Community Tailgate: Best Head Coach Hire?
As the NFL postseason begins, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
With the NFL postseason in full swing, and four intriguing divisional playoff games on tap for this weekend, the league would probably like the focus to be on those games, and on the build-up to Super Bowl 50. Instead, this week’s news cycle has been dominated by Los Angeles relocation and head coaching changes, with several teams announcing new head coaches within the last few days.
In today’s Community Tailgate, we’re looking for your thoughts on those head coaching hires. Did any teams make mistakes by firing their previous coaches, or by not choosing a different replacement? Which hire do you like most? Are there any candidates who didn’t get a shot at a head coaching job this time around that you think would have been better choices for the teams making changes?
Here’s a recap of the changes made so far, via our tracker:
- Cleveland Browns hired Hue Jackson to replace Mike Pettine.
- Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase to replace Dan Campbell (interim)/Joe Philbin (permanent).
- New York Giants hired Ben McAdoo to replace Tom Coughlin.
- Philadelphia Eagles are hiring Doug Pederson to replace Pat Shurmur (interim)/Chip Kelly (permanent).
- San Francisco 49ers hired Chip Kelly to replace Jim Tomsula.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Dirk Koetter to replace Lovie Smith.
What do you think of the hires? Which moves do you like the best, or the least? Which coaches that didn’t get a shot should have received stronger consideration? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!
49ers To Hire Chip Kelly
FRIDAY, 7:43am: Kelly’s deal will the 49ers will be worth $24MM over four years, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
THURSDAY, 12:35pm: After a lengthy search which included a number of high profile names, the 49ers found their man. The Niners have hired Chip Kelly as their new head coach, CEO Jed York announced. 
“After a thorough search, Trent & I are thrilled to announce Chip Kelly as the new #HeadCoach of the @49ers,” York tweeted on Thursday.
Kelly is a bold and interesting hire for San Francisco. The former Eagles head coach has long been said to be fond of quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Kelly’s ideal offense would feature a mobile signal caller like No. 7. After a disastrous 2015, Kaepernick’s future with San Francisco has been in question. Understudy Blaine Gabbert finished ’15 as the team’s starting QB. Now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him once again as the focal point of the 49ers’ offense.
Kelly will have to comfortably co-exist with general manager Trent Baalke and York in San Francisco. 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. Baalke will in fact remain in charge of personnel, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Kelly was fired last year at the end of his third season coaching the Eagles. During his three seasons as Eagles head coach, Kelly had a solid 26-21 record. However, after consecutive 10-6 seasons, the wheels came off a little this year, as the new-look roster, which was supposedly tailored to Kelly’s vision, struggled to produce on the field. Although Kelly only took over final say of Philadelphia’s roster moves from Roseman a year ago, he influenced the team’s moves before then as well, and many talented players left town after not always seeing eye to eye with the head coach. DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, and Evan Mathis are a few of the players that have departed within the last couple years.
Kelly takes over a job that became available when the 49ers sacked Jim Tomsula earlier this month. The Tomsula-led Niners finished the 2015-16 campaign 5-11 (the franchise’s worst mark since 2007) and suffered nine losses by double-digit deficits. The 49ers will not have an introductory press conference with Kelly until next week, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Kaepernick, Jets, Foster, Draft
The 49ers announced today that Chip Kelly will be the team’s new head coach, which created a whole new set of questions about whether Colin Kaepernick might have a future in San Francisco after all. After being benched in 2015, Kaepernick, who is owed a base salary of nearly $12MM in 2016, looked like a candidate to be traded or released this offseason.
According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), however, Kelly told the Niners in his interviews that he likes both Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, so the team and its new coach are keeping their options open. Kelly plans to sit down with Kaepernick at some point to determine which direction to go, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who tweets that Kelly will make the call on the club’s quarterback.
While we look forward to seeing if Kaepernick can be rejuvenated under Kelly, let’s check out a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- General manager Mike Maccagnan indicated today that his Jets would like to re-sign Muhammad Wilkerson and the franchise tag is definitely in play for the defensive lineman, says Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Still, Wilkerson is facing a six-month rehab for his broken leg, and may have to be placed on the PUP list to start training camp. Cimini gets the sense that the Jets GM isn’t optimistic about keeping both Wilkerson and defensive tackle Damon Harrison.
- As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes, Arian Foster‘s future with the Texans remains up in the air, but it looks like something’s got to give, since the veteran running back is coming off a torn Achilles and has a cap hit of nearly $9MM in 2016. “We’ll have to see how healthy he is,” Texans owner Bob McNair said. “But until we know that, there’s really not much you can think about.”
- The Jets are showing significant interest in CFL star wide receiver Eric Rogers, who visited them on Wednesday after working out for them a few weeks ago, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the Lions and Rogers may be a logical fit as well, since new GM Bob Quinn worked him out in New England, and wide receiver may be a position of need for Detroit.
- Mel Kiper’s first mock draft of 2016 at ESPN.com (Insider-only link) features Joey Bosa, Jared Goff, and Laremy Tunsil coming off the board in the top three to the Titans, Browns, and Chargers respectively.
Coach Rumors: Caldwell, Eagles, Bucs, 49ers
Within the last couple days, most teams still seeking head coaches have made their decisions, even if they haven’t made those decisions official quite yet. The Giants and 49ers formally hired Ben McAdoo and Chip Kelly, respectively, while the Eagles and Buccaneers have reportedly settled on Doug Pederson and Dirk Koetter. Philadelphia will have to wait until Pederson’s Chiefs are eliminated from the postseason to officially bring him on board, while the Bucs and Koetter are said to be finalizing the terms of his deal.
The flurry of moves leaves the Titans as the only NFL team currently without a head coach, but that could change soon. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell remains on the hot seat in Detroit, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the team has yet to make a decision on its coach, despite the fact that Caldwell and new GM Bob Quinn have met “on at least four different occasions.”
With most head coaching vacancies filled, Quinn has the luxury of being patient in making his decision, particularly if he ends up targeting candidates that survive their playoff games this weekend. Still, he likely won’t want to leave Caldwell twisting in the wind for too long, so I’d expect a decision sooner rather than later.
As we wait to see what the Titans and Lions do with their head coaching positions, let’s check in on some Thursday updates on coaching staffs around the NFL….
- With Doug Pederson lined up for the Eagles‘ head coaching job, there has been plenty of speculation today on his coordinators. Here’s a round-up of those rumors:
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) identifies in-house candidate Pat Shurmur and Chiefs assistant Brad Childress as possible offensive coordinators for Pederson.
- Anthony Gargano of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link) hears that Childress will likely become the Eagles’ new OC, though I expect the former Vikings head coach probably be a candidate for the same role in Kansas City. For what it’s worth, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets that Shurmur’s fate has not yet been decided.
- On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have interest in Jim Schwartz as their defensive coordinator, though it’s not clear if he’s Pederson’s choice or the team’s, says Don Banks of SI.com (Twitter links). Banks adds that Schwartz has job offers as a defensive assistant from multiple teams.
- Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link) also identifies Schwartz as a DC candidate for the Eagles, while McLane tweets that Schwartz and Mike Pettine could both be names to watch.
- With his odds of landing a head coaching job this year dwindling, former Falcons head coach Mike Smith is a candidate for the Buccaneers‘ defensive coordinator position, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports.
- Ryan Day, the Eagles‘ quarterbacks coach in 2015, is a name to watch as new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly considers his options for an offensive coordinator, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- If the Bengals decide to replace offensive coordinator Hue Jackson internally, longtime quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese is the most logical candidate, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
49ers Expected To Choose Between Kelly, Shanahan
The 49ers are expected to choose between Chip Kelly and Mike Shanahan as their next head coach, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). A decision is likely to come within the next 24 hours, he adds. 
Kelly would be a bold and interesting hire for San Francisco. It doesn’t hurt that the former Eagles head coach has long been said to be fond of quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kelly’s ideal offense would feature a mobile signal caller, and that’s exactly what No. 7 would provide. After a disastrous 2015, Kaepernick’s future with San Francisco has been in question. Understudy Blaine Gabbert finished ’15 as the team’s starting QB.
The Niners are said to like Shanahan because of the discipline and foundation he could bring to the organization, as well as his connection to the Bill Walsh era. Of course, if the 49ers do decide to hire Shanahan, it would raise some eyebrows, since the club could’ve brought him aboard a year ago, but elected to go with Jim Tomsula instead. Tomsula, of course, lasted only one year at the helm in San Francisco.
Shanahan has a lengthy coaching resume, having served as the head coach in Los Angeles (1988-89), Denver (1995-2008), and Washington (2010-2013). Although he has a 170-138 regular season record overall, and has won a pair of Super Bowls, Shanahan produced a mixed bag of results during his most recent head coaching stint. Washington was 24-40 during his four years with the franchise, with just one winning season.
If things really are down to Shanahan and Kelly, then it’s not clear where this leaves Tom Coughlin in his employment search. Coughlin was said to be a strong candidate for SF and was said to be on his way to a deal with the Eagles. However, Coughlin has since withdrawn his name from consideration in Philly. If Coughlin isn’t going to land in Philadelphia or San Francisco as a head coach in 2016, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll get an NFL head coaching job at all.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On 49ers, Mike Shanahan
The 49ers’ interest in Mike Shanahan is ramping up, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. San Francisco interviewed Shanahan for its head coaching job on Tuesday.
[RELATED: 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
The Niners are said to like Shanahan because of the discipline and foundation he could bring to the organization, as well as his connection to the Bill Walsh era. Of course, if the 49ers do decide to hire Shanahan, it would raise some eyebrows, since the club could’ve brought him aboard a year ago, but elected to go with Jim Tomsula instead. Tomsula, of course, lasted only one year at the helm in San Francisco.
Shanahan has a lengthy coaching resume, having served as the head coach in Los Angeles (1988-89), Denver (1995-2008), and Washington (2010-2013). Although he has a 170-138 regular season record overall, and has won a pair of Super Bowls, Shanahan produced a mixed bag of results during his most recent head coaching stint. Washington was 24-40 during his four years with the franchise, with just one winning season.
Hue Jackson is no longer a candidate for the 49ers, having been hired by the Browns earlier this week, but there are still five other available candidates with whom the club conducted interviews. Bills assistant Anthony Lynn and Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo aren’t believed to be favorites for the Niners’ job, but former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, ex-Giants HC Tom Coughlin, and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter are in play.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Nearing HC Decision, Shanahan In Mix
Earlier today, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reported that the 49ers don’t have any additional head coaching interviews on their schedule, and seem to be nearing the end of their search. Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com echoes that sentiment this afternoon, tweeting that San Francisco looks to be closing in on a decision.
[RELATED: PFR’s 2016 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]
Russini provides another interesting tidbit within her tweet, noting that Mike Shanahan is “strongly back in the mix” for the 49ers’ head coaching job. A Niners source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the team likes Shanahan because of the discipline and foundation he could bring to the organization, as well as his connection to the Bill Walsh era.
Of course, if the 49ers do decide to hire Shanahan, it would raise some eyebrows, since the club could’ve brought him aboard a year ago, but elected to go with Jim Tomsula instead. After Tomsula lasted just a year as the team’s head coach, reports surfaced last week that Shanahan would once again interview for the San Francisco job, though it’s not clear if he came in for a full-fledged interview, or if the club has simply discussed the position with him.
Shanahan has a lengthy coaching resume, having served as the head coach in Los Angeles (1988-89), Denver (1995-2008), and Washington (2010-2013). Although he has a 170-138 regular season record overall, and has won a pair of Super Bowls, Shanahan produced a mixed bag of results during his most recent head coaching stint. Washington was 24-40 during his four years with the franchise, with just one winning season.
Hue Jackson is no longer a candidate for the 49ers, having been hired by the Browns today, but there are still five available candidates with whom the club conducted interviews. Bills assistant Anthony Lynn and Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo aren’t believed to be favorites for the Niners’ job, but former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, ex-Giants HC Tom Coughlin, and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter are in play.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coach Rumors: Bengals, Titans, Philbin, Colts
The Browns struck a deal today to bring Hue Jackson aboard as their new coach, leaving five teams with active head coaching searches. Additionally, plenty more clubs are looking to hire assistants to fill out their staffs, so we’ve got plenty of coaching-related notes and rumors to round up this afternoon. Let’s dive in….
- According to Michael Silver of NFL Media (via Twitter), before Jackson agreed to join the Browns, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis approached his offensive coordinator with a last-ditch attempt to keep Jackson in Cincinnati. Silver notes that the proposal included a succession plan, which would mean Jackson eventually replacing Lewis as the Bengals’ coach, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from moving on.
- The Titans‘ interview with Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will take place on Friday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the club will interview Doug Marrone one day earlier, on Thursday.
- The Colts have reached out to former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin to see if he’s interested in the team’s offensive line coach job, a source tells Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.
- Falcons secondary coach Marquand Manuel had a good meeting with Gus Bradley regarding the Jaguars‘ defensive coordinator opening, but Jacksonville has yet to make a decision on the position, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
- Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has several updates on assistant jobs around the NFL. Here’s the breakdown:
- The Colts have agreed to a deal with former Giants linebackers coach Jim Herrmann for the same position in Indianapolis (Twitter link).
- Former Dolphins head coach and current 49ers assistant Tony Sparano is interviewing today for the Vikings‘ offensive line coach opening and is a strong candidate to get the job (Twitter links).
- Former Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson is interviewing for the same role with the Chargers (Twitter link).
- Former Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle is expected to replace Vance Joseph as the Bengals‘ defensive backs coach (Twitter link).
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.
49ers Backing Off Hue Jackson Pursuit?
Last week, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was viewed as the potential frontrunner for the 49ers’ head coaching job. But with Jackson also drawing legit interest from the Browns and Giants, it sounds like the Niners are backing off their pursuit of the Cincinnati assistant, tweets Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. Kawakami says the team could double back to Jackson, but for now he appears more likely to land in Cleveland or New York.
[RELATED: Browns pursuing Hue Jackson most aggressively, could make offer on Tuesday]
Michael Silver of NFL Media, who reported earlier today that the Browns are Jackson’s most aggressive suitor, tweets that no teams are out of the running for him yet. Silver suggested a few hours ago that the Niners remained “very interested.”
With Jackson’s Bengals out of the playoffs, the offensive coordinator is free to pursue head coaching opportunities and speak to any team. Now that Adam Gase has joined the Dolphins, Jackson has become perhaps the hottest name on the market — Cleveland is reportedly making a “big push” to land him, though he may speak to the Giants before making a decision. A report this morning indicated that Jackson and the Giants will meet by Thursday morning at the latest.
The 49ers have interviewed five candidates for their head coaching opening so far — Anthony Lynn (Bills), Chip Kelly (ex-Eagles), Dirk Koetter (49ers), John DeFilippo (Browns), and Jackson have all met with the team, though DeFilippo is believed to be targeted as a potential offensive coordinator rather than a head coach.
San Francisco is conducting its sixth head coaching interview today, and it’s perhaps the most intriguing of the bunch, as former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is meeting with the 49ers. Per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, the interview will take place in the New York area, and will be conducted by GM Trent Baalke — CEO Jed York is in Houston at the NFL’s owners meetings to discuss the Los Angeles situation.
As Barrows observes, DeFilippo worked on the Giants’ coaching staff in 2005 and 2006 when Coughlin was the head coach, so the Niners could be contemplating a scenario where they hire Coughlin as their new head coach and DeFilippo as the OC and heir apparent. DeFilippo is meeting today with the Rams about their offensive coordinator job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.