NFL head-coaching carousel: Tracking firings, openings and candidates
Adam Schefter reports Packers head coach Mike McCarthy has been fired following Green Bay’s 20-17 loss to Arizona in Week 13. (1:23)
Seven NFL head-coaching jobs opened up last year, and the 2018 cycle started early, as the Browns dumped Hue Jackson after their Week 8 loss to the Steelers and the Packers fired Mike McCarthy after Week 13. The Buccaneers and Jets fired their coaches after their final regular-season game, bringing the total to four — so far.
What’s next in the NFL coaching carousel? Here’s everything you need to know about all the movement through hiring-and-firing season.
Quick links: Hottest candidates | Barnwell: Ranking potential openings
Todd Bowles entered the year 10-22 in his first two seasons as Jets coach, though he received a two-year contract extension at the end of the 2017 season. He was fired after the Jets finished 2018 at 4-12.
Cimini: Bowles pays the price for a Jets’ house divided
Potential candidates for the Jets job, from ESPN’s Rich Cimini:
Mike McCarthy: He’s high on the Jets’ list, and with good reason. He was a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Packers and his offensive background would help Sam Darnold‘s development. The big question is whether he’s wired for the New York market.
Eric Bieniemy: The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator is from the Andy Reid coaching tree, which most recently produced Bears coach Matt Nagy. Bieniemy presided over one of the best offenses in the league, although he’s not the playcaller. The major knock is his lack of experience.
Matt LaFleur: The Titans’ offensive coordinator worked under two of the top offensive minds in the game, Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. League insiders believe LaFleur has long-term potential, but his offense didn’t light up scoreboards this season.
Dan Campbell: The Saints’ tight ends coach is a Bill Parcells protégé who went 5-7 as the Dolphins’ interim coach in 2015. Campbell has strong leadership qualities, which should appeal to the Jets. It can’t hurt that he worked with Sean Payton, the best playcaller in the business.
Zac Taylor: Is he Sean McVay 2.0? The Rams’ quarterbacks coach is young, 35, and bright, but that doesn’t mean he’s the next McVay. He doesn’t call plays for the Rams, but did for the Dolphins in 2015 under Campbell.
Jim Caldwell: Caldwell made the playoffs four times while compiling a 62-50 record with the Colts and Lions. His background with offense/quarterbacks makes him intriguing, but he won’t excite the fan base.
The Bucs promoted Dirk Koetter to head coach after the 2015 season, and he went 14-18 in his first two seasons. And after a 5-11 showing in 2018, he has been let go.
Laine: Bucs’ focus now shifts to Jameis Winston’s future
Potential candidates for the Bucs job, from ESPN’s Jenna Laine:
Bruce Arians: Should the Bucs retain general manager Jason Licht, the former Cardinals coach would be a solid choice considering the two worked together in Arizona and Arians already has a relationship with Jameis Winston. Arians retired after last season, but he has suggested that he could return to the NFL for the right opportunity.
Mike McCarthy: He has a Super Bowl ring, tutored Aaron Rodgers, went 125-77-2 as the Packers’ coach and has experience with the type of passing weapons the Bucs have.
Todd Monken: Monken would allow the Bucs to maintain continuity with Winston and the offense while putting his own spin on things. In his first year calling plays as offensive coordinator, the Bucs went from 49.1 percent to to 58.9 percent in the red zone.
Jim Harbaugh: He went 44-19-1 in his four seasons in San Francisco before leaving for his alma mater, Michigan. Would a 41-15 thrashing against Florida in the Peach Bowl give him the nudge he needs to go back to the NFL?
A year ago, Mike McCarthy’s seat was cool. He got a one-year contract extension through 2019 shortly before former general manager Ted Thompson was forced aside. But the 2018 season spiraled in a way no one foresaw, culminating in a home loss to the Cardinals on Dec. 2. McCarthy was fired a few hours after the game.
Demovsky: Do’s and don’ts of Packers’ search
Demovsky: Josh McDaniels could be just what the Packers want
News: Rodgers won’t get say in picking new coach
Demovsky: Next Packers coach must make it work with Aaron Rodgers
Barnwell: Answering the biggest questions on the McCarthy firing
Potential candidates for the Packers job, from ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (read the full list):
Jim Harbaugh: A source familiar with general manager Brian Gutekunst said he’s long been a fan of the current Michigan and former 49ers coach. He has a sparkling NFL record (44-19-1) but tends to wear out his welcome quickly.
Josh McDaniels: Backing out of the Colts’ job last season when he already had begun to put together a coaching staff was a bad look, and he lasted only two seasons as the head coach in Denver, although he was only 32 years old when he got the job.
Joe Philbin: Spent nine years with the Packers before he was hired as the Dolphins’ head coach in 2012. Went 24-28 but was fired part of the way into his fourth season. Returned to Green Bay in January as offensive coordinator.
Zac Taylor: The Rams’ quarterbacks coach has learned under Sean McVay in Los Angeles the past two seasons. Before that, he worked on Philbin’s staff with the Dolphins. His wife, Sarah, is ex-Packers coach Mike Sherman’s daughter.
Eric Bieniemy: The Chiefs’ first-year offensive coordinator has been credited with helping Andy Reid’s offense evolve with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. The former NFL running back replaced Matt Nagy, who left to coach the Bears.
Pat Fitzgerald: Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy, the former Northwestern athletic director, promoted Fitzgerald to head coach there after Randy Walker died in July 2006. Fitzgerald comes from the defensive side and has never worked in the NFL but is highly thought of for his success at a difficult place to win. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Green Bay plans to interview Fitzgerald.
The Browns fired Hue Jackson (and offensive coordinator Todd Haley) in late October after a 2-5-1 start. Jackson finished his tenure in Cleveland with a 3-36-1 record. The Browns appear to be much improved under interim coach Gregg Williams and Freddie Kitchens (who replaced Haley), but it remains to be seen whether they keep those roles permanently.
McManamon: Gregg Williams, Freddie Kitchens make case to coach Browns in 2019
McManamon: Sizing up Mike McCarthy as candidate
Graziano: Why Jackson had to go, and 13 options to replace him
Potential candidates for the Browns job, from ESPN’s Pat McManamon:
Gregg Williams: The only name general manager John Dorsey has acknowledged he will interview. As interim coach, Williams brought focus and order to a team that had been losing. The team played much smarter and more aggressive football in Williams’ time in charge.
Freddie Kitchens: When the Browns named him offensive coordinator after the firing of Todd Haley, Kitchens was largely an unknown. He has ignited the offense, shown imagination in formations and playcalling and developed a strong rapport with Baker Mayfield. The Browns have to decide if he’s ready to be a head coach, something Kitchens responded to by saying: “Who the hell’s ready to be a head coach?”
Mike McCarthy: He has a relationship with Dorsey, Alonzo Highsmith and Eliot Wolf, and he guided the Packers to a Super Bowl and nine playoff appearances in 12-plus seasons in Green Bay. McCarthy is experienced and would bring immediate juice to the position.
Dave Toub: Kansas City’s special-teams coach would be appealing because he would bring a strong mind and leadership skills, and could keep Kitchens as offensive coordinator.
Kris Richard: The Cowboys’ secondary coach also coached the Legion of Boom in Seattle, where he was the defensive coordinator. Richard’s stock has quietly risen. Hiring him also could mean retaining Kitchens.
Josh McDaniels: The Patriots assistant always appears on potential hiring lists, but he didn’t help his case last offseason by taking then turning down the Colts job.
The Cardinals are the favorites to get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft in Steve Wilks’ first season as coach. Could the former Panthers defensive coordinator get fired after just one year in charge in Arizona?
Weinfuss: The case for and against firing Wilks
Schefter: Cardinals not expected to retain Wilks after rough first season
It seemed almost inevitable that Marvin Lewis would leave at the end of the 2017 season, but he wound up reaching a two-year contract extension. Lewis has a built-in excuse with an extraordinary amount of injuries and a porous defense, but the way the season went was disappointing after the team’s hot start.
Terrell: Lewis not expecting assurances from Bengals about future
Terrell: Lewis’ plan to fix Bengals? Bring back Hue Jackson
Vance Joseph’s first season in charge of the Broncos included an eight-game losing streak but ended with a show of faith from general manager John Elway after a 5-11 finish. In Year 2, though, Joseph needed his team to show improvement.
Legwold: The cases for and against keeping Joseph
Legwold: Joseph’s hot seat burning after loss to Raiders
Schefter: Joseph, if fired by Broncos, expected to emerge as Bengals DC candidate
Legwold: With Broncos’ season all but over, questions need to be answered
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