Annual exodus of NFL coaches begins with the Jets
Garrett in Dallas and Jacksonville’s Marrone likely next on chopping block
Like kids and parents leaving a winter soccer dome after practice, there was a logjam on Monday in the enter/exit turnstile for NFC East head coaches.
Pat Shurmur of the New York Giants is out, Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys appears on the verge of getting shoved out, and Ron Rivera reportedly was on his way to Washington.
That news highlighted the NFL’S annual dismal day of coach firings known as “Black Monday.”
Shurmur became the 2019’s fourth head coaching casualty, after Washington fired Jay Gruden in October, Rivera was sacked in Carolina earlier this month, and Cleveland’s was canned Freddie Kitchens late Sunday night.
Garrett, by late afternoon Monday, seemed doomed in Dallas and likely to become No. 5.
Jacksonville’s Doug Marrone could become No. 6 on Tuesday, following his meeting with ownership.
Meantime, the replacement coach buzz mill is churning fast and furious, with the four teams on the hunt already starting to line up interviews with flavourof-the-month NFL co-ordinators, former NFL head coaches and big-name college head coaches.
Here’s what happened and was leaking out by sundown Monday:
NEW YORK GIANTS
Giants ownership wasted little time in announcing early Monday morning that Shurmur was gone after two years — the club’s second consecutive head coach who failed to reach Year 3, following Tom Coughlin’s ouster after 2015.
Giants co-owners John
Mara and Steve Tisch quickly explained their decision to retain GM Dave Gettleman but fire Shurmur.
“It’s been a very frustrating four years,” Tisch said.
Shurmur’s Giants went 9-23 (.281) since 2018. His predecessor, Ben Mcadoo, went 13-15 (.464) from 2016-17 and lost his one playoff game, at Green Bay.
“We just didn’t win enough games,” Mara said. “And we believe that we have to move in another direction. It’s certainly not all Pat’s fault.”
Potential replacements for Shurmur, per reports, included Kansas City offensive co-ordinator Eric Bieniemy, Baylor University head coach Matt Rhule and New England offensive co-ordinator Josh Mcdaniels.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Washington Redskins owner
Dan Snyder had nearly three months to mull over who he wanted as his new head coach after firing the younger Gruden brother in Week 5.
Reports said Rivera and his wife were flying Monday to meet with Snyder, and he was expected to be named the team’s new head coach shortly after the meeting concluded.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Reports said Garrett’s afternoon meeting with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his second-in-command, son Stephen, lasted hours. It finally broke up after 4:30 p.m. local time, with no immediate word as to Garrett’s fate.
Reporters were told to go home, as there would be no announcement on Monday.
That meeting followed Garrett’s exit interviews with his players — a traditional head coach function the day after his team’s elimination.
Dallas finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.
Cowboys players were interviewed and claimed to not know Garrett’s fate.
NFL Network said if the Cowboys do move on from Garrett after 10 seasons then offensively creative University of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley would be “firmly on the Cowboys’ radar.”
CLEVELAND BROWNS
The Browns have aggressively begun their search for an eighth head coach since 2009.
Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh announced that the Ravens have given offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman permission to interview for the vacancy. Reports said the Browns have requested interviews with New England’s Mcdaniels and San Francisco defensive co-ordinator Robert Saleh, and may seek to interview ex-green Bay head coach Mike Mccarthy, former Ohio State University head coach Urban Meyer, Minnesota offensive co-ordinator Kevin Stefanski and New Orleans defensive co-ordinator Dennis Allen.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Reports said the Panthers have officially requested to interview New England’s Mcdaniels and that the interest might well be mutual.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Jags owner Shad Khan and executive VP son Tony Khan were expected to meet with head coach Doug Marrone on Tuesday, ESPN reported.
Marrone and Jags GM David Caldwell have a lot to answer for following up an AFC Championship Game berth in 2017 with
5-11 and 6-10 seasons.