Coaching Updates: Bowles, Kubiak, Austin
The 49ers may have lost head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, but they are very interested in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com. Bowles interviewed for their vacancy on Friday, and although nothing has been scheduled officially, he is expected to be asked back for a second interview (via Twitter).
Here are some more updates on potential head coaches this Sunday:
- New Bears general manager Ryan Pace’s first task is to find a new head coach, and he plans on pursuing Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, writes Chris Boden of CSNChicago.com. Kubiak had not interviewed for any jobs with the team’s season continuing, but now could be an option to fill vacancies. Reports had it that Kubiak may elect to stay in Baltimore.
- The Bears are scheduled to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin for their head coaching position on Tuesday, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter).
- The Raiders have expressed interest in Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, and after the team was eliminated from the playoffs earlier today, the process of landing the former Jaguars head coach may have accelerated, writes Jerry McDonald of the San Jose Mercury News.
- For the 49ers, only two of their potential head coaching candidates are still in playoffs, in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Falcons Narrow HC Search; Bowles Favorite
After the Falcons fired Mike Smith, many viewed Rex Ryan as the favorite to land the Atlanta head coaching position — Ryan, too, felt that he and the Falcons were a good match, but the two sides never scheduled a second interview, and Ryan signed on with the Bills. However, the club does appear to have narrowed its candidate pool, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta is zeroing in Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn; per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, Bowles is viewed as the leading contender to fill the Falcons vacancy.
Atlanta met with Bowles for five hours on Saturday, writes McClure, and though no second interview is scheduled, owner Arthur Blank will look to visit with the finalists a second time before making a decision. Bowles, Arizona’s DC for the past two seasons, has also interviewed with the Bears, Jets, and 49ers — as we learned earlier today, he has a second meeting scheduled with San Francisco. If he is hired in Atlanta, Bowles would look bring in Cardinals quarterbacks coach Freddie Kitchens as his offensive coordinator, per McClure.
Quinn, meanwhile, is just as popular as Bowles on the head coaching circuit, having been linked to every available vacancy except for Oakland’s. The Jets appear to have the most serious interest, as owner Woody Johnson was reportedly set to fly to Seattle to hire Quinn had the Seahawks lost last night. Instead, Quinn, who met with the Falcons during the first wave of interviews, won’t be available to meet with other clubs again until Seattle is eliminated from the playoffs. If the Hawks make an extended postseason run, it’s fair to wonder if interested teams will give the edge to Bowles, if only to end the hiring process quicker.
The Falcons recently restructured their front office, narrowing general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s responsibilities while expanding the role of assistant GM Scott Pioli. While it’s unclear how the move affects the head coaching search — the club’s press release stated the changes weren’t related to the hunt — the shuffling of duties has to have some impact on the process. Blank appears to be taking a more active role in football operations and will probably have final say over who is named HC. Additionally, while Dimitroff will retain control over free agency and the draft, it’s uncertain who will determine the 53-man roster. Giving a new head coach that control could be an added level of enticement.
With this latest development (and Buffalo’s hiring of Ryan), the head coaching picture has clarified a bit, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) give his best guess as to how the vacancies will be filled: Bowles to the Falcons, Quinn to the Jets, Gary Kubiak or Mike Shanahan to the Bears, Jack Del Rio or Tony Sparano to the Raiders, and an internal candidate taking over the 49ers.
East Notes: Quinn, Spagnuolo, Hartline
It’s been a busy morning in the AFC East, as the Bills have tabbed Rex Ryan as their new head coach and Greg Roman as their new offensive coordinator, and the Jets are set to name Mike Maccagnan as their new GM. Let’s take a look at some other news from the league’s east divisions this morning:
- If the Seahawks had lost to Carolina last night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Jets were prepared to fly to Seattle to offer Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn their head coaching job.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork takes a look at how the Ryan hiring affects the Jets‘ roster and staffing.
- The Giants would have been interested in Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to fill the same position with Big Blue, but with Schwartz apparently set to remain in Buffalo, Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes that New York will interview Bills defensive line coach Pepper Johnson to fill its vacant defensive coordinator job.
- Despite the Giants‘ interest in Johnson, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that all signs point towards the team’s hiring Ravens secondary coach Steve Spagnuolo as the team’s new defensive coordinator. Spagnulo, of course, won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2007 before becoming head coach of the Rams in 2009. Raanan names former Falcons head coach Mike Smith as a dark horse candidate for the position.
- New Washington GM Scot McCloughlan says that head coach Jay Gruden will have complete control in hiring a new defensive coordinator, writes Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. “The head coach hires the coaches,” McCloughlan said.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the Dolphins owe Brian Hartline a quick decision as to whether the team will retain him, release him, or ask him to take a pay cut. In a separate piece, Salguero looks at the uncertainty facing the entire Miami receiving corps.
Poll: Top Head Coaching Candidate?
It has been nearly two weeks since the 2014 regular season ended, but none of the six teams looking for a new head coach have made a hire yet. The slow process can be partially attributed to the fact that several strong head coaching candidates are still alive in the postseason, but there are plenty of viable targets available now.
Of course, many of this year’s noteworthy candidates are talented coordinators who don’t have any previous head coaching experience, so it’s not necessarily easy to identify the top options. Rex Ryan, Mike Shanahan, and Doug Marrone have had varying degrees of success in past head coaching roles, while Dan Quinn (Seahawks), Todd Bowles (Cardinals), and Teryl Austin (Lions) led three of the league’s best defensive units this season. Throw in Adam Gase, whose Broncos offense has ranked in the top three in DVOA for three consecutive seasons, and there are a number of intriguing coaches out there interviewing for multiple job openings.
So what do you think? If you were running an NFL franchise and tasked with hiring a new head coach, which of these candidates would you make your top priority? We’ve limited our poll to the eight aforementioned names, but feel free to weigh in below in the comments section if you feel strongly about a coach not listed here.
Who is this year's top head coaching candidate?
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Dan Quinn (Seahawks DC) 30% (286)
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Rex Ryan (former Jets HC) 25% (238)
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Todd Bowles (Cardinals DC) 19% (186)
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Mike Shanahan (former HC) 10% (95)
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Doug Marrone (former Bills HC) 7% (66)
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Adam Gase (Broncos OC) 6% (62)
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Teryl Austin (Lions DC) 3% (29)
Total votes: 962
AFC Coaching Notes: McDaniels, Kubiak, Jets
We have already looked at some of the NFC’s biggest coaching stories, and to follow up here are some of the most important AFC rumors:
- The early game today features a pair of offensive minds that could have head coaching opportunities this offseason, in Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). McDaniels has drawn interest from the Falcons and 49ers, while Kubiak has ties to both the Jets and Bears.
- Kubiak has not interviewed yet, choosing to wait until the team’s season is over. However, even if Baltimore is eliminated, Kubiak may not interview for a head coaching job. He loves the Ravens and has friends with the organization, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
- As former Jets head coach Rex Ryan interviews for potential head coaching jobs, one question teams are curious about is who he plans to bring in as an offensive coordinator. Ryan is pitching a potential union with former Bears coach Marc Trestman, reports Rapoport (via Twitter).
- Trestman and Raiders quarterback coach John DeFilippo are in the running to replace Kyle Shanahan as the Browns‘ offensive coordinator, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Fowler writes that the most important qualities Cleveland is looking for in an offensive coordinator are the ability to work with Johnny Manziel and scheme flexibility in case the team moves on from its young quarterback.
- The Browns have also asked for permission to interview Raiders assistant coach Al Saunders, who has experience as an offensive coordinator and head coach during his 30 years in the NFL, reports Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury News.
- If former Bills coach Doug Marrone cannot land another head coaching job this year, he would likely be welcome to join the Texans’ staff as a consultant, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN (via Twitter). Marrone is close with Texans coach Bill O’Brien.
- The Jets could be waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but owner Woody Johnson should be worried about his ability to get the in-demand Seahawks assistant, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com. If the Jets wait on Quinn and loses him to another suitor, it could leave the team in a bad spot.
NFC Coaching Notes: Quinn, 49ers, Rams
Here are some updates on open NFC coaching positions:
- If Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn gets a head coaching job, potential offensive coordinators he could hire include Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable or former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Since losing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to the University of Georgia, the Rams have expressed interest in 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman and former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to fill the open position, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
- The 49ers announced that it would take seven to ten days to hire a new coach, but made the announcement on December 29th, and have yet to make significant progress, reports Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Gutierrez notes that three candidates are still coaching playoff teams, and lists the eight coaches interviewed so far.
- The three candidates for the 49ers job that will be coaching this weekend are Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. If everything breaks perfectly, all three could be available by Sunday night.
- Six coaching jobs have opened up this offseason and six jobs remain unfilled. Everyone may have their own theory for why it is taking so long to hire new head coaches, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes it is because teams are waiting for the Seahawks‘ season to be over and for Quinn to become available (via Twitter).
- As the Giants continue to search for a new defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo is among leaders in the clubhouse for the job, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator under Tom Coughlin during the team’s 2007-08 Super Bowl run.
Jets Targeting Mike Maccagnan, Dan Quinn
10:58pm: The Jets aren’t expected to make any hires this weekend, tweets Mehta.
7:31pm: Now that the Bears have hired Ryan Pace as their general manager, the Jets are the league’s lone team searching for both a GM and a head coach, but it appears the club has its sights set on a pair of top targets. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan has emerged as the favorite for the Jets’ GM vacancy, while Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is the frontrunner for the head coaching position.
While former Bills head coach Doug Marrone was initially viewed as the top candidate to replace Rex Ryan in New York, Marrone isn’t one of the team’s preferred options at this point, a source tells Costello. Instead, Quinn, Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable are the most serious contenders, having had the best interviews of New York’s candidates so far.
Quinn was busy during Seattle’s bye week, speaking to the Falcons, Bills, Bears, and 49ers as well, so the Jets will have competition for the coveted defensive coordinator. However, the team’s interest in Quinn is mutual, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who reports that the Seahawks DC has told friends that New York is his top choice.
As for Maccagnan, both Costello and Mehta indicate that the GM hopeful is meeting with Jets owner Woody Johnson and the club’s front office brass for dinner tonight. Maccagnan is the only candidate to receive a second interview with the Jets to date, and Mehta writes that Johnson, team president Neil Glat, and consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf have made the Texans executive their top target.
If Maccagnan is tabbed as John Idzik‘s successor, the Jets may bring aboard a veteran contract negotiator and cap expert to complement his skill set. According to Mehta, if Quinn were to land a head coaching job, he would like his new team to add former Buccaneers GM (and current ESPN analyst) Mark Domenik to the front office — the Jets have reached out to Domenik about a possible role, per Mehta.
Although a front office hiring or two could happen soon, the Jets won’t get the chance to speak to Quinn again until the Seahawks are eliminated from the postseason or win the NFC title game. Assuming Seattle defeats the Panthers this weekend, as is expected, that means the Jets would have to wait until at least January 18 to talk to or hire the Seahawks coordinator.
Jets Links: Ryan, Shanahan, Maccagnan
One of Rex Ryan‘s former players believes the coach can succeed elsewhere. Linebacker Bart Scott played under the head coach for four seasons, and the current CBS analyst believes Ryan could flourish in Atlanta.
“I think the Falcons are the best situation for Rex to go into,” Scott said (via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). “Come on, you’re talking about fixing the defense. I’m sure people see how Matt Ryan has played. He hasn’t had the defense to get him the ball back.
“Rex Ryan is a head coach/defensive coordinator. Let Rex run the show and start dialing up plays to knock Drew Brees out. Look at his history playing against Cam Newton. Rex knows how to keep Cam in the box. And Tampa Bay? Please. That would be like Homecoming.”
Scott also suggested that Ryan could hypothetically lure some of his former players to the organization.
“I think a quick fix for that Atlanta defense is David Harris is up for free agency, and Rex has the ability to bring a guy like that over. He has the ability to bring a guy like Calvin Pace over who knows the system and lives in Atlanta.
“…But then Rex probably has the ability as well to bring a guy like Antonio Cromartie to come over opposite Desmond Trufant and slide right in and get instant experience within the defense overnight.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the Jets organization, including their hunt for a new coach and general manager…
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News believes the Jets need an “innovative and creative offensive mind” who can develop young quarterbacks (via Twitter). The writer suggests Kyle Shanahan as an ideal playcaller for the team.
- Following news that the organization would be bringing back Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan for a second GM interview, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that it wouldn’t be surprising if Maccagnan is hired this weekend.
- ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini examines the candidacy of Maccagnan, stating that the Texans executive is “most comfortable in a background role.” This has led some to wonder whether he’d be able to handle the pressure in New York, but Cimini counters that Maccagnan “has the ability to work well with people and isn’t afraid to admit when he’s wrong,” an attribute that was lacking from the team’s previous general manager.
- Brian Costello of the New York Post cites a source who says it would be a “travesty” if Maccagnan is not offered the position.
- Many members of the Seahawks are under the mindset that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will accept a head coaching position this offseason. His players aren’t bitter, however, and they believe their coach will succeed in any situation, including with the Jets. “I think he’d be fantastic,” Richard Sherman told Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. “Obviously, you’re not always getting a great team, so it takes some time to develop…But he’ll be fantastic.”
Coach Updates: Bills, Raiders, Jags, Quinn
Earlier this morning, we rounded up a handful of coaching-related updates. Plenty more items have surfaced over the course of the day, so let’s check in on the latest:
- The Bills are looking to line up an interview with former Jets coach Rex Ryan, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter).
- The Bills have spoken with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz about their head coaching vacancy, according to Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
- The Bills have a number of head coaching interviews set up for this week — Tim Graham of the Buffalo News writes that the team’s meeting with Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will happen on Wednesday, while Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will speak to the club on Saturday. Additionally, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that the 49ers have given offensive coordinator Greg Roman permission to pursue the Bills’ HC job, and that interview will take place on Friday.
- After speaking to several outside candidates, the Raiders will conduct their interview with interim head coach Tony Sparano tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).
- Former Raiders head coach John Madden sat in on Oakland’s interview with Mike Shanahan in recent days, multiple sources tell Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Bair adds that it’s not clear how involved Madden is in the Raiders’ coaching search, but “it speaks some to the legitimacy of Shanahan” as a candidate for the job.
- A pair of candidates’ names have surfaced as the Jaguars search for a new offensive coordinator. Rapoport tweets that Jacksonville has asked to speak to Vikings running back coach Kirby Wilson, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) says Roman will also interview for the position.
- Preparing for the possibility that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan leaves Cleveland this winter, the Browns have “reached out to guys like Charlie Weis,” tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- A longtime NFL executive who has been involved in many interviews for coaches tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is “the most impressive candidate” he has seen.
Reactions To Dolphins Shakeup
Earlier today, we learned that former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum will join the Dolphins’ front office full-time. Tannenbaum, who has been working as a sports agent in recent years, served as a consultant for Miami during the 2014 season. Now, he takes on a much more significant role. Here’s more on that and related news out of Miami..
- Tannenbaum made a point to praise GM Dennis Hickey and coach Joe Philbin on multiple occasions in a conference call with reporters earlier today, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. Still, it’s no secret that this upcoming season is playoffs-or-bust for Hickey and Philbin or significant changes could be made, Walker writes.
- “I don’t think we’re far away,” Tannenbaum said, according to Walker. “I think it’s really critical that we have our self-evaluation of where the roster is. I think it starts with that. … We have to attack our needs aggressively.”
- The Dolphins (on Twitter) announced that Hickey will report directly to Tannenbaum and continue to lead the personnel and scouting departments. He’ll also maintain control of the 53-man roster.
- Beasley (on Twitter) wonders what will happen if Philbin and Hickey want Mike Wallace out but Tannenbaum wants him back in 2015.
- Tannenbaum says he will not be involved in the negotiations of his coaching candidate clients, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. That would include Dan Quinn.
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The Dolphins’ hiring of Tannenbaum to head the team’s football operations is a move that “creates more questions than it offers answers,” writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- In another piece, Walker wonders if the Dolphins truly believe in Hickey.
- A Dolphins official spoke with Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) and said,”I’m surprised you were surprised. No one around the team is surprised one bit.“
Luke Adams contributed to this post.