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Longest-Tenured Head Coaches In The NFL

January 26th, 2016 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL is a league of relative parity, one where a perennial contender can bottom out practically overnight and a team expected to finish at the bottom of its division can win it. As such, it’s probably not a surprise that NFL head coaches’ jobs are rarely safe, with most coaches around the league just one or two underachieving seasons away from being replaced.

Of course, there are exceptions to that rule, as is the case in New England, where Bill Belichick just completed his 16th season as head coach of the Patriots. However, while there are several long-tenured coaches across the NFL, most men in the position are relative newcomers. Over a third of the league’s 32 coaches have coached no more than one season with their respective teams, and only 11 have been with their current teams for more than three years.

A coach like Belichick has such a proven track record that a poor 2016 season wouldn’t jeopardize his position. But as is the case every year, there are likely several names on the list below who won’t still have their jobs by next January. Even longer-tenured head coaches aren’t always safe — Tom Coughlin had been with the Giants since 2004, placing him third on this list, before the two sides parted ways earlier this month.

Here’s the list of the current head coaches in the NFL, ordered by tenure, along with the month and year in which they assumed the role:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals): January 14, 2003
  3. Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers): January 12, 2006
  4. Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints): January 18, 2006
  5. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 22, 2007
  6. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008
  7. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010
  8. Jason Garrett (Dallas Cowboys): November 8, 2010 (interim; permanent since January 2011)
  9. Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers): January 11, 2011
  10. Jeff Fisher (Los Angeles Rams): January 13, 2012
  11. Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts): January 25, 2012
  12. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013
  13. Mike McCoy (San Diego Chargers): January 15, 2013
  14. Bruce Arians (Arizona Cardinals): January 17, 2013
  15. Gus Bradley (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 17, 2013
  16. Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 2, 2014
  17. Jay Gruden (Washington): January 9, 2014
  18. Jim Caldwell (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2014
  19. Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings): January 15, 2014
  20. Rex Ryan (Buffalo Bills): January 12, 2015
  21. Todd Bowles (New York Jets): January 14, 2015
  22. Jack Del Rio (Oakland Raiders): January 15, 2015
  23. John Fox (Chicago Bears): January 16, 2015
  24. Gary Kubiak (Denver Broncos): January 19, 2015
  25. Dan Quinn (Atlanta Falcons): February 2, 2015
  26. Mike Mularkey (Tennessee Titans): November 3, 2015 (interim; permanent since January 2016)
  27. Adam Gase (Miami Dolphins): January 9, 2016
  28. Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2016
  29. Chip Kelly (San Francisco 49ers): January 14, 2016
  30. Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 15, 2016
  31. Ben McAdoo (New York Giants): January 15, 2016
  32. Doug Pederson (Philadelphia Eagles): January 18, 2016

Latest On Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Searches

January 25th, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, 12 NFL teams made changes at their defensive coordinator position, while nearly half the league named a new offensive coordinator. This time around, it doesn’t appear there will be quite as much turnover around the league. However, plenty of clubs have announced changes at offensive and defensive coordinator since the regular season ended.

While many teams have finalized their coordinator changes, we’re still waiting for official announcements on a few of those moves. And in at least one case, we continue to wait on a team to make a decision on who to hire as its defensive coordinator. Here’s a round-up of the vacancies that remain up in the air to some extent:

Offensive coordinators:

The Browns, Rams, and Giants are the teams currently without an official offensive coordinator on their respective staffs, but barring any surprises, it’s clear which direction those teams are heading. Hue Jackson has added several offensive assistants to his coaching staff, but isn’t expected to name an actual offensive coordinator, since he’ll handle play-calling duties in Cleveland.

Meanwhile, the Rams have interviewed some offensive coordinator candidates, but it seems they’ll keep interim OC Rob Boras in that role, perhaps adding a passing-game coordinator to their staff. As for the Giants, we heard when Ben McAdoo was hired that he was expected to promote quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan to offensive coordinator, and there have been no indications over the last week and a half that he has changed his mind.

Defensive coordinators:

The 49ers appear to be the only team making a change at offensive or defensive coordinator that hasn’t decided yet who that new coordinator will be, so perhaps the lack of competition means that the club will be patient in making the decision.

San Francisco reportedly offered Mike Vrabel the team’s defensive coordinator job, which Vrabel turned down. The Niners are now said to be considering Ravens linebackers coach Don Martindale, along with their own LBs coach, Jason Tarver. Those aren’t the only candidates though — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that former Browns DC Jim O’Neil recently interviewed for the job.

The only other DC job with any measure of uncertainty is in New Orleans, where a report earlier this month indicated that Dennis Allen would be retained as the Saints DC after taking over for Rob Ryan during the 2015 season. The team hasn’t formally confirmed that, but there have also been no reports of the Saints looking for someone else or interviewing candidates, so it looks like Allen is safe.

For the full list of OC/DC changes that have been confirmed, be sure to check out our tracker.

PFR Originals: 1/10/16 – 1/17/16

January 17th, 2016 at 4:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

2016 Free Agent Power Rankings

January 16th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In the four weeks since the first edition of our Free Agent Power Rankings, two players listed (albeit, as honorable mentions) have inked extensions, as defensive end Derek Wolfe agreed to a four-year, $36.75MM pact with the Broncos, while fellow defensive end Mike Daniels signed a four-year, $42MM deal with the Packers. There’s still an impressive crop of 2016 free agents heading for the open market, however, so let’s check in on the status of the top unrestricted free agents, ranked by projected guaranteed money.

Dec 6, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (58) defends during the second half of the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Denver won 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

1. Von Miller, LB: Miller did nothing over the final four weeks of the season to lose his top spot, picking up two sacks (to finish the year with 11) while being named both a first-team All Pro and and Pro Bowler. Nothing has changed regarding his contract expectations, but the Broncos’ quarterback situation could have an effect on Miller’s status. Denver probably won’t have to worry about using the franchise tag on Brock Osweiler now that he’s lost his starting job, meaning the tag will be in play for Miller.

2. Alshon Jeffery, WR: Jeffery missed two of the season’s final four games, and was ultimately placed on injured reserve prior to Week 17. He only played in nine games on the year, but it’s hard to think that his nagging injuries will affect his free agent stock, as most teams will likely assume he’ll be at full health by next season. And Jeffery was productive when he played, averaging nearly 90 yards per game, and the Bears are open to an extension. Jeffery doesn’t sound as amenable to such an offer, however, so the threat of the franchise tag looms.

3. Kirk Cousins, QB: Perhaps no player in the league did more over the last four weeks of the regular season to help their stock than Cousins, who completed 74% of his passes for nearly 1,200 yards, while posting a 12:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio to go along with a 134.0 quarterback rating. Washington has made it clear that it will retain Cousins one way or another, and they’ve indicated that a long-term extension is the preferred option. Just 27 years old and having shown he can serve as a franchise QB, Cousins could ask for the Ryan Tannehill contract ($77MM total, $21.5MM guaranteed) — or more.

4. Kelechi Osemele, G/T: Osemele moves up from sixth to fourth primarily due to the Ravens’ decision to play him at left tackle for the final three games of the season. Already an outstanding guard, the ability to handle tackle only increases Osemele’s value, and Baltimore agrees, as a report last month indicated that the club would be willing to pay up for a quality left tackle (whereas they probably couldn’t justify retaining Osemele as a guard given that they’ve already extended Marshal Yanda). Osemele himself sounds optimistic about his chances to stay, noting that he had a positive end-of-the-year conversation with GM Ozzie Newsome.

5. Josh Norman, CB: Compared to Norman’s outstanding first three-quarters of the regular season, it’s difficult to call his final four games anything other than a disappointment. He was still a solid corner, to be sure, but he wasn’t the top-notch standout he had been during Weeks 1-13. For example, when I listed Norman on the first edition of these rankings, he graded as the league’s No. 1 corner, per Pro Football Focus — but he finished the season at No. 13, indicating a precipitous dropoff. At 28, he’s a little older than a typical first-time free agent, so he might need to set his sights a little lower than the Richard Sherman/Patrick Peterson territory.

6. Muhammad Wilkerson, DE: Wilkerson suffered an unfortunate injury in Week 17, breaking his leg in a loss against the Bills that prevented the Jets from earning a playoff berth. He should be able to fully recover by the start of the regular season, but there is a chance that he’ll miss some training camp activity. New York has expressed an interest in re-signing Wilkerson, but with a defensive line already chock full of talent, the club’s best route might be assigning him the franchise tag and then attempting to trade him, a possibility that has been floated.

7. Sam Bradford, QB: Bradford’s first season in Philadelphia is a little hard to value production-wise. He ranked 11th in completion percentage, 18th in passing yards, 22nd in touchdowns, and 26th in quarterback rating. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 11th-best QB, but he ranked just 26th in Football Outsiders’ DYAR (a metric that grades performance against replacement level). Bradford didn’t put up the type of numbers that some thought he might in Chip Kelly‘s offense, but the fact remains that QBs get paid. With so many teams looking for mere competency at the position, Bradford will earn a nice contract.

8. Cordy Glenn, T: Recently-extended Bills GM Doug Whaley said last week that re-signing both Glenn and fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito would be a “major point of emphasis” this offseason. While Incognito should only require a short-term deal, Glenn will want both a longer contract and more money. The 26-year-old Glenn was outstanding this season (PFF’s No. 10 tackle) and is nothing if not durable — he’s only missed three games in his career, all during his rookie season.

9. Russell Okung, T: Okung has name value after being a former top-10 pick, but his play has continued to deteriorate (he slid all the way to No. 32 among tackles per PFF).Okung will probably point to the extensions signed by Trent Williams and Tyron Smith as he negotiates his next deal, but the fact is that he’s not that caliber of player. I wonder if he might get a little bump simply by being a part of successful team in Seattle, but I predict he’ll come up short of his contractual target.

10. Eric Berry, S: Berry has moved down a few spots since the previous edition of our rankings, but that’s not because of his production. Safeties just don’t get paid like other positions included here do, and while Berry could certainly hit the $9MM/year mark, his guarantees likely won’t match what the quarterbacks, tackles, pass-rushers, corners, and receivers earn. Still, it should be all good news for Berry this offseason, and he’s certainly the favorite for Comeback Player of the Year.

Dropped out: Brock Osweiler, QB.

2016 Head Coaching Candidate Review

January 16th, 2016 at 6:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 2016 NFL head coaching hiring cycle is now complete following the Titans’ promotion of interim HC Mike Mularkey to the full-time job. Seven new head coaches were named, but as our head coaching search tracker shows, many more candidates were a part of interview processes around the league. Let’s take a look at some of those coaches who didn’t land a job this year (but who could certainly be candidates again at this time next season):Teryl Austin (vertical)

  • Teryl Austin – Lions DC: Like he was in 2015, Austin was among the most popular candidates on the interview circuit, as he was scheduled to interview for five of the seven vacancies (Browns, Dolphins, Eagles, Giants, and Titans). Instead, he’ll return to Detroit under head coach Jim Caldwell, who will remain with the club for as least one more season. Austin, whose defenses have finished in the top half of the league in terms of DVOA in each of the past two years, should be a viable head coaching candidate again in 2017.
  • Tom Coughlin – former Giants HC: After resigning in New York, Coughlin didn’t opt for retirement, instead interviewing for both the 49ers and Eagles head coaching jobs. In fact, the Philadelphia gig was likely his for the taking, but Coughlin withdrew his name after realizing that most of his former assistants would be staying with the Giants (and new HC Ben McAdoo). Coughlin will be 71 years old when the 2017 season begins, so his days as a head coach are probably over.
  • Doug Marrone – Jaguars OL coach: Marrone has been on the hunt for a head coaching job ever since opting out of his Bills contract following the 2014 season. He met with the Browns, Dolphins, Giants, and Titans but, as he did last year, failed to land a new gig. He’ll once again lead Jacksonville’s offensive line (and serve as the club’s assistant head coach) this season.
  • Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia – Patriots OC/DC: Between the two, McDaniels and Patricia only ended up taking one interview (Patricia with the Browns). But both coaches were hot names on the coaching market as a result of being key figures in New England’s success. The Dolphins requested interviews with both (neither went), and both were considered strong candidates for the Titans vacancy. Spending another season under the tutelage of Bill Belichick isn’t the worst outcome, however, and both will look for top jobs again next year.
  • Sean McDermott – Panthers DC: For a coach who has lead one of the league’s best defenses for the past five year (including a No. 3 DVOA finish this season), McDermott didn’t garner that much interest. He interviewed with the Browns and Buccaneers, and was also linked to the Giants and Eagles jobs. McDermott never seemed close to landing a head coaching job, however, so another season in Carolina is in the cards.
  • Anthony Lynn – Bills RB coach: Lynn — who is also an assistant head coach with Buffalo — might have the least name value of anyone on this list, but he did interview for two jobs (Dolphins and 49ers). Former NFL scout Dan Hatman recently tweeted that Lynn “has head coach written all over him,” so perhaps the 2017 cycle will be kinder to his prospects.
  • Mike Shanahan – former NFL head coach: 2016 marked the second consecutive season that Shanahan was linked to the 49ers’ head coaching position, and of course, the second consecutive that San Francisco chose another candidate. He also interviewed for the Dolphins job. At 63 years old, it’s doubtful that Shanahan will be a candidate for vacancies next year.
  • Mike Smith – former Falcons HC: After sitting out the 2015 season, Smith interviewed for both the Dolphins and Giants jobs, and was mentioned as a candidate for the 49ers and Buccaneers gigs. As it stands, he will be heading to Tampa Bay, albeit as Dirk Koetter‘s new defensive coordinator.

2016 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Tracker

January 15th, 2016 at 5:56pm CST by Luke Adams

While at least six NFL teams are making head coaching changes this offseason, the number of clubs replacing offensive and/or defensive coordinators figures to be much higher than that. In addition to all those teams hiring new head coaches, who may want to bring in their own assistants, several clubs also figure to make changes on one side of the ball or the other after getting disappointing results in 2015. And, of course, the teams whose coordinators landed head coaching jobs will need to replace them.

With reports circulating on potential candidates, interview requests, and actual meetings, we’ll use the space below to keep tabs on all the latest updates on teams hiring new offensive and/or defensive coordinators. This post, which will be updated daily, can be found under the “PFR Features” menu on the right-hand side of the site.

Updated 2-16-16 (11:22am CT)

Offensive coordinators

Defensive coordinators

Checking In On NFL Head Coaching Searches

January 13th, 2016 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

So far, seven teams have parted ways with their head coaches this month, and it’s possible that one or two more clubs will ultimately decide to make a change. While most of those firings occurred within a day or two of the regular season ending, only one team – the Dolphins – has hired a replacement so far. Miami tabbed Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase as its new head coach.

[RELATED: PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

With the NFL’s owners meetings in Houston coming to an end, teams seeking a new head coach can resume that process in earnest, and it’s possible some of those clubs will conclude their searches by week’s end. Here’s where each situation stands:Hue Jackson (vertical)

Cleveland Browns

Interviewed:
Teryl Austin (Lions DC), Hue Jackson (Bengals OC), Doug Marrone (Jaguars OL coach), Sean McDermott (Panthers DC), Matt Patricia (Patriots DC)

In addition to the candidates listed above, the Browns also interviewed Gase, who has since joined the Dolphins, and Cowboys defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, who appears poised to remain in Dallas.

It looks like Jackson is the top candidate in Cleveland, with the Browns said to be pursuing him most aggressively, though the club hadn’t put a formal offer on the table as of last night. Jackson is set to interview with the Giants today or tomorrow, and if he isn’t hired by New York, he looks like a decent bet to land in Cleveland.

It’s not clear who the Browns’ second choice would be, but it will have to be someone willing to work with the new analytics-oriented front office that includes former MLB executive Paul DePodesta. Despite Cleveland’s history and the club’s unusual front office structure, this job has some appeal, since the Browns’ new head coach will report directly to owner Jimmy Haslam and should have a say in personnel decisions.

New York Giants

Interviewed:
Teryl Austin (Lions DC), Doug Marrone (Jaguars OL coach), Ben McAdoo (Giants OC), Mike Smith (former Falcons HC), Steve Spagnuolo (Giants DC)

The Giants reportedly value previous head coaching experience, which could make Marrone and Smith strong candidates, but the team also doesn’t want to lose McAdoo, which may mean promoting him. Giants owner Steve Tisch said on Tuesday that New York would like to wrap up its coaching search by the end of the week, but there’s still one notable interview on tap, with Hue Jackson set to meet with the club on Wednesday or Thursday.

Jackson is another candidate who has previous head coaching experience, and the fact that he plans on meeting with the Giants even after drawing strong interest from other clubs suggests that he’s intrigued by the job in New York. The Giants’ decision may hinge on how that interview goes.

Philadelphia Eagles

Interviewed:
Tom Coughlin (former Giants HC), Ben McAdoo (Giants OC), Doug Pederson (Chiefs OC), Pat Shurmur (Eagles interim HC), Duce Staley (Eagles RBs coach)

After being initially linked to Gase, the Eagles were believed to be targeting Pederson as their next head coach, but that decision is far from final. While Shurmur and Staley don’t appear to be likely candidates to become Chip Kelly‘s permanent replacement, any of the team’s three other interviewees could be in play.

As Matt Lombardo of NJ.com details, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested during a radio appearance that McAdoo is drawing serious consideration from the Eagles and may be the front-runner. Coughlin’s interview went well too, though he probably isn’t the type of long-term option the Eagles would prefer. Unless the Eagles conduct additional interviews, the team’s decision may come down to Pederson or McAdoo.

San Francisco 49ers

Interviewed:
Tom Coughlin (former Giants HC), John DeFilippo (Browns OC), Hue Jackson (Bengals OC), Chip Kelly (former Eagles HC), Dirk Koetter (Buccaneers OC), Anthony Lynn (Bills RBs coach)

The 49ers’ search has been one of the most confusing to follow over the last week to 10 days. After firing Jim Tomsula, the team was believed to be targeting coaches like Sean Payton and Stanford’s David Shaw, but both of those men preferred to stay where they were.

Jackson was then identified as the likely favorite for the 49ers’ job – or at least the team’s top choice – but a Tuesday report suggested San Francisco may be backing off that pursuit, perhaps due to the strong interest the Bengals OC is generating from other teams. Meanwhile, DeFilippo may be more of a target at offensive coordinator and Koetter is considered the odds-on favorite for the Bucs job, so it’s not clear if they’re seriously in the mix for the top job in San Francisco.

Could Coughlin or Kelly end up with the Niners’ job? Perhaps. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, the team doesn’t have any additional interviews on its schedule, and seems to be nearing the end of its coaching search. Although there has been speculation that the 49ers could circle back to a candidate they interviewed a year ago – such as Mike Shanahan or Josh McDaniels, among others – it doesn’t look like any of those potential candidates will get new interviews this time around.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Interviewed:
Harold Goodwin (Cardinals OC), Dirk Koetter (Buccaneers OC), Sean McDermott (Panthers OC)

The Buccaneers’ head coaching search certainly hasn’t been as expansive as some others so far. The club got in meetings with Goodwin and McDermott during their teams’ respective bye weeks, and former Falcons coach Mike Smith has been mentioned as a candidate here. But Koetter, who had a formal interview this week, continues to look like the front-runner to replace Lovie Smith.

Of course, the longer the Buccaneers’ process lasts, the more it’ll look like the team is waiting for a second interview with someone like Goodwin or McDermott, so it’ll be interesting to see how this search plays out within the next few days.

Tennessee Titans

Interviewed:
None

Interim Titans head coach Mike Mularkey, Jaguars offensive line coach Doug Marrone, and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin are all believed to have meetings on tap with Tennessee, but the club has yet to conduct any of those interviews. Chip Kelly and others have also been linked to the job.

The Titans have prioritized hiring a general manager, and are expected to name one very soon. Frankly, while Mularkey has been considered the favorite for the team’s permanent head coaching job, it’s hard to get a real idea of what direction the franchise will go until that new GM takes over.

Other potential openings

New Lions general manager Bob Quinn is still considering whether or not to retain head coach Jim Caldwell, so Detroit could become the eighth team to seek a replacement if Quinn decides to make a change.

Additionally, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one of the eight teams still alive in the playoffs makes a head coaching change, though I don’t think it’s likely, since none of those eight coaches are presumed to be on the hot seat. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy may have been at risk if his team had lost last weekend, but barring a total meltdown in round two, I’d be surprised if Green Bay makes a change.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PFR Originals: 1/3/16 – 1/10/16

January 10th, 2016 at 4:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

January 4th, 2016 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Several NFL teams are currently hunting for a new head coach, and amidst reports about interview requests and potential candidates, it’s easy to lose track of the latest updates in the shuffle. So we’ll use this space – which will be updated until every team has hired a new head coach – to keep track of the most recent news and rumors. It can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features.”

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 1-18-16 (1:12pm CT)

Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

PFR Originals: 12/20/15 – 12/27/15

December 27th, 2015 at 2:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PR staff during the past week:

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