Finding a new head coach is tough.
Did a team score a ton of points because the offensive coordinator is a wizard, or did a quarterback thrive in spite of his coaching? Did a defense shut down opposing offenses because of an elite depth chart, or did the defensive coordinator scheme up creative ways to slow opponents down?
Several teams are about to try to navigate that minefield to fill vacancies. Washington, the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants all fired their coaches in 2019. More teams could soon be on the hunt for a coach too.
Who will they target? Here’s a list of coaches who could be candidates in 2020 and where they may fit best.
Talented coordinators looking for a first head coaching gig
Sifting through the NFL’s most successful assistants can land you a coach who’s in over their head, or it could yield the next star coach.
These are the coordinators across the league who haven’t yet had a head coaching job, but could get one soon.
Eric Bieniemy
Most relevant experience
- Chiefs RB coach (2013-17)
- Chiefs offensive coordinator (2018-19)
Hiring Andy Reid’s assistants has worked out for teams in the past. The Ravens, Bills, Eagles, and Bears all have current head coaches who were coordinators under Reid. The Chiefs’ offense has put up gaudy numbers in two seasons with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Bieniemy leading the way as offensive coordinator. “Hire him, right now,” says Reid.
Best fit: Panthers, or a team looking to replicate the Chiefs’ offensive explosiveness
Brian Daboll
Most relevant experience
- Chiefs offensive coordinator (2012)
- Bills offensive coordinator (2018-19)
Expectations were pretty low for Josh Allen when he entered the league in 2018. Now in year two, he’s en route to the postseason. Allen is throwing more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, and making significant leaps in every aspect. All of that reflects well on Daboll, who was hired in 2018 and tasked with bringing Allen along.
Best fit: A team on the hunt for a quarterback whisperer who can develop a young passer
Byron Leftwich
Most relevant experience:
- Cardinals offensive coordinator (2018)
- Buccaneers offensive coordinator (2019)
The former Jaguars quarterback doesn’t have a ton of experience, but he’s drawn rave reviews from Bruce Arians for his limited coaching work so far. While Jameis Winston’s turnover issues haven’t gone away, the Buccaneers’ offense was the best in franchise history in 2019. It finished top-five in scoring for the first time ever and Winston’s 5,109 passing yards were eighth-most in a season in NFL history.
Best fit: A brave team ready to jump on a young coach’s lofty potential
Don “Wink” Martindale
Most relevant experience:
- Ravens linebackers coach (2012-17)
- Ravens defensive coordinator (2018-19)
Lamar Jackson has been a revelation in 2019, but the Ravens’ defense is a big part of the team’s recent success. Baltimore was No. 1 in the NFL in yards allowed in 2018 and stayed in the top five in 2019, despite losing C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, Eric Weddle, and Terrell Suggs in free agency. Martindale says he’d only leave Baltimore for a “dream job” so the list of possibilities may be slim.
Best fit: A contender that needs some help on defense
Greg Roman
Most relevant experience:
- 49ers offensive coordinator (2011-14)
- Ravens offensive coordinator (2019)
Roman was heralded as one of the top assistants in the NFL when he helped the Colin Kaepernick-led 49ers to the Super Bowl in February 2013. It even earned him some head coaching consideration. His work with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore has strengthened his case as a candidate. Roman has proven adept at tailoring an offense to his quarterback’s strengths, especially when it’s a player who brings rushing ability too.
Best fit: A team aiming to take advantage of its quarterback’s unique skill set
Robert Saleh
Most relevant experience:
- 49ers defensive coordinator (2017-19)
His experience is limited, but Saleh’s found plenty of success leading the way for the 49ers defense. San Francisco rode one of the best defenses in the NFL to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC. Saleh brings enthusiasm and fire to the sideline and it’s made him a star in 2019. It’ll likely make him a top coaching candidate in the offseason.
Best fit: A middling team that wants a jolt of energy
Kevin Stefanski
Most relevant experience:
- Vikings quarterbacks coach (2017-18)
- Vikings offensive coordinator (2019)
Mike Zimmer is Minnesota’s third head coach since 2006, but in the last 14 seasons the team kept bringing back Stefanski. He’s worked his way through the Vikings’ assistant ranks and took over as offensive coordinator in 2019. Under his leadership, Minnesota finished the regular season eighth in points scored and Kirk Cousins posted a career-best 107.4 passer rating.
Best fit: A team that wants to cut down on turnovers and be more efficient on offense
Dave Toub
Most relevant experience:
- Bears special teams coordinator (2004-12)
- Chiefs special teams coordinator (2013-19)
Toub gets talked up as a possibility for NFL job openings almost every year. Andy Reid said he’d be “phenomenal” at the job, but he rarely gets legitimate interest. The reality is there just aren’t many teams that look to special teams coordinators when they want to fill a vacancy. It has worked out great for the Ravens, who hired John Harbaugh after he spent a decade coaching the Eagles special teams. Maybe this is the year Toub finally gets a chance to run a team.
Best fit: A team smart enough to see the value of a special teams coach
Former head coaches looking for another shot
The Browns found out the hard way that inexperience at head coach can hurt. Coaches who have been there and done that often can step right into a job and get the team on track.
These are the former head coaches in line for a second go at leading a team:
Leslie Frazier
Most relevant experience
- Vikings head coach (2011-13)
- Bills defensive coordinator (2017-19)
His three-year stint as the Vikings’ head coach saw him lead the team to the playoffs in 2012 followed by a sharp fall in 2013. But it’s hard to blame him too much when he was choosing between Christian Ponder, Josh Freeman, and Matt Cassel at quarterback. His most recent work has been turning the Bills defense into one of the best in the NFL. That could earn him another shot at a head coaching job, perhaps with a bit more quarterback stability.
Best fit: A team that needs a steady hand at the helm and defensive improvement
Mike McCarthy
Most relevant experience:
- Packers head coach (2006-18)
Once a Super Bowl-winning coach, McCarthy sat out the whole 2019 season after getting fired by the Packers. He wasn’t sitting on his hands, though. McCarthy reportedly spent the year studying film with a team of coaches, preparing for a return to the league. Was his success in Green Bay simply a credit to the magic of Aaron Rodgers? He’ll likely get a chance to prove otherwise in 2020.
Best fit: Browns, or another team ready to make a Super Bowl run with an experienced head coach
Josh McDaniels
Most relevant experience:
- Broncos head coach (2009-10)
- Patriots offensive coordinator (2012-19)
While his first coaching stint with the Broncos didn’t go well, McDaniels has won three more Super Bowls with the Patriots since then. He’s been a coveted coaching candidate in recent years, and was even announced as the new head coach of the Colts in 2018 before changing his mind hours later. The New England offense hasn’t been its usual self in 2019, but it’s still ranked in the top 10 in scoring and McDaniels has had to maximize a group that is deficient in many areas.
Best fit: Panthers, Browns, or another team ready to offer a ton to pull McDaniels out of New England
Ron Rivera
Most relevant experience:
- Bears defensive coordinator (2004-06)
- Chargers defensive coordinator (2008-10)
- Panthers head coach (2011-19)
Rivera led the Panthers to the postseason four times and made a Super Bowl in his eight years and change at the helm. Prior to that, he turned the Bears and Chargers defenses into two of the most fearsome units in the NFL. While the Carolina defense has struggled in 2019 — a significant reason for his midseason dismissal — Rivera could be an interesting candidate for a team looking for a veteran leader with a defensive pedigree.
Best fit: Washington, or another team in need of stability and an occasional roll of the dice
Stars of the college coaching ranks
It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while an NFL team will search through the top college coaches to find their guy. The Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury in 2019 and there’s a possibility another team will follow their lead for the 2020 season.
There are a few stars of the college ranks who could catch the NFL’s fancy:
Urban Meyer
Most relevant experience:
- University of Florida head coach (2005-10)
- Ohio State University head coach (2012-18)
He won three national championships (two with Florida and one with Ohio State), but has zero experience in the NFL. That — along with the fact that he’s stepped down from his last two jobs due to health reasons — make Meyer a long shot candidate. His 85.4% winning percentage as a coach in the college ranks could convince a team to give Meyer a call, though.
Best fit: A contender worth ending retirement for
Matt Rhule
Most relevant experience:
- Temple University head coach (2013-16)
- Baylor University head coach (2017-19)
After two seasons at Baylor, Rhule was set to become the head coach of the Jets in 2019. He pulled out of that job because the team planned to hire a coaching staff for him. Instead, he returned for a third season in Waco and led Baylor to an 11-2 record. The team is set to play in the Sugar Bowl and Rhule’s chances at making the jump to the pro ranks looking stronger than ever.
Best fit: Giants, or a franchise looking for a culture refresh
Lincoln Riley
Most relevant experience:
- University of Oklahoma offensive coordinator (2015-16)
- University of Oklahoma head coach (2017-19)
In three seasons as the Sooners’ head coach, Riley has led his squad to the College Football Playoff three times. Two of his three quarterbacks (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray) won the Heisman Trophy and were drafted first overall. With young, offensive-minded coaches like Sean McVay and Kliff Kingsbury catching the NFL’s fancy, Riley could be next on the list.
Best fit: An ambitious team ready for offensive innovation
Others to watch
There aren’t many job openings, so it’s doubtful that a candidate comes out of left field. But just in case someone does, here are a few of the less likely possibilities:
- Perry Fewell (Panthers interim head coach/defensive coordinator): Both the Bills and Panthers have made Fewell an interim head coach. At the very least, that shows NFL teams respect him as a veteran leader.
- Dan Mullen (University of Florida head coach): The pro ranks would be new territory, but NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah thinks it could happen and Mullen sounds relatively open to the idea.
- Mike Pettine (Packers defensive coordinator): Given a Johnny Manziel-free environment, Pettine may be able to do much more than his first head coaching gig with the Browns.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiT2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNibmF0aW9uLmNvbS9uZmwvMjAxOS8xMi8zMC8yMTAzODM4NS9uZmwtaGVhZC1jb2FjaC1jYW5kaWRhdGVzLTIwMjDSAVxodHRwczovL3d3dy5zYm5hdGlvbi5jb20vcGxhdGZvcm0vYW1wL25mbC8yMDE5LzEyLzMwLzIxMDM4Mzg1L25mbC1oZWFkLWNvYWNoLWNhbmRpZGF0ZXMtMjAyMA?oc=5
2019-12-30 16:00:00Z
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