Coach Rumors: 49ers, Shula, McDaniels, Gruden
The 49ers‘ head coaching search is starting to heat up, with meetings for Chip Kelly, Anthony Lynn, and John DeFilippo having been reported since Thursday night. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee weighs in with a couple more updates on the search, writing that the team may circle back to candidates it interviewed last year after it finishes with its first round of interviews. That group could include Mike Shanahan, Adam Gase, and Josh McDaniels, among others.
According to Barrows, the 49ers have also inquired about Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula. However, Shula’s agent has indicated that his client doesn’t plan to interview for jobs while Carolina remains alive in the playoffs. So if the Niners hope to talk to Shula, they’ll have to wait until at least January 17th, and possibly longer.
Let’s round up some more of Friday’s coaching-related items….
- Despite having generated interest from multiple teams, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won’t interview for any head coaching jobs during New England’s bye week, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk rightly observes, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie prefers a head coach who can co-exist with Howie Roseman, and won’t engage in the same sort of power struggle Chip Kelly did. So even if Jon Gruden has interest in the Eagles’ head coaching job, he may not be the type of candidate the team is seeking. I discussed the Gruden rumors earlier today.
- At least two teams have conveyed interest in speaking with former Niners head coach Jim Tomsula, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tomsula figures to draw interest as a defensive line coach or defensive assistant.
Buccaneers To Interview Sean McDermott, Harold Goodwin
10:55am: According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), McDermott’s interview with the Buccaneers will take place on Saturday.
8:14am: Dirk Koetter may be the odds-on favorite to replace Lovie Smith as the head coach in Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers intend to look beyond their own offensive coordinator as they consider their options. According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), the Bucs will interview Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott this weekend.
[RELATED: Buccaneers GM discusses Smith’s firing, head coaching search]
The Buccaneers will have to get their meeting with McDermott in by Sunday, since the Carolina assistant is eligible to interview during the team’s bye week, but not during the week leading up to its divisional playoff game. McDermott is expected to interview with the Browns as well, on Sunday, and has been cited as a potential candidate for the Giants’ and Eagles’ jobs too, though, it’s not clear if either NFC East team has set up a formal interview.
Speaking of the Eagles, McDermott’s time in Philadelphia – he spent more than a decade with the team from 1999 to 2010, in various roles – likely contributed to him landing on Tampa Bay’s radar. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht also worked for the Eagles during McDermott’s stint there, with Licht holding multiple player personnel jobs in Philadelphia from 2006 to 2008.
Of course, McDermott’s work in Carolina over the last few years, and particularly this season, probably garnered the Bucs’ interest as well. Under his guidance, the Panthers gave up only 322.9 yards per game in 2015, good for sixth in the league. The front seven was particularly successful, surrendering just 88.4 rushing yards per contest to opposing teams.
Before the Bucs speak to McDermott, they’ll sit down today with Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin to discuss their head coaching vacancy, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Like McDermott, Goodwin is eligible to speak to teams this week since his club has a bye. And like McDermott, Goodwin has some history with Licht — the Tampa Bay GM spent the 2013 season as Arizona’s vice president of player personnel, during Goodwin’s first season as the club’s offensive coordinator.
Goodwin’s unit in Arizona was one of the NFL’s most potent offenses in 2015, leading the league in yards per game (408.3) and ranking second in points per contest (30.6). After ranking 23rd in offensive DVOA in 2014, the club finished fourth this season, per Football Outsiders.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons To Retain GM Thomas Dimitroff
Despite some December speculation that his grip on the Falcons’ general manager job was growing somewhat tenuous, Thomas Dimitroff will remain in his current role going forward, owner Arthur Blank announced today. Blank issued a statement expressing confidence in Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn going forward.
“Over the last week, we have conducted an exhaustive review of every area of our team,” Blank said. “Through this process it has become very clear to me that Coach Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff have built a productive working relationship over the last 11 months. There is very good alignment between Dan and Thomas on the direction we need to go to improve our team and I believe maintaining the continuity of that relationship, with Scott Pioli continuing to assist Thomas, is the right way forward.”
While Dimitroff and Pioli appear poised to remain in their current positions, that doesn’t mean there won’t be some changes made within the front office. In his statement, the Falcons owner went on to say that the team will likely make some moves in the next few weeks that will affect football operations.
“We are going to make a number of changes to our pro personnel and college scouting departments and that process began this week,” Blank said. “It will take some time, but we will be adding talent on the pro personnel side and re-organizing both of these groups to best align with the shared vision of Coach Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff. I expect these changes will produce positive results for our team.”
After making the playoffs in four of Dimitroff’s first five seasons as GM, the Falcons have struggled in recent years, going a combined 18-30 over the last three seasons, with no postseason berths. The team has had some trouble during that stretch adding offensive playmakers to complement Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, though Devonta Freeman‘s breakout season in 2015 was a positive sign. There has also been a lack of difference-making talent on defense in Atlanta lately, but the hiring of Quinn and this year’s selection of Vic Beasley represented steps in the right direction on that side of the ball.
NFC Notes: Gruden, Thurmond, Bears, Hardy
When Paul Domowitch of Philly.com wrote on Thursday that Jon Gruden had expressed interest in the Eagles‘ head coaching job, it seemed like the sort of report that would get denied almost immediately. Domowitch himself said Gruden’s interest was conveyed “through an intermediary,” which would give the former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach plausible deniability. So it’s no surprise that Howard Eskin of FOX 29 tweets that he received a text from Gruden saying he’s “not interested” in the Philadelphia job.
So what to make of the various reports on Gruden? It wouldn’t surprise me if, as Domowitch reported, the Monday Night Football analyst did reach out to the Eagles through back channels. Does that mean he wants the job, or that he’s actively pursuing it? Maybe not — if he did reach out, Gruden could have been simply kicking the tires on the opening, getting a sense of what sort of candidate owner Jeffrey Lurie is seeking. If Lurie wants a less-established coach, one who won’t make a play for Howie Roseman‘s power like Chip Kelly did, then perhaps Gruden isn’t a fit in Philadelphia.
It’s possible that at some point Gruden will head back down to the field from the broadcasters’ booth and return to coaching, and the Eagles’ job may be one that interests him. But over the years, we’ve seen him leverage the possibility of returning to head coaching into what is reportedly the highest-paid contract for an ESPN broadcaster, and he seems satisfied with his MNF gig. So I’d be surprised if there’s enough mutual interest between Gruden and the Eagles to make this the head coaching position he finally takes.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Considering they still need to hire a head coach and make a decision on Sam Bradford‘s future, the Eagles have more pressing issues to address than Walter Thurmond‘s situation. Still, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer outlines, the club will have an interesting call to make on Thurmond, who is eligible for free agency after playing surprisingly well as a safety in 2015.
- Don’t expect the Bears to make one giant splash in free agency this offseason, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. As general manager Ryan Pace explains, the club prefers to spread out its resources on several different players in free agency. “You kind of limit your risk a little bit when you do that,” Pace said. “I think last year there might’ve been a little more one-year deals than we would typically do just because I think part of that is, hey, we’re just getting here, we want to evaluate our team, these one-year deals give us a little bit of flexibility. But I don’t like to put all our eggs in one basket in free agency.”
- After staunchly defending Greg Hardy and insisting the team wanted to extend the defensive end earlier in the 2015 season, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones sounds far less committed to Hardy these days, as Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk details. Jones’ comments on Hardy come via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
49ers Meet With Chip Kelly, Anthony Lynn
The 49ers’ head coaching search is underway, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has interviewed Bills assistant head coach and running backs coach Anthony Lynn about the position. Maiocco adds (via Twitter) that the Niners have also met with former Eagles coach Chip Kelly to discuss the job.
Based on Maiocco’s wording, it’s not clear if San Francisco conducted a formal interview with Kelly for the team’s head coaching vacancy. But either way, it appears there’s some mutual interest between the two sides. Kelly reportedly reached out to the Niners earlier this week to express interest in the job, while Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that the club begin considering Kelly before officially parting ways with Jim Tomsula.
[RELATED: 49ers to interview Mike Shanahan]
There has been some speculation that Kelly would be a good fit in San Francisco to help Colin Kaepernick bounce back, based on his past success with mobile quarterbacks. Of course, if the Niners were to seriously pursue the ex-Eagles head coach, the club would have to confident he could comfortably co-exist with general manager Trent Baalke and CEO Jed York. Kelly’s departure from Philadelphia stemmed in part from him wearing out his welcome within the organization, having been at odds with former Eagles GM Howie Roseman.
As for Lynn, the Niners’ job is one of two head coaching positions he has interviewed for this week. The Buffalo assistant also spoke to the Dolphins about their head coaching job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Dolphins, Gruden, Browns, Titans
As the Dolphins search for their next head coach, the areas they’re prioritizing when talking to candidates are quarterback and defense, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Dolphins brass wants to hear from prospective head coaches how they plan to help the two improve after an up-and-down fourth season from Ryan Tannehill and a year in which the defense finished 25th overall.
Further, per Salguero, interim head coach Dan Campbell‘s only chance to get a promotion to the full-time role is if he presents Miami’s hierarchy with two proven coordinators willing to join his staff. Whether it’s Campbell or someone else, the Dolphins want a coach who has real solutions to repair their problems on both sides of the ball.
More from around the NFL:
- A report Thursday night stated that ex-head coach Jon Gruden is interested in the Eagles’ job, but CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets otherwise. Gruden to the Eagles is “not happening and not discussed,” La Canfora offers.
- With perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas facing an uncertain future with the Browns, Cleveland.com took a look at which teams could be candidates to acquire the 31-year-old during the offseason. The list consists of the Packers, Broncos (who tried to acquire Thomas at this season’s trade deadline), Colts, Titans, Jaguars, Chiefs, Vikings and Patriots.
- It was reported earlier Thursday that the Titans received permission to speak with Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard regarding their vacant general manager job. The two are likely to powwow Monday, reports Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link).
- Marc Ross, another candidate for the Titans’ GM job, might make the most sense for Tennessee if the club is looking to promote interim head coach Mike Mularkey, notes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Ross, who’s currently the Giants’ vice president of player evaluation, was a member of Buffalo’s front office when Mularkey was its head coach from 2004-05.
- The NFL has chosen the staffs of the Cowboys and Jaguars to coach the 2016 Reese’s Senior Bowl from Jan. 25-30, according to a press release. The Cowboys will coach the North team against the Jags-led South squad.
Latest On Eagles’ Coaching Search
Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo interviewed for the Eagles’ head coaching job Thursday, the team announced (link to press release). McAdoo, who talked to the Giants about their head coaching vacancy earlier this week, is the fourth different candidate to interview with the Eagles, joining two in-house names – interim head coach Pat Shurmur and running backs coach Duce Staley – and Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
[RELATED: 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
One obvious similarity McAdoo, Shurmur, Staley and Gase share is that they’re all offensive-minded coaches. The sa
me holds true for longtime head coach Jon Gruden, who has expressed interest in the Eagles’ job to owner Jeffrey Lurie through an intermediary, Paul Domowitch of Philly.com reports. Gruden has a fan in Lurie, according to Domowitch, but Lurie is unsure if Gruden and executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman would be able to work well together. Gruden has told people he and Roseman would be able to get along, per Domowitch, who notes that ex-Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said the same thing before taking over in 2013. That didn’t turn out well, of course, as Kelly and Roseman were at loggerheads during Kelly’s short run in Philadelphia. Regardless, Domowitch writes that Lurie’s focus right now is on the assistants the Eagles have interviewed and the ones they’ve yet to interview.
While Gruden could be a Plan B option if Lurie doesn’t end up smitten with any of the other candidates, the owner is currently bullish on Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson – who is scheduled to interview Sunday – and Gase. However, contrary to a previous report, the Eagles won’t conduct a second interview with Gase this weekend, according to Les Bowen of Philly.com.
Gruden hasn’t coached since 2008, having served as an analyst instead, but he had a successful tenure from 1998 until then atop the Raiders and Buccaneers, respectively. The 52-year-old compiled a 95-81 regular-season record, five playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title with Tampa to cap off the 2002-03 season. He also won eight-plus games in eight of his 11 seasons at the helm in Oakland and Tampa. Immediately prior to his time as a head coach, Gruden worked in Philly as its offensive coordinator from 1995-97.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Colts Name Rob Chudzinski O-Coordinator
Hours after announcing former Ravens assistant Ted Monachino as their new defensive coordinator, the C
olts have made another significant move with respect to their coaching staff. This time, though, the Colts are staying in house, promoting interim offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski to the full-time job, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Chudzinski, 47, has extensive experience as an O-coordinator, having held that post in Cleveland (2007-08) and Carolina (2011-12) before joining Indy’s staff as an assistant in 2014. Chudzinski took over as the Colts’ coordinator in November after the firing of Pep Hamilton.
With the promotion of Chudzinski and, more importantly, the return of star quarterback Andrew Luck from injury next season, the Colts will hope to revive an offense that finished the 2015-16 campaign 28th in yardage and 24th in points. In Luck’s only game with Chudzinski calling plays this season, Nov. 8 against Denver, he completed 21 of 36 passes for 252 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers in a 27-24 upset win, also adding 34 yards on six rushes.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/7/16
Here are Thursday’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters in March:
Arizona Cardinals
- T Edawn Coughman (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Cleveland Browns
- OL Conor Boffeli (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
New Orleans Saints
- WR Shane Wynn (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
New York Jets
- DB Kendall James (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post)
- G Craig Watts (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
San Francisco 49ers
- WR DiAndre Campbell (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)
- T Colin Kelly (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- DT Kaleb Ramsey (via Branch)
- DT Garrison Smith (via Branch)
Coach Rumors: Browns, Marrone, Giants, Bucs
The Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that works with the NFL to ensure that minority candidates are considered – and hired – for coaching and front office jobs, has put out its list of recommendations for this offseason, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
As Tomasson outlines, the group’s top six picks for head coaching candidates this winter are Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin, Bills running backs coach and assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, and Cowboys secondary coach Jerome Henderson.
Jackson and Austin are viewed as particularly strong candidates, with both men having scheduled multiple interviews with teams seeking new head coaches. Lynn and Henderson have also lined up HC interviews, so we’ll see if Edwards and Goodwin can follow suit.
Here are more of today’s coaching notes and rumors:
- Reports indicated that Doug Marrone and Sean McDermott were both on the Browns‘ interview schedule for today, but only the Jaguars assistant head coach actually met with the team. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Panthers defensive coordinator will now interview on Sunday, which is shaping up to be a busy day for Cleveland — the Browns are also scheduled to meet with Bengals assistants Paul Guenther and Hue Jackson on Sunday.
- Within that same piece, Kabot cites sources who say there’s some concern among Browns players about the possibility of Marrone landing the job, since he’s not considered a players’ coach. Joe Thomas has indicated he may ask for a trade if he’s not happy with Cleveland’s new head coach, and fellow offensive linemen Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz could both depart in free agency, so the Browns may want to proceed with some caution.
- The Giants have officially confirmed that they interviewed Teryl Austin for their head coaching job today, bringing their total number of interviewees so far up to three, as our tracker shows. Adam Gase and Marrone also have meetings lined up this week with Big Blue, with Jackson and McDermott potentially in the mix for interviews as well.
- Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter was upset by the sudden firing of Lovie Smith, sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Koetter also may have more interest in a head coaching job in the Pacific Northwest, where he grew up, but he “relishes” coaching Jameis Winston, so if he gets the opportunity to land the Bucs’ HC job, he could be a good fit. Mortensen adds that, while the Bucs tried to hire Chip Kelly back in 2012, the former Eagles head coach probably won’t be a candidate this time around.