McDaniels among hot coaching names - again
With a month to go in the NFL’s regular season, some teams are jockeying for playoff positions. Other would be best served to begin planning for next season.
One head coach, Cleveland’s Hue Jackson, already has been fired, and more dismissals are certain to come within a few days of the conclusion of the regular season. Once coaches are ousted, an interesting hiring season for NFL head coaches will commence.
The league is having an offensive season for the ages. Quarterbacks and passing offenses are dominating. Any team without a great offense and a thriving quarterback must get those things in place to contend. Coaches who are offensive gurus and quarterback whisperers will be in greater demand than ever.
The top head coaching candidates for the upcoming hiring cycle will be an intriguing mix of current head coaches who could be fired and looking for work, assistant coaches around the league and college coaches who might be willing to make the jump to the pro game. Here’s a look at some of the possibilities. Current NFL head coaches:
- Mike McCarthy, Packers: It has been a difficult season in Green Bay, and a second straight non-playoff year for the Packers - this one with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the lineup for every game - could cost him his job. McCarthy has made a series of questionable ingame coaching decisions lately, and there is a sense that he should have more than one Super Bowl triumph with Rodgers as his quarterback. A parting might end up being good for everyone, and McCarthy probably would be in demand elsewhere.
- John Harbaugh, Ravens: Harbaugh is another Super Bowl-winning coach who may be wearing out his welcome after a long stay. The Ravens have climbed back into AFC playoff contention with prized rookie Lamar Jackson filling in at quarterback for the injured Joe Flacco. But if the Ravens miss the postseason again, Harbaugh almost certainly is gone. Owner Steve Bisciotti said after last season that he considered firing Harbaugh then, after all. But, like McCarthy, Harbaugh would be an attractive option for other NFL teams if he’s available, given his success for much of his tenure in Baltimore.
Former NFL head coaches:
- Bruce Arians, former Colts and Cardinals coach: Arians walked away from the Arizona Cardinals after last season. He has said publicly that he would come back to coach the Browns. He would not be a bad choice in Cleveland, where the priority will be hiring a coach to oversee the development of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
- Jack Del Rio, former Jaguars and Raiders coach: He was fired by the Raiders after last season. And his work in Oakland is looking better and better in retrospect, considering what’s happening with the Raiders this season with Jon Gruden in charge.
- Hue Jackson, former Browns coach and current Bengals assistant: He landed back in Cincinnati, working once more for Coach Marvin Lewis, after being fired by the Browns. The Browns were historically bad on his watch in Cleveland. But it remains up for debate how much of that was Jackson’s fault, and he would be a candidate for Bengals owner Mike Brown if Lewis does not remain in place for another season.
NFL assistant coaches:
- Josh McDaniels, Patriots offensive coordinator: Some might believe he might be disqualified by what happened last offseason when he agreed to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, only to change his mind after the Super Bowl and remain in New England. But the Colts, after turning to Frank Reich, have fared well anyway, and there are some teams that still consider McDaniels a viable candidate. It’s unlikely that a team would wait for him if the Patriots reach another Super Bowl, but if he’s available earlier and willing to leave New England, he just might land a job.
- John DeFilippo, Vikings offensive coordinator: Every team is looking for the next young offensive genius in the mold the Los Angles Rams’ Sean McVay and the Chicago Bears’ Matt Nagy. DeFilippo could be next in line. He was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia under Reich and Coach Doug Pederson before moving to Minnesota this season. The Vikings have had an uneven season after spending big money to land quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. But DeFilippo remains a rising star in the coaching ranks, and he certainly will receive consideration for head coaching vacancies.
- Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator: The former NFL running back succeeded Nagy as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City and has helped the Chiefs’ offense to become more dynamic than ever with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. Yes, it is Coach Andy Reid’s offense. But the fact that it was Reid’s offense when Nagy was the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator hasn’t prevented Nagy from having success as a head coach this season in Chicago after his tutelage under Reid.
- Pete Carmichael Jr., Saints offensive coordinator: Coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees receive plenty of credit for the offensive success in New Orleans, and rightfully so. But there is enough credit to go around when things are going as well as they are for the Saints this season. Carmichael deserves some of it, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he ends up with a head coaching job.
- Matt LaFleur, Titans offensive coordinator: He was McVay’s offensive coordinator last season with the Rams before moving on to the Titans to have more autonomy in running an offense. Count on LaFleur being an NFL head coach someday, whether it happens this offseason or not.
- Zac Taylor, Rams quarterbacks coach: Taylor is only 34. But a team seeking the next McVay might eye McVay’s coaching staff. Is McVay old enough to have a coaching tree?
- Brian Flores, Patriots linebackers coach: Flores doesn’t have the title of defensive coordinator but has been the Patriots’ defensive play-caller. He has a good reputation around the league. But it’s unclear how much the struggles this season in Detroit of Matt Patricia, the Patriots’ defensive coordinator until leaving to become the head coach of the Lions, will affect the perception of Flores as a head coaching candidate. It is always, in the final analysis, Coach Bill Belichick’s defense.
- Dave Toub, Chiefs special teams coordinator: NFL owners and general managers don’t generally regard special teams coaches as head coaching candidates. But Toub has broken through that barrier to get into the head-coaching interviewing circuit, and his time to land a job could be coming.
- Vic Fangio, Bears defensive coordinator: It’s not exactly a great season for NFL defenses, and defensive coordinators will not be in high demand for head coaching jobs. But Fangio has done a very good job in Chicago, so he could be the exception.
- Others: Cowboys secondary coach Kris Richard, Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards.
College coaches:
- Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma: He has said that he’s not interested in jumping to the NFL. If that were to change, he would become the No. 1 target of just about every team with a head coaching vacancy. His offense is that good.