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dan graziano
It’s the middle of January, and eight NFL teams are looking for new head coach. That’s 25% of the league. There is a worthwhile debate about the health of that model, but that’s not what we’re doing here. We’re Trying to Guess Who Will Get These Eight Jobs In fact Hard to do at this point. While I understand fans’ eagerness to find out who will be coaching their favorite teams, it’s important to remember how early in the process we still are.
For example, assistant coaches of teams playing wild-card playoff games on Saturday or Sunday were not even allowed to conduct virtual interviews for head coach jobs until Tuesday. If a team wants to interview, say, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Rams coordinators Mike LaFleur and Chris Shula, or Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, they haven’t been able to do so yet. Saleh is preparing for Saturday’s game against the seahawks In a short week, many teams have asked for permission to interview him for their head coach position. Assistant coach for playing teams Monday night’s wild-card game Virtual head coach interviews cannot be conducted until Wednesday. So, if a front office is looking to talk to Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke or Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, they won’t be able to do that either.
Ultimately, are we sure there will only be eight openings? For example, there is Matt LaFleur and the Packers discuss an extensionBut that doesn’t mean will bring One. It wouldn’t be unprecedented to see one or two teams move on from their head coach at the end of a game.
All that said, predictions are fun, so here are my still-early head coach landing spot predictions that will definitely be wrong. They told me I could come back next week and update it if I wanted. I will probably talk to him about this.
Go to an opening:
ARI | ATL | Hair | CLE
lv | MIA | NYG | Ten
Former coach: Jonathan Gannon, fired last week After three seasons and a 15–36 record
My predictions for the next Cardinals coach: Clint Kubiak, Seahawks offensive coordinator
The Arizona position will be a tough sell for more established candidates, especially because the Cardinals will likely move on from quarterback. kyler murray. Would the Cards like to take John Harbaugh? Absolutely. But perhaps he will find other opportunities more attractive. Arizona needs to think about finding a young star head coach to compete in a division in which Mike McDonald, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay have each won at least 12 games and are all still alive in the playoffs. Maybe Kubiak has that potential.
Three years earlier, Arizona awaited the Eagles’ Super Bowl run and hired Gannon, who was Philly’s defensive coordinator at the time. If Seattle makes a run to the Super Bowl, the pattern could be repeated with Kubiak. Seattle’s offense ranks eighth in yards per game (351.4) and offensive points (25.3) this season.
Other known candidates: Vance Joseph, Robert Saleh, Matt Nagy, Thomas Brown, Jeff Hafley
Former coach: Rahim Morris, fired last week After two seasons and a 16–18 record
My prediction for the next Falcons coach: John Harbaugh, former Ravens head coach
Falcons team owner Arthur Blank would be willing to spend whatever it takes to provide a top coach. The Falcons are also looking for a new GM, and that could be attractive to Harbaugh, as he can have some say in who gets the role (although the Falcons just hired former QB Matt Ryan). football presidentAnd obviously they will have a lot of say in both decisions).
The question for Harbaugh or any candidate is what he thinks about the QB situation in Atlanta. Michael Penix Jr.. Will be in its third season and coming up major knee injuryAnd cancer cousin Still roaming. If any coach thinks they can make it work, Atlanta has a lot to offer.
Other known candidates: Kevin Stefanski, Anthony Weaver, Clint Kubiak, Mike McDaniel, Aidan Durde, Ejiro Avro, Jeff Hafley
Former coach: John Harbaugh, fired last week After 18 seasons, a 180–113 regular season record, a 13–11 playoff record and one Super Bowl title.
My predictions for the next Ravens coach: Kevin Stefanski, former Browns head coach
The Ravens know Stefanski from playing against his Browns teams the past six years (Baltimore was 8-4 against Stefanski-coached Cleveland teams), and Stefanski is a popular candidate on this circuit. He’s a mid-Atlantic, East Coast guy who would fit in here or a place like New York. Happen lamar jackson And a winning culture makes Baltimore the most attractive landing spot among current openings. Stefanski had 13 different starting QBs in Cleveland, but he would find a true franchise passer in Jackson in Baltimore.
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Orlovsky: Stefanski is going to get a job this season
The “Get Up” crew reacts to the Browns’ decision to fire coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons.
Other known candidates: Brian Flores, Mike McDaniel, Robert Saleh, Clint Kubiak, Anthony Weaver, Matt Nagy, Vance Joseph, Davis Webb, Joe Brady
Former coach: Kevin Stefanski, fired last week After six seasons, a 45–56 regular season record and 1–2 playoff record.
My prediction for the next Browns coach: Mike McDaniel, former Dolphins head coach
From what we know about it, it appears that the Browns are looking for an offensive-minded head coach who wouldn’t mind keeping Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator. (Which makes me wonder why they don’t give Schwartz the head coach position, I believe that’s a possible outcome here as well.)
Cleveland’s increasingly challenging quarterback situation may make this job a tough sell, but McDaniels is quirky, creative and confident. And he found success at the challenging QB position during his first two seasons in Miami. It’s not hard to imagine the Browns front office wanting to take advantage of McDaniels’ ideas about designing and running an offense.
Other known candidates: John Harbaugh, Todd Monken, Jim Schwartz, Tommy Rees, Dan Pitcher, Nate Scheilhaase, Grant Udinsky
Former coach: Pete Carroll, fired last week After one season and a 3–14 record
My predictions for the next Raiders coach: Robert Saleh, former Jets coach and current 49ers defensive coordinator
Saleh has been on Las Vegas’ short list before, and his work in San Francisco this season has caught the attention of many around the league. His Jets tenure wasn’t great, but that’s true of most guys who coached there. It doesn’t seem like teams will let his Jets tenure deter them from talking to him this time.
Whoever gets this job should have a plan to develop an offensive coordinator and a young quarterback, possibly from Indiana Fernando Mendoza. But Saleh is part of that Shanahan/McVay network and should have no trouble putting together an offensive staff. The Raiders were last in the NFL this season with 14.1 offensive points per game and 245.2 yards per game.
Other known candidates: Vance Joseph, Davis Webb, Matt Nagy, Clint Kubiak, Mike LaFleur, Kevin Stefanski, Ejiro Avro
Former coach: Mike McDaniel, fired last week After four seasons, a 35–33 regular season record and 0–2 playoff record.
My predictions for the next Dolphins coach: Chris Shula, Rams defensive coordinator
Very nice, isn’t it? Don Shula’s grandson is coaching Don’s old team? Going into this process, I felt very strongly that Shula would get the head coaching opportunity. The Shula/Miami connection is too good to miss. But the Dolphins job is still open, and it’s too early to know the final top candidates. Shula is well-regarded in the league, and it always seems like at least one McVay assistant gets the head coach’s job.
Other known candidates: John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Clint Kubiak, Robert Saleh
Former coach: Brian Daboll, fired in november After three and a half seasons, a 20–40–1 regular season record and 1–1 playoff record. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka finished the season as interim head coach and went 2–5.
My predictions for the next Giants coach: Jeff Hafley, Packers defensive coordinator
From what I’ve been told, Hafley has been at the top of the veteran list for some time. I think New York will try very hard to get Harbaugh or Stefanski and the Giants could land one of them. But I placed those elsewhere, and I had to select the Giants based on the rest of the pool.
Hafley has college head coaching experience from Boston College, and his work with the Green Bay defense has earned him a lot of attention from NFL teams looking for a head coach. The Giants’ defense has allowed 5.8 yards per play this season, which ranks 26th. Hafley’s Packers were at 5.0, which ranked eighth best.
Other known candidates: John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Mike Kafka, Steve Spagnuolo, Lou Anarumo, Antonio Pierce, Mike McCarthy, Raheem Morris, Vance Joseph
Former coach: Brian Callahan, fired in October After almost a season and a half and a 4-19 record. Mike McCoy finished the season as interim head coach and went 2–9.
My predictions for the next coach of the Titans: Matt Nagy, lead offensive coordinator
This was the first name that came up as a possibility when Callahan was fired, possibly due to Titans GM Mike Borgonzi’s relationship with Nagy from their time in the Kansas City front office. Nagy is a former Bears head coach who is in his second stint with the Chiefs and has helped develop patrick mahomes During your first one. Tennessee will be looking for a good offensive head coach to lead the next step cam wardThe division grew, and Nagy won a division title in his first year in Chicago.
I think Tennessee has cast a wide net, and popular candidates like Harbaugh, Stefanski and Joseph have become strong candidates here as well. The ward is so prestigious.
Other known candidates: Kevin Stefanski, Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris, Kliff Kingsbury, Vance Joseph, Lou Anarumo, Steve Spagnuolo, Jason Garrett, Robert Saleh, Mike McCarthy, Chris Shula, Jeff Hafley
