CAROUSEL WARMS UP
Candidates pool deep once NFL coaching cycle begins
Of course, Jerry Jones just had to poke the elephant in the room during a pregame chat with his beleaguered coach, Jason Garrett, before the mission on Sunday night.
“You’re not about to wilt on me, are you?” the Cowboys owner asked Gar- rett, as he later recalled for USA TODAY. “He said, ‘No, I’m just getting going.’ ” Talk about pressure. As if pulling off an upset at Philadelphia weren’t enough for Garrett, a report last week declared that his bosses have an “affinity” for Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley. Hardly the ideal look when considering that rumblings all season about Garrett’s job status have spiced up the reality soap opera environment that might be titled, “As The Cowboys Turn.”
“We’ve had a little brotherhood, be- cause both of us are really getting criticized,” Jones said, alluding to Troy Aikman’s assertion that the dysfunctional organization needs widespread changes. “It’s pretty critical when you have ownership of the team and they’re telling you there needs to be an overhaul all the way through.
“If that’s going to make you get fainthearted, you’ve picked the wrong spot. But that’s kind of the tenor of the visit. I
just said to him, ‘Hearing all this stuff, it doesn’t have you weak-kneed, does it?’ ”
This underscores why Garrett, 72-64 (including a 1-2 playoff mark) in eight seasons, has one of the toughest jobs in the NFL. He’s overshadowed by the large persona of his team’s owner/GM, which coincides with the glaring spotlight of the NFL’s most popular team. Then again, that comes with the territory. It’s the inconsistency of his team, which improved to 4-5 on Sunday, that fuels the hot-seat buzz.
Which brings us around to Riley, who trained Baker Mayfield and in just his second season as the Sooners head coach has fast become a hot name as the next cycle of NFL coaching moves formulates, especially with Mayfield’s Browns in the mix after firing Hue Jackson.
Asked if it’s dangerous that Riley’s name is already connected to the Cowboys while Garrett tries to rally the team into a playoff position, Jones said, “No, it’s not dangerous. It’s not frivolous. He’s an outstanding coach and exceptional. He’s had exceptional responsibility and success for where he is. I don’t think it’s dangerous at all.”
After seven NFL teams switched coaches last offseason, figure on at least a half-dozen teams to make moves this time. And that might be a conservative estimate.
No, Garrett, is hardly alone in fueling hot-seat questions.
Just ask Rex Ryan, the twice-fired coach-turned-studio analyst. Ryan was adamant on ESPN in declaring that Jets coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan are on the way out. It’s tough to argue that the ice is so thin.
Meanwhile, CBS Sports reported that Ravens coach John Harbaugh and the team have mutually agreed that they’ll part ways after the season (which would mean Harbaugh would likely wind up at the front of the line for another job). Harbaugh, like Garrett, trying to inspire his team on a second-half playoff push, dismissed the reports … with humor.
During a news conference this week, he injected a classic line from “Animal House,” saying it wasn’t over “when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.”
But he knows, like every coach in the NFL, as difficult as it can be for the families of these coaches, the hot-seat chatter and speculation will intensify for many of them as the season progresses.
Consider: In 2016, Doug Pederson was panned as the “worst” of the seven head coaching hires. Yet Pederson now has a Super Bowl ring, and when Jackson was dumped by the Browns, it meant more than half of that 2016 class of new coaches was out (including Chip Kelly, Mike Mularkey and Ben McAdoo). And patience is clearly in the equation for two others, Adam Gase and Dirk Koetter.
These days, coaches might be lucky to get three years.
Yet it’s one thing to dump a coach. The bigger issue: Who’s next?
Probably every team with a vacancy will be looking for the next Sean McVay, a young, innovative coach who can invigorate a franchise and seemingly provide a long-term solution as the Rams found in 2017.
Before McVay, similar appeal — and ultimately, results — was found by the Steelers with Mike Tomlin and by the Saints with Sean Payton. That’s part of the reason there’s intrigue with Riley, 35, who is 21-3 since being promoted from his post as offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach.
But McVay, 32, the NFL’s youngest coach, was groomed on the pro level. Riley’s promise, bolstered by the pattern of NFL offenses increasingly incorporating college-ball concepts, will come with the risk of whether his style will transition to the pro level.
Nonetheless, he’s attracting NFL attention, though he has publicly maintained he’s not seeking such a jump at this point. He’s wouldn’t be the first to take that position. For several years, Stanford’s David Shaw, who previously worked as an NFL assistant, has been on a short list of college coaches with NFL appeal. He’s not been interested.
No, the next wave of NFL coaches will, like usual, largely come from the ranks of NFL assistants or former head coaches — Jim Caldwell? Jack Del Rio? — seeking another shot. Yet that can be tricky, too.
Relatively fresh names on the rise that are popping up: John DeFilippo, the Vikings’ new offensive coordinator, by way of Pederson’s staff in Philadelphia; Eric Bieniemy, promoted to became the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator after Matt Nagy landed with the Bears; Dan Campbell, the Saints’ assistant head coach; Kris Richard, the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach; James Bettcher, the Giants’ defensive coordinator who was runner-up to Steve Wilks for the Arizona job last offseason.
George Edwards? Perhaps the Vikings’ defensive coordinator will become the next Mike Zimmer, a seasoned assistant who can make good when he finally gets a shot as the head man.
Meanwhile, familiar candidates such as Josh McDaniels (the Patriots’ offensive coordinator who backed out of the Colts job that went to Frank Reich) and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be mentioned.
And the questions will be raised: Are they better suited as coordinators?
See, there’s nothing automatic about the pool of candidates … or that the switch will pan out.
But one thing’s for certain. There’s no shortage of pressure.