Guys that might be ready to be head coaches
 

What coordinators and position coaches look ready to move up to a higher position?

I am going to write this up in a couple different post.

I am going to break this down into west coast offensive guys, non-west coast guys, and on defense 3-4 vs 4-3 guys.

I will add in some of the recycled HCs later.

Defensive guys 1st.

Defensive guys 4-3
Colts DC Larry Coyer, even though teams run all over them they continue to have one of the best pass rushes in football.
Colts position guys to watch – Dline John Teerlinck,

Titans DC Chuck Cecil, has a bunch of no names near the top of the league in sacks.
Titans position guys to watch – Asst HC/LBs Dave McGinnis, DBs coach Marcus Robertson, Dline coach Jim Washburn.

Vikings asst HC/DC Leslie Frazier, his guys have been bad this season, but is that on him or his players, or his nutty HC.

Saints DC Gregg Williams, has ties to Houston Oilers and has been a HC before. One of the most aggressive DC in football.

Giants DC Perry Fewell, has the Giants defense looking strong again

Defensive guys 3-4
San Diego DC Ron Rivera – defense is ranked #1 with a bunch of no names.
Position guys to look at on San Diego- DB asst Cris Dishman,
Pittsburg DC Dick LeBeau – Hall of Fame player and should be as a coach as well. Been a HC once with little success, maybe it time for another try.

Position guys to look at - LB coach Keith Butler, DB coach Ray Horton, asst HC/Dline John Mitchell,

Baltimore DC Greg Mattison, Only been in Baltimore since 2008, but has kept them near the top.

NY Jets DC Mike Pettine, Rex Ryans anointed one to run the defense.

Washington DC Jim Haslett, former HC in New Orleans. Has not had time in Wahington to get the defense to it final level, but very capable.
Redskin position guys to watch, Passing game Safeties Steve Jackson, LB coach Lou Spanos

49ers DC Greg Manusky, was the guy leading the old Chargers defense when they where one of the best. Does not have the talent yet to have an elite defense in San Fran.

Q: Does Rick Smith avoid any blame here? I mean, there have been some notable whiffs on his part and he seems just as responsible for the suckish defense as the coaches are.

Q: If we do look for a new head coach, why limit ourselves to assistants? Why not go whale hunting and finally land a big name like Cowher or Gruden? If coaching is the problem, not talent, wouldn't that be ideal for a top gun who knows how to turn talent into champions?

Q: Do you change coaches at all right before a strike year where your new coach may just be sitting around for several months? Wouldn't a change make more sense after labor peace has been restored?

1. Yes, but he's on the competition committee and he's not going anywhere.

2. Yes.

3. Yes, wait until after the dust clears. If I were an owner, even one as flush as McNair, no way would I hire a dude and pay him $5MM or whatever a year knowing that there is a very good chance he's going to be sitting there scratching his ass for a year cashing my paycheck for doing nothing. Hell, I already have a guy that does that.

I'm sorry if I was not clear in the 1st post, this is only part one of the guys to look at. The ex HCs and the OC are to follow in separate posts.

I don't want an OC. As the Broncos are finding out, you don't replace an offensive HC with another one when defense is your problem.

Uh....didn't we already try the "defensive coach" for the first 5 years? Granted, I will give up the first 3 years, but we digressed the last two under Capers, hence us hiring an "offensive coach".

Despite some dumb habits, offense isn't the problem. We can run. We can pass. We score points. What sucks to high heaven is the defense and bringing in another team's offensive coordinator won't solve any of the problems on defense.

Maybe the offense will backslide under a defensive head coach but it will take a few years before it deteriorates to the level of the defense. Hopefully, by that time, the defensive head coach is smart enough to find an offensive coordinator who can retool the offense.

Besides, this team has lacked a mean streak from the very beginning. I want a head coach who is willing to coach some toughness into these guys and, usually, that's a defensive coach.

Former HCs
 

OK let’s look at the out of work Head Coaches. I am going to list most of them from 2002 to the present. Why look at the bottom guys? Well remember at one time Bellichick was a bust in Cleveland then he was a genius when given a second chance.

Dick LeBeau former Bengals HC and current DC of Pittsburgh
Marty Mornhinweg former Lions HC (had a bone headed coin toss decision) current OC of Philly WCO
Bill Callahan Raider Super Bowl Head Coach and current Assistant HC of the Jets/OLine WCO
Jim Fassel former Giants HC and current Head Coach of the Las Vegas Locomotives also former OC of the Ravens
Dave McGinnis former Cardinals HC and current LB coach for the Titans
Gregg Williams former Bills HC (fired due to poor offense) current Saints DC
Jim Bates former Interim Miami HC, out of the league (64 years old)
Butch Davis former Browns HC, and current HC of North Carolina
Dennis Erickson former Seahawk and 49ers HC, current Arizona State HC
Steve Mariucci former 49ers and Lions HC, currently out of the league for 5 years
Mike Mularkey former Bills HC and current Falcons OC
Mike Tice former Vikings HC and current OLine coach for the Bears.
Bill Cowher former Super Bowl winning HC of the Steelers, out of football
Brian Billick former Super Bowl winning HC of the Ravens, out of football
Cam Cameron former Dolphins HC and current Ravens OC
Romeo Crennel former Browns HC and current DC of the Chiefs
Tony Dungy Super Bowl Winning HC of the Colts, out of football
Herman Edwards former Jets and Chiefs HC, out of football
Jon Gruden Super Bowl Winning HC of the Bucs, in the TV booth
Jim Haslett former Saints HC and current DC in Washington
Scout Linehan former HC of the Rams and current Lions OC
Rob Marinelli former HC of the Lions and Current DC of the Bears
Mike Nolan former HC of the 49ers, current Dolphins DC.
Jim Zorn former Redskins HC and current QB coach for the Ravens

Tear into these guys, the list is long.

As of today: Wade Phillips former HC of the Dallas Cowboys, a 3-4 specialist.

And Kubiak would still be cashing your paycheck, too. He's signed through 2012, so you'd have two head coaches on the payroll and no income.

Some other assistants whose names have been mentioned as possible HC candidates:

Offense
Chargers AHC/TE coach Rob Chudzinski -- #1 offense based on yardage
Cardinals AHC/OL coach Russ Grimm -- not as much as the year the Cards won the NFC
Titans OC Mike Heimerdinger -- #1 offense based on points scored

Defense
Dolphins AHC/DB coach Todd Bowles -- Parcells protege
Browns DC Rob Ryan -- based on his twin brother's success and recent signs of life in Cleveland. The Ryan style would seem to be a "programmatic non-fit" with Bob McNair.
Bengals DC Mike Zimmer -- not as much as last year


For purposes of making the list more complete only, a few more active former HCs:
Dave Campo, former Cowboys HC, current Cowboys DB coach
Dom Capers, former Panthers and Texans HC, current Packers DC (Collinsworth was really pushing him as a candidate on SNF last night :eek:)
Gunther Cunningham, former Chiefs HC, current Lions DC
Kevin Gilbride, former Chargers HC, current Giants OC
Bobby Petrino, former Falcons HC, current Arkansas HC
Mike Sherman, former Packers HC, current Texas A&M HC

And a couple college guys who get mentioned a lot due to their NFL backgrounds:
Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz -- the Texans reportedly wanted to talk to him during their last HC search
Stanford HC Jim Harbaugh

Right. I guess my point was that Kubiak's not going anywhere until after the situation gets sorted out.

If they hire Kevin Gilbride I am seriously going to hurt somebody.

Guys, this is really a moot point. Unless we go completely in the crapper, Kubes ain't going anywhere. For better, or slighly worse, he will be here next year. We can all have our opinions, but his is the only one that truly matters.

Texans' owner: Kubiak is 'doing a good job'
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...t/7285574.html

That's owner talk for 'I'm not going to fire him during the season.'

He may not fire him after a 6-10 season, either, because of the labor issue and because of his contract and because people keep buying tickets and because he'll keep telling himself and anyone who will listen that the team is close.

I skipped Campo, Capers, Petrino, and Sherman because I did not think they would/should be entertained for the job.

I missed Gilbride and Cunningham from the list by mistake.

I agree with Bob, I think we should go with a defensive type, or at the very least a coach with a reputation for being tough (ie Gruden).

As for the OCs, have not done that group yet.

And BTW I like Jim Harbaugh, but I also do not want another rookie HC learning on the job, and college HC have not done well in the NFL in the last few years.

As for Ryan and Zimmer, not sure that Ryan is HC material, even Al Davis skipped over him, and he was a disruptive force on the Raiders before he was let go. Zimmer's current defense is not impressing me right now so he was excluded from my list.

Hope this clears up some of the omissions.

I agree with this statement.

OK I am going to skip the OCs and college guys. Most of us know the guys we like.

So who is on my short list?

Cowher
Gruden
Gregg Williams
Jim Harbough
Chuck Cecil
Dave McGinnis
Mike Heimerdinger


If I go with a defensive guy as the HC, then I am looking hard at keeping Dennison here. If I go with an offensive guy, then I try to get Wade Phillips in here to run the defense. Or if the rumors are true, Singletary can be my DC.

Me, I like Gruden the commentator but not Gruden the coach, fwiw, about 1/2 cent. He lost his job in Tampa didn't he.

As Bum Phillips once said "There's two kinds of coaches, them that's fired and them that's gonna be fired."

maybe just worth 1/4 cent then.

Could be interesting to see Bob and Jerrah in a bidding war for their dream head coach ...should Kubiak be a goner, that is.

And with Carolina stinking, doesn Cowher go there? Gruden could come with a pretty high pricetag.

I don't mean to toss dirt on Kubes, but, to play along... 2nd time HCs have some appeal for me, and Gregg Williams seems to be the one I'd want to learn more about.

Last night I caught a brief clip on the NFLnetwork, they brought up the coaches on the hot seat, and Kubiak was mentioned. They said that if the team missed the playoffs or dropped below .500 that Kubiak was most likely gone. We all have surmised this, so no big deal, but the reporter added this interesting line, he said "and of course Bill Cowher would be very interested in that position" or something close to that.

I know the rumor was out there last season, but could the reporter, Jason LaCanfora iirc, have some inside knowledge?

I know a lot of people believe Cowher will go to the Cowboys, but what if Cowher does not want to work with a meddlesome owner? And Jerry is the ultimate meddlesome owner being that he is the GM.

Cowher would be an absolute dream but I can't see McNair paying a coach the kind of money he's going to command, nor can I see him paying a coach a lot of money to sit around while he and his fellow billionaires lock out guys like Vonta Leach who won't be able to walk upright when they're 45.

Anyway, I really like Gregg Williams, too. His defenses are ferocious and unlike a guy like Fassell he seems to be completely, insanely committed.

But I bet you no matter what happens McNair finds a way to give Kubiak another year.

When Kubiak is let go I'll be fascinated to see if Rick Smith is tethered to him or not.

I'm not as high on Gruden as some seem to be. He'd be on my short list, but I wouldn't put him in the "sure thing" category. Yes, he won a Super Bowl but in his six years after that he had a sub-.500 record overall.

I like Williams too. Not only would he improve the defense, but I think he'd bring an attitude/toughness/sense of urgency/whatever that this team seems to lack.

On another board, they had noted the imminent dismissal of Carolina's HC John Fox and whether he might be right as the next head coach. He has Super Bowl experience and built what was once a top defense. He prefers a run game to a passing game. Not selling anyone on the idea; just throwing it out there for discussion.

Time to get Cowher as HC, Wade Phillips as DC, and some WCO guy to run the offense.

Blow up the coaching staff and front office.

Fox's contract is up after this season so he'll be a free agent even if Carolina doesn't can him. He's been mentioned for the Cowboys' job, in part because he could coexist with Jerry because he's not a guy who would want total control. He seems to get what he can out of the mostly mediocre rosters he's had, he's made the playoffs three times, and, until this year, he's never had a worse season than 7-9. But a guy who was only posted three winning seasons in 9+ years doesn't excite me.

What do you guys know about Dick Jauron? He was a head coach for Chicago back before Lovie Smith and he then went to the Bills. He seems to be a solid Defensive guy, he is currently with the Eagles as an AHC and DB coach.

He appears to be a 4-3 type guy from what I can tell and he has coached solid defenses as a coordinator, what do you guys think about bringing him in to be the DC?

Not sure why anyone would factor in which defensive alignment a new HC would bring in. Our D is possibly the worst ever so it's not like going to a 3-4 would set us back any. The only thing missing really is a fat-ass NT.

I wonder though how the key components of the front 7 would fair in a 3-4 though. The Texans have much invested in Mario, DeMeco, and Cushing. Good players are probably good in either scheme, but these seem more like 4-3 guys, right? Especially if they have a better 4-3 coordinator calling the shots?

in another thread I had this to say about converting to a 3-4 next season:

Tuna, anyone? Parcells is hinting at an interest in getting back in the game, although whether he means coaching or the front office is unclear.

At the very least, if McNair wants to bring in a consultant again, please let it be Parcells or Ron Wolf, not Dan Reeves.

Coaching Changes
 

Ok, I'm going to start the 'get rid of this regime' rant. I really don't like complaining without offering a solution. Taking a look at main issue with the team, we would have to agree it's on the defensive side of the ball. When I look at the best defensive teams in the league, they run a 3-4 defense. My complaint against going this route has been that we don't have a NT, but we could sign a player in F/A and/or draft one. So, what might my coaching changes look like? I'm going to assume that Rob Ryan isn't available and shy away from the names you already know....

Head Coach: Mike Pettine
Coach Pettine installed a completely new defense and fielded a unit that ranked first in points allowed, total defense and pass defense.
http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/coac...a-49f0b7ea15b6

Defensive Coordinator: Winston Moss
Last season Moss was part of a staff that guided the Packers defense to a No. 2 overall ranking in the league, the highest ranking since the ’96 team finished as the No. 1 defense.
http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/...3-59d09345a58d

Secondary Coach: Corwin Brown
Brown coached the defensive backs of the New York Jets for three years (2004-06). During his tenure, the Jets intercepted 56 passes, tied for fifth most in the NFL during that time.
http://www.patriots.com/team/index.c...hbio&bio=34155

Asst Secondary Coach: Otis Smith
http://www.kcchiefs.com/team/coaches...9-efcb70640f2a

Linebackers Coach: Jerry Olsavsky
http://www.steelers.com/team/coaches...e-8afc5bafbe3e

Defensive Line Coach:Ted Monachino
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Peopl...Monachino.aspx

Now, I don't have a problem keeping Dennison or Knapp around on offense...I think that they have earned their keep. However, if we are cleaning house and starting over....here are some more names:

OC : Tom Clements
http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/...f-00f437249c9f

OL : Jerry Fontenot
http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/...8-2b3755d6a3aa

QB : Doug Pederson
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/ea...ederson_1.html

WR : Shawn Jefferson
http://www.detroitlions.com/team/coa...c-49055d8a17dc

OR

Tim Berbenich
http://www.buccaneers.com/team/coach...6-37f8891f8199

TE : Jeff Davidson
http://www.panthers.com/team/coaches...c-d3248bea5e13

RB : Aaron Kromer
http://www.neworleanssaints.com/team...e-15aa21d518aa

This seems to be the topic this week everywhere one looks.

I guess it's a little early and counterproductive right now, but ok, understandable.

I would like team to win now, so that is why I think counterproductive.

Why not? Didn't Mr. McNair say we had to get to the playoffs this year? Playoffs! Playoffs? I can't think of a single game left on the schedule that we should win. Where are the liferafts, this ship is sinking fast.

First of all, I'm the guy who has been fighting tooth and nail to keep the 4-3 Defense. Our players on the roster have been brought in to play a 4 man front. I've been hopeful to have Okoye finally pan out as he got older and stronger. My thought was that once Frank Bush started calling the plays, he'd be more aggressive about blitzing. While that leaves our inexperienced CBs on an island, if we can get pressure on the QB quickly, then Kareem Jackson and Glover Quinn don't have to cover as long. Maybe we just need to start over on defense. If the Jets score more than 30 points this week against us....I'd suggest Firing Bush after the game and naming Rhodes or Kollar the D.C. Maybe just a different voice or play-caller is what we need. Jason Garrett made the Cowboys look better when Wade couldn't...

Anyway, looking at the upcoming draft...Ryan Kerrigan, Cameron Jordan, Cameron Heyward, Jerrell Powe, Jarvis Jenkins, and Greg Romeus are moving up my draftboard.

I would like to see Troy Nolan playing some more this season to figure out if we need to draft a FS or just let him develop. He's the only player in the Secondary who has 'ball hawk' skills.

I'd like to interview Jim Harbaugh

I like the idea of having Harbaugh as the HC myself. But you gotta know that
Harbaugh would insist on dumping Schaub and drafting his Stanford QB if he could convince him to come out for the 2011 Draft, assuming we'll have a
Draft next year.

How do we have anything close to the 1st pick of the draft? Without it Luck is going elsewhere.

I like some more guys to consider...

http://www.chargers.com/team/coaches...4-30c11f28a635
http://www.miamidolphins.com/content/mike-nolan
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Peopl...Dean_Pees.aspx
http://www.miamidolphins.com/content/todd-bowles
http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/coac...4-40f229690cfb
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Peopl...ce_Brooks.aspx
http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/...b-4a48894326a8
http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/coac...5-0436ec22f7eb
http://www.steelers.com/team/coaches...3-0b589c780887
http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/...5-fed9ca2a9648
http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/...b-923ec23eb933
http://www.steelers.com/team/coaches...b-64edfc5bf796
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Peopl..._Anderson.aspx
http://www.packers.com/team/coaches/...a-bd4a20b0426d