Tom Coughlin Withdraws From Eagles HC Search
1:37pm: Coughlin could have landed the Eagles’ head coaching position had he not removed his name from consideration, sources tell Gary Myers of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). With most of his assistant coaches still under contract in New York, Coughlin didn’t want to start over with a new staff and the Giants weren’t about to let all those assistants join him.
12:11pm: Tom Coughlin is withdrawing his name from consideration for Eagles head coaching job, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran coach feels that he’s not the right fit for the job. Coughlin had concerns about the Eagles job, including who the offensive coordinator would be, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
In theory, Coughlin taking himself out of the running in Philly could signal something happening with the 49ers, where he has been said to be a strong candidate. However, the Niners are said to be down to Chip Kelly or Mike Shanahan for their own vacancy, which would leave Coughlin on the outside looking in.
As PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Trackershows, Coughlin was one of many candidates to be connected to the job in Philadelphia. So far, the team has also interviewed interim head coach Pat Shurmur, running backs coach Duce Staley, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo (before he was hired by the Giants), and Chiefs OC Doug Pederson. The Eagles were reportedly closing in on McAdoo before the Giants locked him down on Wednesday evening. Shurmur, Staley, and Pederson have not interviewed with any other teams to date.
Coughlin, who previously served as head coach of the Jaguars, led the Giants to a 102-90 record during his 12 seasons with the team. He also added eight victories in 11 postseason contests, with all of those wins coming in two seasons – 2007 and 2011 – during which the Giants won the Super Bowl.
In recent years, however, Coughlin’s Giants struggled, having failed to earn a postseason berth since that 2011 Super Bowl season. After going 9-7 in 2012, New York has had three straight losing years, finishing 6-10 in a weak NFC East in 2015 and sealing Coughlin’s fate — the Giants were expected to make a change if the veteran head coach hadn’t resigned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles To Pursue Doug Pederson
The Eagles are moving on to a Plan C. After their reported top target Ben McAdoo accepted the Giants’ head coaching job and Tom Coughlin withdrew his name from consideration, the Eagles are expected to pursue Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson as their next head coach, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
[RELATED: Tom Coughlin withdraws from Eagles’ HC search]
A former Eagles quarterback, Pederson has only been connected to the Philadelphia job and none of the other NFL head coaching vacancies. In addition to having played for the Eagles, he also coached with the team during Andy Reid‘s tenure, serving as an offensive quality control coach in 2009 and 2010, then as the club’s quarterbacks coach in 2011 and 2012.
Having followed Reid to Kansas City, Pederson is in his third season as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), Reid confirmed that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie reached out to him to inquire about Pederson’s head coaching potential.
While McAdoo and Coughlin appear to have impressed the Eagles during the team’s head coaching search, Pederson shouldn’t necessarily be viewed a fall-back option for the club. One weekend report indicated that the Kansas City OC entered the process as Lurie’s favorite among non-head coaches. Since then, the team has seriously considered McAdoo and Coughlin, but saw the former promoted by the Giants, while the latter pulled out of the process.
Even if the Eagles decide to hire Pederson, the team can’t officially get anything done with him quite yet, with his Chiefs still alive in the postseason. If Kansas City is eliminated this weekend by the Patriots, Philadelphia would be able to move forward with Pederson, but if the Chiefs pull off an upset, Lurie and company would have to wait at least one more week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Talks Between Eagles, Tom Coughlin Heating Up
The Eagles’ talks with Tom Coughlin have intensified, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter links). He adds that there are questions for Coughlin to answer, but the two sides are far down the line and appear to be headed towards a deal. The Eagles are set for a face-to-face meeting with Coughlin today and this powwow is expected to be a lot more in-depth than the last one (link). 
[RELATED: 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
As PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, Coughlin is one of many candidates to be connected to the job in Philadelphia. So far, the team has also interviewed interim head coach Pat Shurmur, running backs coach Duce Staley, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo (before he was hired by the Giants), and Chiefs OC Doug Pederson. The Eagles were reportedly closing in on McAdoo before the Giants locked him down on Wednesday evening.
Coughlin, who previously served as head coach of the Jaguars, led the Giants to a 102-90 record during his 12 seasons with the team. He also added eight victories in 11 postseason contests, with all of those wins coming in two seasons – 2007 and 2011 – during which the Giants won the Super Bowl.
In recent years, however, Coughlin’s Giants struggled, having failed to earn a postseason berth since that 2011 Super Bowl season. After going 9-7 in 2012, New York has had three straight losing years, finishing 6-10 in a weak NFC East in 2015 and sealing Coughlin’s fate — the Giants were expected to make a change if the veteran head coach hadn’t resigned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Checking In On NFL Head Coaching Searches
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:
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.
Coach Rumors: Hue, Giants, Saban, Campbell
Hue Jackson, who has received legit interest from the 49ers and Browns, will fly to New York this week and will meet with the Giants no later than Thursday morning, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Giants, who will talk to Jackson once the owners meetings in Houston conclude, are “serious” about the Bengals offensive coordinator, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Here are a few more Tuesday morning coaching updates:
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Nick Saban will be any more open to an NFL return after adding another NCAA championship win to his résumé on Monday night. For what it’s worth, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the Buccaneers are considering almost every head coaching possibility, including Saban.
- Former Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell is free to seek other job opportunities, and has received inquiries from the Vikings, Cowboys, and Chargers, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. A Monday report indicated that Campbell is likely to move on from the Dolphins.
- For now, the Eagles aren’t planning any more head coaching interviews, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who tweets that the club will regroup and assess its options after this week’s owners meetings. La Canfora and ESPN’s Bill Williamson (Twitter link) both identify Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson as a strong candidate for the job.
- The Colts are interviewing former Bears defensive backs coach Jon Hoke today, after having spoken to Bills DBs coach Donnie Henderson on Monday, per Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter links). While Henderson may not end up in Indianapolis, he won’t return to the Bills, a source tells Marvez.
Coach Rumors: Coughlin, Eagles, Giants
The latest coaching news from around the NFL:
- The Eagles have confirmed (via Twitter) that their interview with former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin has concluded. Coughlin becomes the sixth candidate to sit down with Philadelphia, though one of those six – Adam Gase – has since been hired by another team. Be sure to check out our head coaching search tracker for the full breakdown.
- Meanwhile, Coughlin’s old team in New York conducted a head coaching interview of its own today. The Giants announced in a press release that their meeting with ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith has been completed. An interview with Bengals OC Hue Jackson will likely be next up for Big Blue.
- The Browns are using Monday to take a step back and regroup on their head coaching search, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. There are plenty of options on the table for Cleveland, with the club having interviewed seven candidates to date and having been linked to others.
- Veteran wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson is expected to interview for a wide receivers coaching job with the Rams and Dolphins, a source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Titans To Interview Teryl Austin
The Titans have asked for and received permission to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s also expected to interview with the Eagles this week, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
Prior to taking over as the Lions’ DC in 2014, Austin was a defensive backs coach with the Ravens, Cardinals, and Seahawks. The veteran coach also briefly served as the University of Florida’s defensive coordinator in 2010. Austin garnered attention from the league when the Lions graded out as one of the league’s best defenses in 2014. In 2015, Austin was without the likes of Ndamukong Suh, DeAndre Levy, and Nick Fairley, but he still managed to get results out of his defense, particularly down the stretch.
Austin has already interviewed with the Browns, Dolphins (prior to the hiring of Adam Gase), and the Giants. When the defensive coordinator interviews with the Titans and Eagles, that will make a grand total of five for Austin, making him one of the most highly requested candidates of the offseason. Recently, the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that works with the NFL to ensure that minority candidates are considered for coaching and front office jobs, listed Austin as one of six picks for head coaching gigs. Austin joined Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, 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 on the list.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: RGIII, Cousins, Jets, Bills, Eagles
Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III made it through the 2015 season healthy, which means his 2016 salary – currently guaranteed for injury only – won’t become fully guaranteed. As such, it’s probably just a matter of time until the team releases the former second overall pick, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets and Jason Reid of ESPN.com writes.
The RGIII era in Washington is set to come to an end, having overlapped with the start of the Kirk Cousins era, and it remains to be seen what sort of long-term future Cousins has in Washington. For now though, all signs (and reports) point to the club aiming to lock up its new starting quarterback via a multiyear contract or the franchise tag this offseason.
Following Washington’s Wild Card loss to the Packers, Cousins was asked about his future and replied, “I want to be where I am wanted,” per John Keim of ESPN.com. For now, that will almost certainly mean staying in D.C.
Here’s more from across the NFL’s East divisions:
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has 10 suggestions for offseason roster moves for Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan. Among them? Re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bilal Powell, extending Damon Harrison, drafting a quarterback and edge rusher, and trading Muhammad Wilkerson.
- With the Bills not expected to be major players in free agency, the team will have to explore different avenues to find contributors for 2016. As Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News suggests, that means that a few of the 14 players signed by the team in December could end up being in the mix for roster spots next season.
- Zach Berman of the Philadephia Inquirer takes an early look at some upcoming offseason decisions for the Eagles, identifying the club’s biggest needs and most important free agents.
East Notes: Hatcher, Eagles, Edelman, Gase
Here is the latest coming out of the Eastern divisions as the eight remaining teams begin full preparations for their divisional-round matchups.
- After Washington‘s wild-card loss to the Packers, Jason Hatcher will consider retirement, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. The 33-year-old defensive end had a postgame conversation with GM Scot McCloughan, and Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com notes Washington may have to convince him to return next season. “I’ve been thinking lately about this being my last year, you know, retiring,” Hatcher told media. “One thing I’ve got to pray about. [McCloughan] said he wanted me around. I’m not going to hold them up on my decision. I’m going to make it pretty quick.” Hatcher just completed the second season of a four-year, $27.5MM contract. He’s set to occupy an $8.73MM cap number in 2016.
- Now a free agent, Alfred Morris was noncommittal about a Washington return, John Keim of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). “When I first came into the league, no matter what team I went to … I just wanted to do my whole career with the same team. That’s still my goal. I would love to return, but a lot goes into that. I haven’t thought about that,” Morris told media. Coming off by far his worst season as a pro, Morris enters free agency in a class with Matt Forte, Lamar Miller, Chris Ivory and probably Marshawn Lynch. A former sixth-round draft pick, Morris averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per carry and would likely not command a high salary despite being set for his age-27 season come training camp.
- Ryan Mathews recently underwent groin surgery, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). First listed with the malady on the Eagles‘ injury report in Week 6, Mathews played 13 games this season. He finished with a career-best 5.0 yards per carry, although the 107 totes represented Mathews’ lowest number in a season in which he played at least 12 games.
- The Eagles’ new coaching search resembles safer, Andy Reid-type candidates than Chip Kelly-esque innovators, Les Bowen of Philly.com writes. Adam Gase did not receive an offer from the Eagles, and Doug Pederson, someone who Bowen doesn’t think would have captured the Eagles’ attention in 2013, entered the process as Jeffery Lurie‘s favorite among non-head coaches. Pederson reportedly interviewed with the Eagles for 4 1/2 hours from Kansas City.
- Cleared to play in the Patriots‘ sixth straight divisional playoff game, Julian Edelman will do so with a steel plate in his left shoe in an attempt to prevent re-fracturing his foot, WHDH’s Joe Amorosino reports (via WEEI.com). Edelman missed the Pats’ final seven regular-season games after breaking a bone in his foot Nov. 15.
- Gase’s innovative offensive methods notwithstanding, sources tell SI.com’s Don Banks the 37-year-old coach’s intellectual approach may struggle from a leadership perspective, considering the kind of year the Dolphins just had and the fact that the mild-mannered Joe Philbin didn’t exactly win over the team.
Eagles Interview Doug Pederson, To Interview Tom Coughlin
SUNDAY, 5:33pm: The Eagles are progressing with this idea and will officially interview Coughlin on Monday, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reports.
The Eagles also met with Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson in Kansas City on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). A former Eagles quarterback, Pederson has only been connected to the Philadelphia job. He’s in his third season as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator.
SATURDAY, 9:56am: Coughlin also has an offer from the Giants to stay with the organization, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). However, Coughlin is reportedly seeking a head coaching gig.
SATURDAY, 8:42am: Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is expected to speak with the Eagles this week about their head coaching vacancy, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. Since the 69-year-old resigned with a year left on his contract, the Giants still technically hold his rights, and that means the organization would be able to deny any interview requests. However, it appears as if the Eagles request was granted. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the two sides will meet Monday, describing the meeting as more of a “feeling-out for both than an interview.”
When Coughlin stepped down as head coach of the Giants earlier this week, it was uncertain if the 69-year-old would ever coach again. The two sides parted mutually, but the head coach made it clear that he was “resigning,” not retiring.
Coughlin has compiled a 169-146 record in his long coaching career, including a 102-90 mark with the Giants. He has won three Super Bowls, including a pair as head coach of the G-Men. The last few seasons haven’t been as successful, as the team has finished in third place for three straight years and hasn’t reached nine victories since 2012.
Of course, things weren’t much better for the Eagles in 2015, as the squad finished with a disappointing 7-9 record. This led to the dismissal of head coach Chip Kelly, a move that surprised Coughlin.
“Quite frankly, I’m not surprised by anything in this business,” Coughlin said (via Garafolo). “But that one was close.”
Coughlin isn’t the only candidate for the gig, as the Eagles also have interest in former quarterbacks coach Doug Pederson.