Each of those five coaches, in case you didn’t pick up on it, has won Super Bowls. And their teams, as a result, have been spared taking part in the explosion of New CBA coaching tumult.
OK, so if you’re not so lucky, and your team is out there looking? Or you just want to know what’s happening? Here’s the word around the NFL campfire:
• The Harbaugh announcement reset the plans of several teams, including the Jets and Broncos (with the Dolphins having lurked as a potential suitor for the Ravens’ coach). So do the teams that coveted Harbaugh take their ball and go home?
I’d say … not until Harbaugh actually signs his extension. As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has pointed out, it’s not hard to see a scenario in which someone goes to Baltimore with draft picks. Which would make good sense, given that Harbaugh is still regarded as a top-tier head coach in NFL circle.
• Another one to watch in that regard could be Miami’s Adam Gase. If EVP Mike Tannenbaum takes the fall (we told you Monday, it’d be a shocker if both Gase and Tannenbaum survive), Gase and GM Chris Grier could remain. So do the Dolphins just elevate Grier in responsibility or find someone to replace Tannenbaum? If they take latter route, would they dig into Gase’s power (i.e. control over the 53-man roster) to lure that someone—a move that would require adjusting Gase’s contract and open the door for him to look at other jobs?
I’m told other clubs are monitoring this one. It’s not crazy to think a team like Cleveland, which tried to interview Gase on the recommendation of Jimmy Haslam’s buddy Peyton Manning in 2014, then did interview him in ‘16, could lie in the weeds, with Baker Mayfield as bait. Again, if it’s Gase and Grier’s show, this is status quo. But some change could bring more change.
• As for the Browns and what I believe, again, is a wide-open search, remember that Jimmy and Dee Haslam have kicked the tires on a lot of coaches over the last few years. Gase was one they liked. Another: Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The big question on McDaniels would be more about how he’d mesh with GM John Dorsey.
• The ouster of Bucs coach Dirk Koetter has been considered a forgone conclusion since September, but there’s been chatter over the last couple weeks that this one isn’t quite over yet. I’ve heard Tampa wants to make a splashy hire, if they are going to go get a new coach, which contextualizes Mike McCarthy’s name being connected to the job.
If that’s not there for them? Maybe Koetter survives. A big issue, though, is that the vast majority of Koetter’s assistants are on expiring contracts, so Tampa would need to commit to those guys for another two years, and all of them would have the chance to leave on their own volition if they saw Koetter as a lame duck going into 2019.
• Speaking of McCarthy, the Jets are another team to watch there. They’ve done their research on ex-Packers coach. And even though there might some question about fit in the New York market, my expectation is that McCarthy will be under consideration there next week.
He and ex-Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, both of whom have coached in the Super Bowl, are examples of coaches on the other end of the spectrum—given the lack of hot young names on the market, some teams will value experience and the ability to assemble a staff over the chance to catch lightning in a bottle. In the case of McCarthy and Caldwell, there’s also the benefit of both having background coaching the quarterback position, and having done so with all-time greats.
• Regarding assistants, there could be some interesting offensive coordinator movement, and a name at the top of that list is right off Koetter’s staff. Per sources, Bucs OC Todd Monken’s contract is up. And I believe he’ll be a hot candidate for coordinator openings, and even could get an interview or two at the head-coaching level. His creativity and blending of college and pro concepts have more than a couple teams intrigued.
• Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter is another coordinator on an expiring contract who could look around—and will garner interest. The marriage with Matt Patricia hasn’t been perfect, and other teams seem willing to chalk up the Detroit offense’s decline in production to that reality. If Cooter bolts, Patricia does have a QBs coach with coordinator experience on staff, in George Godsey, if he doesn’t turn to a vet he has a background with, like ex-Patriots OC Charlie Weis.
• There’s a persistent drumbeat out there on potential changes coming in Atlanta at some level. Yes, Dan Quinn is safe. But changes on his staff seem inevitable at this point.
• College coaches will be in the mix, even though that interest is usually kept quiet (with recruiting concerns a reason why). Lincoln Riley, as we said, will have opportunity—and past just this year, which should enable him to pick his spot. (And he’s already got one of the best jobs in the sport, so there’s no need to rush.) I’d expect Iowa State’s Matt Campbell’s name to surface in more than one place—a couple people on the scouting trail brought his name to me in September, and I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback on him since.
He’s a Northeast Ohio native (he’s actually from the same town as Paul Brown), so Cleveland would certainly be interesting, and he’s the type of hire that may allow the Browns to make a run at holding on to Freddie Kitchens. Other college coaches to watch who have an interest in the NFL are Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Baylor’s Matt Rhule. And I wouldn’t be stunned to see Florida’s Dan Mullen, who is said to have NFL aspirations, start to pop up somewhere along the line.
• Two college names that I’ve learned to group together, while we’re there—Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Stanford’s David Shaw. Both have won in places that have unique challenges. Both are coaching at their alma mater. Both are well compensated, loved and happy in regions where they have deep roots in. Both can win eight or nine games a year with their college teams and be celebrated for it.
And both have garnered more than a little interest from the NFL. That’s a long way of saying a lot of NFL teams love those guys, but it’d take a lot to lure them to leave what they’ve got now. Maybe the presence of ex-Northwestern AD Mark Murphy in Green Bay—Murphy hired Fitzgerald as head coach at NU—will be enough to coax Fitzgerald to the NFL. I just wouldn’t count on it.
This much we know: There aren’t easy answers for teams that are looking.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/12/24/n...agles-coaching-rumors-2019-draft-mmqb-week-16
AS THE CAROUSEL SPINS …
• Panthers GM Marty Hurney has built a good rapport with new owner David Tepper, I’m told, and so he and coach Ron Rivera are very likely to get at least another year. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that someone could be added to football ops. Tepper’s shown a keen awareness in the area of football analytics, so maybe that’s where a hire is made.
• At the very least, with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich not quite ready for the role he was thrust into in October, the Cardinals will make major changes to its offensive staff. And there’s a pretty decent chance that owner Michael Bidwill goes beyond just that. First-year coach Steve Wilks is in peril. It remains to be seen whether or not GM Steve Keim is, too.
• If Keim is out in Arizona, word is that he’ll be a top candidate for the GM job with the Raiders, who would prefer to bring in an experienced personnel man.
• The Buccaneers are a little like Arizona in that word has held that the coach, Dirk Koettter, is likely to be gone, particularly with a staff full of assistants on expiring deals, but the situation of GM Jason Licht seems to be murkier. This job is the one that ex-Packers coach Mike McCarthyhas been connected most to.
• The Dolphins will almost certainly have change at some level. I’d be surprised if both EVP Mike Tannenbaum and coach Adam Gase are back, and a total blowup is not out of the question. If Gase survives, it’s a decent bet that GM Chris Grier would too, with perhaps added authority.
• The Packers’ search is underway, and the one name that multiple folks brought up over the last week was Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was hired into that job by Green Bay president/ex-NU AD Mark Murphy. Murphy’s running the show here, with half-dozen execs, including GM Brian Gutekunst, working with him.
• I’m told the Browns’ process will be absolutely wide open.
• Vance Joseph is all but done in Denver. As we’ve mentioned at a few points over the last few months, Broncos GM John Elway dove deep into offensive trends in the college game during the fall. So an outside-the-box hire wouldn’t be out of the question, assuming the scenario of John Harbaugh coming over, with Gary Kubiak as OC, is now dead.
• As for the Bengals, there’s been talk that owner Mike Brown could take one more run at it with Marvin Lewis in charge in 2019, before Brown cedes more control of the team than he already has to his children after next season. Brown is 83. Joseph’s name has popped up in recent weeks as a potential heir to Lewis, since the Brown family has coveted familiarity in their hires (Joseph was DBs coach in Cincinnati in 2014-15).
10 NFL coaches who could be fired on Black Monday
by Dan Benton
This year, as many as 10 coaches could be sent on their way, joining two who have already been sent packing in Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns) and Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers). Here’s a look at the 10 head coaches or coordinators who could be given the boot only days after Christmas.
10. Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
This space could have just as easily gone to Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, but early indications are that he’ll return to the team in 2019. That leaves Doug Marrone, who is also likely to return in 2019, but he may be on shakier ground than Rivera. The Jaguars opened the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but have completely fallen apart.
They’ve gone 2-9 over the last 11 games, falling out of contention and once again looking like bottom of the NFL barrel. And with Tom Coughlin still calling most of the shots, that sort of futility will not stand for very long. If Marrone is brought back in 2019, it could be his last hurrah unless he manages to win 10 games and return to the playoffs.
9. Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
It wasn’t all that long ago the Washington Redskins were leading the NFC East and looked like a shoo-in for the playoffs. Three quarterbacks later, the Redskins are losers of five of their last six games, have lost their stranglehold on the NFC East, have been eliminated from the playoffs and will barely hold off the New York Giants to avoid a basement finish.
And following their latest crushing loss, safety D.J. Swearinger ripped defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and the coaching staff, leading to his release. But the veteran’s outburst and subsequent release shouldn’t be swept under the rug as it raises a huge red flag — a fractured locker-room and the beginning of a revolt against those in charge. Things are toxic in DC, and Gruden may pay the ultimate consequences as a result.
8. Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
Tempers were already beginning to boil in Miami even prior to a Week 16 loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, but that embarrassing display just pushed things over the edge. After starting the season off hot, the Dolphins have since collapsed save for a last-second fluke upset victory over the New England Patriots, and as a result, vice president Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Adam Gase may suffer the consequences.
After finishing at 10-6 as a rookie head coach in 2016, Gase’s Dolphins have gone 13-18 since, dropping his coaching record below .500. That may cost him his job in a win-now league. Whether or not Gase gets another shot elsewhere remains to be seen, but his first head coaching stint could be ending after Week 17.
7. Steve Sarkisian, Atlanta Falcons
No, Steve Sarkisian is not a head coach. He’s the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, but the reality is that Dan Quinn will not be fired and someone may need to take the fall for an ugly season in Atlanta. That will likely be Sarkisian, whose offense, despite being stocked with incredible talent, will finish near the middle of the pack when the season ends and has managed over 20 points just twice since Week 9.
The fall from grace has been dramatic and swift, both on the road and at home, which not only cost the Falcons a chance at the playoffs, but really calls into question their overall direction entering 2019. Quinn will likely survive this go-around, but Sarkisian may not.
6. Ron Zook, Green Bay Packers
If you think fans only clamor for head coaches to be replaced, you’d be wrong. Those in Green Bay cannot wait for Zook to be fired as the Packers’ special teams coach. He’s in his fifth season with the Packers and fourth as their special teams coordinator. Last week’s overtime win over the Jets wouldn’t have been as close if not for all the mistakes by Zook’s units, which included terrible kick and punt coverage, and fumbles.
The Packers are allowing 25.6 yards per kick return (4th worst in the league), one of only five teams to allow a kick return for a TD, and they’re in the bottom part of the league for yards gained per punt and kickoff return. He deserves to be fired.
5. Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
Marvin Lewis is always an interesting name when the Black Monday rolls around because he always seems like a coach who could be cut loose, but never is. 2018 will be no different as the Bengals have once again faded into mediocrity, this time even finding themselves in the AFC North basement behind the Cleveland Browns.
The decision to bring on Hue Jackson seems like a poor one, as they’ve gone 1-6 since his arrival, and that doesn’t even take into account Lewis’ playoff record. For reference, the Bengals have won a grand total of zero playoff games (0-7) during his 16 years as head coach. There is speculation that Lewis could walk away from the team after the season.
4. Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dirk Koetter could have very well topped this list, but the Buccaneers aren’t exactly keen on further shakeups. Additionally, quarterback Jameis Winston and other players have spoken out publicly in favor of Koetter, saying they’d like to have their coach back in 2019. Tampa Bay may very well oblige, but that decision has not yet been made.
In the meantime, Koetter remains on the hot seat and could find himself on the chopping block if the Buccaneers are blown out in Week 17 and sent home for the season with a 5-11 for the second consecutive year. Either way, Koetter represents a true 50/50 coin flip come Black Monday — he could get one final opportunity or the Bucs could move on.
3. Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos
Vance Joseph will likely be fired at the conclusion of the season, with an ugly loss on Monday night perhaps cementing his fate. Quarterback issues have plagued Joseph’s two short seasons in Denver, and it very nearly cost him his job a year ago before the franchise gave him a second shot.
Reports suggest that John Elway & Co. already have their sights set on John Harbaugh, should he become available, but either way, Joseph is not the future. Instead, he’ll probably hit the market and could end up serving as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals or another team.
2. Steve Wilks, Arizona Cardinals
Leading up to Week 16, expectations for Steve Wilks’ future were somewhat mixed. He is a first-year head coach after all, but his rookie campaign not only failed to live up to the hype, but has been a complete disaster from top to bottom. And following the team’s 12th loss of the season, it was reported that the Cardinals will part ways with Wilks at the conclusion of the season.
That means he’ll be handed his walking papers immediately after the team’s Week 17 game or will be among the first fired on the morning of Black Monday. Either way, his Cardinals tenure will end much sooner than anticipated. If they finish the season with a 3-13 record, it will match the team’s worst record since moving from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988.
1. Todd Bowles, New York Jets
Todd Bowles insists he’s not worried about his future with the Jets, but the reality is, he should be. Expectations were that he’d be fired weeks ago, but owner Woody Johnson has held off for now. That said, the writing is on the wall and Bowles’ exit from East Rutherford appears inevitable.
Already there have been rumors about potential interest in Jim Harbaugh — something the Jets have publicly denied — and that’s likely just the beginning. And while they will appear true to Bowles for at least another week, his name is one of many that will appear in the headlines come Black Monday, fair or unfair.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/12/27/nfl-coaching-rumors-2019-browns-jets-buccaneers-dolphins-ravens
A Quick Spin on the Coaching Carousel: 10 Nuggets as Black Monday Looms
By ALBERT BREER
Let’s do some math.
Since the year the current CBA was agreed to—a CBA that led to new TV deals, which showered owners in disposable cash with which to pay plenty of fired coaches—there have been 57 head-coaching changes (not including interim coaching switches) over eight hiring cycles. Only six clubs (New England, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Seattle) haven’t hired coaches over that span.
That adds up to 26 teams accounting for more than two coaching changes per team since 2011. Take that, and you may be able to guess the affect on the candidate pool.
It’s been sapped dry.
The effect has forced teams in recent years to take chances on younger or less experienced candidates. It’s worked out in some cases, as with Sean McVay in Los Angeles. It hasn’t in others, as seems to be the case with Vance Joseph in Denver. And this is looking like the year that the destabilization of the NFL coaching ranks approaches its nadir.
One prominent agent said he regards the 2019 crop of prospective head coaches the weakest he’s seen in decades. That situation, I’m told, was part of the reason Baltimore slammed the brakes on the persistent buzz that it would part ways with John Harbaugh after the season. Why make a change, after all, when the most attractive candidate for an opening is already on your payroll?
So this is the backdrop to all the movement coming over the next week. Some teams may look at the landscape and decide to give their coach a stay of execution. Others will get creative with their coaching searches. And teams will take chances, like the Rams and Broncos did two years ago, or like the Titans and Cardinals did in 2018 on one-year defensive coordinators who’ve since gone in divergent directions.
But we’re starting with the 2019 NFL hiring cycle, one arriving to more uncertainty and unusual twists than any I can remember in the past. There’s no obvious belle-of-the-ball candidate. The closest thing is probably a guy who’s coaching in college (Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley). What you do have is a number of candidates the casual fan isn’t aware of, and others they might not be too inspired by.
That said, hope exists. Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll weren’t the most popular hires in 2000 or 2010, respectively, and both of them have been OK. Asshole Face, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh weren’t exactly brand-name candidates ahead of landing their jobs, which all three have held for more than a decade. Each of those five coaches, in case you didn’t pick up on it, has won Super Bowls. And their teams, as a result, have been spared taking part in the explosion of New CBA coaching tumult.
OK, so if you’re not so lucky, and your team is out there looking? Or you just want to know what’s happening? Here’s the word around the NFL campfire:
• The Harbaugh announcement reset the plans of several teams, including the Jets and Broncos (with the Dolphins having lurked as a potential suitor for the Ravens’ coach). So do the teams that coveted Harbaugh take their ball and go home?
I’d say … not until Harbaugh actually signs his extension. As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has pointed out, it’s not hard to see a scenario in which someone goes to Baltimore with draft picks. Which would make good sense, given that Harbaugh is still regarded as a top-tier head coach in NFL circle.
• Another one to watch in that regard could be Miami’s Adam Gase. If EVP Mike Tannenbaum takes the fall (we told you Monday, it’d be a shocker if both Gase and Tannenbaum survive), Gase and GM Chris Grier could remain. So do the Dolphins just elevate Grier in responsibility or find someone to replace Tannenbaum? If they take latter route, would they dig into Gase’s power (i.e. control over the 53-man roster) to lure that someone—a move that would require adjusting Gase’s contract and open the door for him to look at other jobs?
I’m told other clubs are monitoring this one. It’s not crazy to think a team like Cleveland, which tried to interview Gase on the recommendation of Jimmy Haslam’s buddy Peyton Manning in 2014, then did interview him in ‘16, could lie in the weeds, with Baker Mayfield as bait. Again, if it’s Gase and Grier’s show, this is status quo. But some change could bring more change.
• As for the Browns and what I believe, again, is a wide-open search, remember that Jimmy and Dee Haslam have kicked the tires on a lot of coaches over the last few years. Gase was one they liked. Another: Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The big question on McDaniels would be more about how he’d mesh with GM John Dorsey.
• The ouster of Bucs coach Dirk Koetter has been considered a forgone conclusion since September, but there’s been chatter over the last couple weeks that this one isn’t quite over yet. I’ve heard Tampa wants to make a splashy hire, if they are going to go get a new coach, which contextualizes Mike McCarthy’s name being connected to the job.
If that’s not there for them? Maybe Koetter survives. A big issue, though, is that the vast majority of Koetter’s assistants are on expiring contracts, so Tampa would need to commit to those guys for another two years, and all of them would have the chance to leave on their own volition if they saw Koetter as a lame duck going into 2019.
• Speaking of McCarthy, the Jets are another team to watch there. They’ve done their research on ex-Packers coach. And even though there might some question about fit in the New York market, my expectation is that McCarthy will be under consideration there next week.
He and ex-Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, both of whom have coached in the Super Bowl, are examples of coaches on the other end of the spectrum—given the lack of hot young names on the market, some teams will value experience and the ability to assemble a staff over the chance to catch lightning in a bottle. In the case of McCarthy and Caldwell, there’s also the benefit of both having background coaching the quarterback position, and having done so with all-time greats.
• Regarding assistants, there could be some interesting offensive coordinator movement, and a name at the top of that list is right off Koetter’s staff. Per sources, Bucs OC Todd Monken’s contract is up. And I believe he’ll be a hot candidate for coordinator openings, and even could get an interview or two at the head-coaching level. His creativity and blending of college and pro concepts have more than a couple teams intrigued.
• Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter is another coordinator on an expiring contract who could look around—and will garner interest. The marriage with Matt Patricia hasn’t been perfect, and other teams seem willing to chalk up the Detroit offense’s decline in production to that reality. If Cooter bolts, Patricia does have a QBs coach with coordinator experience on staff, in George Godsey, if he doesn’t turn to a vet he has a background with, like ex-Patriots OC Charlie Weis.
• There’s a persistent drumbeat out there on potential changes coming in Atlanta at some level. Yes, Dan Quinn is safe. But changes on his staff seem inevitable at this point.
• College coaches will be in the mix, even though that interest is usually kept quiet (with recruiting concerns a reason why). Lincoln Riley, as we said, will have opportunity—and past just this year, which should enable him to pick his spot. (And he’s already got one of the best jobs in the sport, so there’s no need to rush.) I’d expect Iowa State’s Matt Campbell’s name to surface in more than one place—a couple people on the scouting trail brought his name to me in September, and I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback on him since.
He’s a Northeast Ohio native (he’s actually from the same town as Paul Brown), so Cleveland would certainly be interesting, and he’s the type of hire that may allow the Browns to make a run at holding on to Freddie Kitchens. Other college coaches to watch who have an interest in the NFL are Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Baylor’s Matt Rhule. And I wouldn’t be stunned to see Florida’s Dan Mullen, who is said to have NFL aspirations, start to pop up somewhere along the line.
• Two college names that I’ve learned to group together, while we’re there—Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Stanford’s David Shaw. Both have won in places that have unique challenges. Both are coaching at their alma mater. Both are well compensated, loved and happy in regions where they have deep roots in. Both can win eight or nine games a year with their college teams and be celebrated for it.
And both have garnered more than a little interest from the NFL. That’s a long way of saying a lot of NFL teams love those guys, but it’d take a lot to lure them to leave what they’ve got now. Maybe the presence of ex-Northwestern AD Mark Murphy in Green Bay—Murphy hired Fitzgerald as head coach at NU—will be enough to coax Fitzgerald to the NFL. I just wouldn’t count on it.
This much we know: There aren’t easy answers for teams that are looking.
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/12/24/n...agles-coaching-rumors-2019-draft-mmqb-week-16
AS THE CAROUSEL SPINS …
• Panthers GM Marty Hurney has built a good rapport with new owner David Tepper, I’m told, and so he and coach Ron Rivera are very likely to get at least another year. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that someone could be added to football ops. Tepper’s shown a keen awareness in the area of football analytics, so maybe that’s where a hire is made.
• At the very least, with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich not quite ready for the role he was thrust into in October, the Cardinals will make major changes to its offensive staff. And there’s a pretty decent chance that owner Michael Bidwill goes beyond just that. First-year coach Steve Wilks is in peril. It remains to be seen whether or not GM Steve Keim is, too.
• If Keim is out in Arizona, word is that he’ll be a top candidate for the GM job with the Raiders, who would prefer to bring in an experienced personnel man.
• The Buccaneers are a little like Arizona in that word has held that the coach, Dirk Koettter, is likely to be gone, particularly with a staff full of assistants on expiring deals, but the situation of GM Jason Licht seems to be murkier. This job is the one that ex-Packers coach Mike McCarthyhas been connected most to.
• The Dolphins will almost certainly have change at some level. I’d be surprised if both EVP Mike Tannenbaum and coach Adam Gase are back, and a total blowup is not out of the question. If Gase survives, it’s a decent bet that GM Chris Grier would too, with perhaps added authority.
• The Packers’ search is underway, and the one name that multiple folks brought up over the last week was Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was hired into that job by Green Bay president/ex-NU AD Mark Murphy. Murphy’s running the show here, with half-dozen execs, including GM Brian Gutekunst, working with him.
• I’m told the Browns’ process will be absolutely wide open.
• Vance Joseph is all but done in Denver. As we’ve mentioned at a few points over the last few months, Broncos GM John Elway dove deep into offensive trends in the college game during the fall. So an outside-the-box hire wouldn’t be out of the question, assuming the scenario of John Harbaugh coming over, with Gary Kubiak as OC, is now dead.
• As for the Bengals, there’s been talk that owner Mike Brown could take one more run at it with Marvin Lewis in charge in 2019, before Brown cedes more control of the team than he already has to his children after next season. Brown is 83. Joseph’s name has popped up in recent weeks as a potential heir to Lewis, since the Brown family has coveted familiarity in their hires (Joseph was DBs coach in Cincinnati in 2014-15).
