Poll: Where Will Adam Gase Land?
We learned earlier tonight that the Bills requested an interview with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their surprisingly vacant head coach position. Gase, who also has interviews scheduled with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears, is quickly establishing himself as perhaps the most sought-after head coaching candidate in the NFL, and the interest in his services is understandable. In each of his two seasons as Denver’s offensive coordinator, Gase has guided the Broncos’ prolific offense to top-three finishes in Pro Football Outsider’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average metric, and top-four finishes in total points scored (the Broncos were the top-ranked team in both categories in 2013).
Of course, having Peyton Manning and a wide array of elite playmakers at one’s disposal will bolster the resume of any offensive coordinator, but that has not slowed the heavy pursuit of Gase. Given the amount of interest in the 36-year-old, it appears as though head coach John Fox will be replacing his top offensive assistant for the second time in two years, having lost Mike McCoy to division rival San Diego in 2013.
Each member of Gase’s ever-growing list of suitors would present a unique challenge for him, although the San Francisco and Atlanta positions would at least offer the comfort of having a settled quarterback situation, unlike the uncertainty that Buffalo and Chicago face under center. However, no team with a head coaching vacancy offers a quarterback with Manning’s pedigree or the complement of weapons that Denver has boasted over the past several seasons, which will allow Gase the opportunity to prove that he is the offensive architect that much of the league apparently believes him to be. Indeed, Gase was rumored to be the top candidate for the Browns‘ head coaching job last year, before Cleveland ultimately hired Mike Pettine. At the time, however, the Broncos were in the middle of Super Bowl preparations, which allowed Gase to artfully sidestep an undesirable landing spot in Cleveland.
This year, though, figures to see Gase at the helm of his own club, so without knowing which team or teams will ultimately offer him a head coaching position, let’s take a guess at where he might find himself in 2015:
Where will Adam Gase land in 2015?
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49ers 24% (206)
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Falcons 23% (201)
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He will remain the Broncos' OC 21% (181)
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Bears 17% (149)
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Bills 11% (91)
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Another team 3% (28)
Total votes: 856
Coach Notes: Bills, Gase, 49ers, Tomsula
The Bears‘ coaching position is not among the most attractive open positions in the NFL this offseason, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Chicago job ranks well behind the 49ers and Falcons, and just barely ahead of the Jets and Raiders, according to a poll of 16 NFL executives and coaches, which was conducted before Doug Marrone opted out of his contract with the Bills. Speaking of those Bills, we have an update on their coaching search to kick off our latest round of coaching-related notes, so let’s dive in….
- The Bills have become the latest team to request an interview with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Gase, who already has interviews scheduled with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears, becomes the first candidate solidly linked to Buffalo, though Frank Reich, Jim Schwartz, and Bill Cowher have been cited as potential targets as well.
- Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula hasn’t yet officially met with the 49ers to discuss the team’s head coaching position, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who tweets that the Niners brass is conducting a round of meetings on the road.
- As the 49ers search for their next head coach, the team will likely prioritize candidates that fit in with GM Trent Baalke‘s vision for a power running game and a dominating defense, writes Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. That means that defensive-minded coaches may have an advantage during the interview process.
- The Eagles‘ dismissal of Tom Gamble shows that Chip Kelly doesn’t have complete authority in Philadelphia, writes Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who wonders how the decision will affect the head coach’s future with the franchise.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Bill Polian To Remain At ESPN
4:53pm: A source tells Florio that the deal between Polian and the Bills broke down primarily because of money — namely, Polian wanting more of it. Florio also speculates that Polian used Buffalo’s interest in him as leverage to garner a better contract with ESPN. Additionally, Polian had wanted Marrone to remain as head coach, so Marrone’s opt-out probably lessened Polian’s interest in the job.
1:29pm: Former NFL executive Bill Polian has informed Bills owner Terry Pegula that he will continue to work as an analyst for ESPN rather than accept a position with Buffalo, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Facebook link via Adam Schefter). Bills ownership never made a formal offer to Polian, who worked with the club from 1984-93, but the two sides did have talks, both about an advisory role and a top front office job, before Polian decided to stick with his broadcasting position.
Reports yesterday indicated that Buffalo had hired Polian to serve as its team president, but Polian refuted those claims. Per Tim Graham of the Buffalo News, Polian was inclined to take the Bills position before speaking with ex-Buffalo coach Doug Marrone, who condemned the organization (Twitter links). As the two have a long relationship, Polian acted on Marrone’s advice, and declined Pegula’s offer.
Polian, 72, has worked as the general manager of three teams: the Bills, the Panthers, and most recently, the Colts, with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2007. Indianapolis fired him as GM after the 2011 season. According to Mortensen, Polian has received interest from other clubs, as well, but ultimately decided to stay with ESPN rather than return to a personnel role. A highly-decorated GM, Polian is a six-time recipient of the NFL’s Executive of the Year award.
Though current Bills general manager Doug Whaley is expected to keep his job, reports that Buffalo wanted to bring in Polian to lead its front office isn’t good news for Whaley, who had a hand in drafting E.J. Manuel and had already traded the Bills’ 2015 first-round-pick. Additionally, Buffalo CEO Russ Brandon is reportedly drawing interest from Oakland, which is interested in hiring Brandon as its team president, meaning that the organization’s entire structure could be in flux. Graham had reported that Brandon was likely to remain with the Bills, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out (via Twitter), it’s now clear that Buffalo was negotiating with Polian without Brandon’s knowledge or consent, which could indicate his role in the club’s hierarchy has been reduced.
Polian’s decision could also affect the Bills’ head coaching search — Polian was reportedly high on Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and was thought to be interested in bringing in the play-caller as Buffalo’s head coach. Reich will interview with the club next week, but it’s fair to wonder if he’s still among the favorites for the job without Polian in the front office.
AFC East Notes: Reich, Jets, Marrone, Bills
Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is in high demand — we learned this morning that the Bills are interested in San Diego’s play-caller, but Buffalo isn’t the only AFC East looking into Reich. The Jets are also considering the 53-year-old Reich, and are tentatively expected to interview him for their head-coaching position next week, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (Twitter link). More from the AFC East…
- The Jets are also interested in ex-Bills head coach Doug Marrone, and he’ll interview for the HC job on Sunday or Monday, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the feeling in NFL circles is that Charley Casserly, acting as a consultant for New York during their coaching search, has long been infatuated with Marrone, and is pushing him on Jets ownership, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Marrone, of course, is a free agent due to an opt-out clause that allowed him to leave the Bills in the event of an ownership change. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk Buffalo inserted the clause into Marrone’s contract in order to keep him away from the Browns, who had offered a higher salary. As a result, the Bills are out both their head coach and his $4MM 2015 salary.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills’ head coaching options, looking at internal and external assistant coaches, as well as former NFL head coaches who could intrigue Buffalo.
Bills Interested In Frank Reich
With Doug Marrone no longer employed as the Bills‘ head coach, the team will have to look elsewhere to replace the man who brought Buffalo its second winning season in the past 15 years.
Although news of Marrone’s departure only became public last night, the fallout has been quick, and the Bills may already have a frontrunner to replace him as head coach in Buffalo. The team will have a strong interest in Chargers‘ offensive coordinator Frank Reich, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Reich, who was the team’s backup quarterback behind Jim Kelly for the great Bills teams of the late 80s and early 90s, famously leading the team to a comeback victory over the Oilers after trailing 35-3 in the second half.
The team is also considering defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and could be interested in former Steelers’ coach Bill Cowher, but Vic Carrucci of The Buffalo News writes that Reich immediately became the team’s top target.
Reich would be the favorite for Bill Polian, who is expected to take over as the team’s head of football operations within the next month.
In anticipation of the hire, Mathew Fairburn of Syracuse.com put together a list of five things to know about the connection between Reich and the Bills. He obviously has a long history with the franchise, but Fairburn also points out that when Polian took over the expansion Carolina Panthers, he brought Reich in to be the team’s first quarterback.
Fairburn also writes that Reich worked under successful head coaches Tony Dungy, Ken Whisenhunt, and most recently Mike McCoy.
Bills’ Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed believes Reich would be a great hire in Buffalo, writes Dan Hanzus of NFL.com.
I think he would make — definitely would make a great head coach anywhere,” said Reed. “He’s definitely a viable candidate. I think he would do a great job. Not only would he bring a lot of credibility, but Bills fans would probably — the roof would probably come off if he came in there and became the head coach. I’m definitely a proponent of him being the head coach there, if that’s the way and that’s what goes down.”
Reich is coming off his first year as an offensive coordinator and play caller in San Diego, and while Chargers’ general manager Tom Telesco understands the interest, he is not looking forward to losing Reich, reports Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego.
“I think Frank, in his first year, did a very good job,” Telesco said. “He’s smart. He’s detailed. He’s prepared for this for a long time. He’s a great teacher, a great communicator, and he can really handle a room as far as handling the offense. He did an excellent job, and I’m not surprised that some teams would have interest in him. But selfishly, I hope he stays here.”
While Telesco may hope to retain Reich, his history in Buffalo and the opportunity to become a head coach for the first time may be difficult to pass up.
Jets Interested In Doug Marrone
From the moment Bills‘ head coach Doug Marrone opted out of his contract, he has been linked to another vacant job within the division, with the rival Jets. As Zach Links reported on the fallout from his decision, key parts of the story were the Jets immediately being expected to schedule an interview with Marrone, as well as a report that the coach does not believe in quarterback Geno Smith.
There is mutual interest between the two parties, according to Brian Costello and Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post, and an interview will be scheduled shortly. They noted that Marrone is originally from the Bronx and was an offensive line coach for the Jets under Herm Edwards for four seasons before taking the head coaching job at Syracuse.
Marrone could be a perfect fit for the team, writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. He is a disciplinarian and a no-nonsense guy, according to Serby, and his decision to bench first-round pick EJ Manuel in favor of Kyle Orton almost propelled the team into the playoffs, while Rex Ryan refused to bench Smith, or wasn’t allowed to organizationally.
Serby compares him to a young Tom Coughlin, and notes that he has strong connections to both Coughlin and Saints’ head coach Sean Payton, with whom he built an offensive line good enough to help that team win a Super Bowl.
Jets’ owner Woody Johnson’s consultant Charlie Casserly reportedly loves Marrone, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Casserly has been raving about the former Bills’ coach since he took the job at Syracuse in 2009, according to Cimini’s source.
“He was totally infatuated with him,” the source said. “You have to know Charley: When he gets on something, he’s a pit bull. I know he’s got Woody [Johnson] all lathered up.”
The Jets are still searching for their next general manager as well, but could hire Marrone immediately. The team has already satisfied the Rooney Rule by interviewing assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn on Wednesday. If they were to hire Marrone first, he would likely have a say in who the team hires as a general manager to work with him.
Hiring a coach before a general manager puts the power structure of the organization in a very awkward position, according to Cimini. He writes that under that scenario, both of these new hires will likely report directly to the owner, and the system of checks and balances will be out of sorts.
“You might as well take a gun, aim at your foot and shoot twice,” said one longtime NFL personnel executive. “That would be absolutely stupid. As soon as you hire a coach, you have to understand that the GM would no longer be a GM. He’d be an MG. How do you have checks and balances? It seems to me that Woody is making this up as he goes along.”
Costello and Cannizzaro connect Marrone to two possible general manager candidates in Mike Maccagnan and Rick Mueller, both of whom have worked with Marrone before, as a player with the World League’s London Monarchs and as a coach with the Saints, respectively.
The Jets still have a number of interviews scheduled, including three in Seattle on Friday. They will interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, offensive line coach Tom Cable, and pro personnel director Trent Kirchner.
Bills Coach Doug Marrone Opts Out
7:43pm: The Bills have yet to decide on whether they’ll bring in a football czar and who it might be, whether it’s Polian or Mike Holmgren or someone else, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Marrone could have worked out a lucrative extension with the Bills, but he was nervous about signing on without knowing who the top boss would be (link).
5:39pm: The Bills will hire Bill Polian as their team president, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The move may not be announced until January, however, due to his other commitments. Polian currently serves as an NFL analyst for ESPN and presumably will tie up some loose ends in Bristol.
5:38pm: Bills owner Terry Pegula has issued a statement on Marrone’s departure:
“Doug Marrone informed me late today that he has decided to exercise the option clause in his contract and relinquish his responsibilities as our head coach. “We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization. We thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives. We will now begin the important process of conducting a thorough search for a new head coach as we continue to strive to reach our goal of returning to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans.”
5:29pm: Bills coach Doug Marrone has opted out of his contract, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Marrone, surprisingly, gets to pocket his 2015 salary even though he’s headed elsewhere (link).
Marrone asked the Pegula family for an extension and was rebuffed, leading to his exit, according to Tim Graham of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). Marrone also asked for extensions for his assistant coaches and was shut down. While he didn’t get what he wanted, the former Syracuse coach did get to walk away with his full $4MM paycheck thanks to a very advantageous contract clause negotiated by agent Jimmy Sexton.
Marrone is now a free agent at a time when several NFL teams are looking for new head coaches. The Jets will have strong interest in him, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the Bills will have their eye on Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich. The Jets already satisfied the Rooney Rule by interviewing Anthony Lynn earlier today, so they could theoretically hire Marrone right away.
The Bills went 9-7 this year under Marrone – their first winning season since 2004 – and 6-10 in 2013. In total, he has a 15-17 record as an NFL coach. Marrone, of course, first made a name for himself as the head coach at Syracuse, where he guided the lowly Orange to a 25-25 mark and two bowl appearances over the course of four seasons. While his win-loss totals may not be the prettiest, Marrone found success with a very hard-nosed defense this past season and should draw widespread interest from around the NFL. One has to imagine that he could already have his next opportunity lined up.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Fallout From Doug Marrone Opt Out
Earlier today Doug Marrone shocked many when he opted out of his contract with the Bills. Marrone’s deal included an opt out that still grants him his $4MM salary for 2015 and allows him to pursue other head coaching jobs immediately. The latest on the league’s newest coaching candidate..
- A simple stop-gap approach for the Bills would be to elevate defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who did a great job with the defense in 2014, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
- If Bill Polian will be part of the future, some expect the Bills to pursue Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich. “Bill loves him,” a source with knowledge of the Polian-Reich relationship told Florio.
- The Jets are expected to schedule an interview with Marrone, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
- Marrone was not a fan of Geno Smith at all in 2013, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
- Former GM Buddy Nix, who remains on the Bills’ staff, has a contract that expires next month and he will not be asked back, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) spoke with one Jets source who wasn’t enthused about the possibility of the team hiring Marrone. “You got rid of Rex Ryan for this?,” the source rhetorically asked.
- Joe Buscaglia of WGR (on Twitter) credits the team for not feeling beholden to Marrone just for giving them a winning season.
- Bills players took to Twitter to express their dissatisfaction with Marrone, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes.
Front Office Notes: Eagles, Raiders, Bills
We’ve passed along a couple rounds of coaching-related rumors already today, but with teams looking ahead to the 2015 season, some front-office shakeups could occur as well. Let’s check in on the latest updates on front offices around the NFL…
- In a surprising move, the Eagles announced today that they’ve mutually agreed to parted ways with vice president of player personnel Tom Gamble (Twitter link). Reporting on the move before it was officially confirmed by the team, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link) called it a firing, predicting that the Eagles may refer to it as parting ways, but “it is what it is.” Gamble was identified by Adam Caplan of ESPN.com a couple weeks ago as one of the league’s top candidates to land a GM job this offseason.
- Reacting to Gamble’s departure, Eagles writers like Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link) and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com suggest that it sounds like a win for GM Howie Roseman, who has the backing of owner Jeffrey Lurie. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote earlier this week, head coach Chip Kelly was a fan of Gamble, calling him a “heck of a football guy” while referring to Roseman as more of a cap manager.
- According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Mike Holmgren, Kevin Warren of the Vikings, and Russ Brandon of the Bills are drawing some interest from the Raiders as a potential team president. Following up on that report, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News tweets that Brandon may have headed to Oakland if Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula hadn’t taken over as the owners in Buffalo, but he’s staying with the organization now.
- With a midnight opt-out deadline looming for Bills head coach Doug Marrone, La Canfora tweets that he continues to hear about friction between Marrone and general manager Doug Whaley. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Marrone is still expected to remain in Buffalo, so it will be interesting to see if Whaley returns for the 2015 season as well.
- Earlier this afternoon, we learned that Vikings assistant GM George Paton turned down opportunities to interview for the Bears‘ and Jets‘ general manager openings, and will stick with Minnesota.
Coach Notes: Bears, Quinn, Marrone, Ryan
The Bears are eyeing a pair of Ravens employees, according to Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report, who reports (via Twitter) that Chicago has expressed interest in Eric DeCosta for the team’s general manager job and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak for its head coaching opening. Both men have drawn interest from the Jets as well, and we detailed yesterday why DeCosta may be reluctant to pursue any GM jobs, given the nice situation he’s in with the Ravens. Still, it looks as if the Bears will kick the tires and try to schedule an interview.
Here’s more on the head coaching searches from around the NFL:
- Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has interviews scheduled with the Jets and Bears on Friday, and the Falcons on Saturday, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
- Most Bills assistant coaches are only signed for one more season, and head coach Doug Marrone would like some more stability from ownership for his staff, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, as of this morning, those Bills coaches aren’t sure whether or not Marrone will opt out of his contract, says Caplan (via Twitter). Mike Rodak of ESPN.com took a look this morning at why Marrone would consider using his opt-out, which has a deadline of today.
- Refuting an earlier report, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins did not make an offer to Rex Ryan to be their defensive coordinator.
- Adam Gase‘s interviews with the 49ers, Falcons, and Bears are scheduled to take place this Friday and Saturday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- This is our second round-up of coaching news and rumors today — you can find the first right here.