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Coaches like Sean Payton, Chuck Pagano and Mike McCoy -- currently still employed by NFL teams -- could wind up as enticing options if they become available.
Alphabetical Order -
Adam Gase, offensive coordinator, Chicago Bears
Age: 37
NFL head-coaching record: n/a
Possible fits: Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions
The buzz around Gase: Will be at the top of a number of lists because of his ability to work with quarterbacks, but just as important might be his ability to manage different personalities. The last two signal callers he has coached (Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler) are strong-willed in different ways, and this Nick Saban protégé found a way to get the most out of both of them while building strong relationships with each. Gase was pursued by Cleveland two years ago, and if Manning were to be hired in a front-office capacity (as some have speculated) by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (who liked Gase quite a bit), he'd be a natural there. He's from the Detroit area, and a team -- like the Lions (or Dolphins) -- that needs to get more out of a high-priced quarterback should be intrigued.
Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals
Age: 50
NFL head-coaching record: 8-8 (Oakland Raiders, 2011)
Possible fits: San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans
The buzz around Jackson: Jackson has waited his turn for a second shot after acquitting himself pretty darn well in his one-year head-coaching debut in Oakland. The job he's done with Andy Dalton and AJ McCarron is the shiny object for all to fixate on, but the ex-Raider head man also spent time coaching on the defensive side during this four-year stint as a Bengal assistant. His ties to the Bay Area would make him a natural in San Francisco, and Dolphins executive vice president Mike Tannenbaum actually served as Jackson's agent before being brought on full-time in Miami. The Titans merit mention, as well, because of their young quarterback and Jackson's experience developing guys at that position.
Chip Kelly, unemployed
Age: 52
NFL head-coaching record: 26-21 (Philadelphia Eagles, 2013-15)
Possible fits: Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers
The buzz around Kelly: So ... This is a new one. Per sources, Kelly intimated to people on Tuesday night, after his firing in Philly, a desire to stay in the NFL. And there's reason to think he can succeed there. The bottom line, as those in the Eagles' building see it: The deconstruction of his running game over the last three years led to his demise. Having a quarterback who runs isn't required for Kelly's scheme, but it helps. And while you don't need superstar guards, having competent players at those spots would've helped, too, as would have better planning at tailback. (If Frank Gore signs, DeMarco Murray never lands there, and the dynamic is different.) The truth is, Kelly needs a run game like most teams need a quarterback. When that failed him in Philly, the rest of the operation suffered badly. So the idea that pairing him with the right personnel man who can help him build the team his way could work isn't crazy. And Tennessee is the obvious place for him to do it.
Jim Mora, head coach, UCLA
Age: 54
NFL head-coaching record: 31-33 (Atlanta Falcons, 2004-06; Seattle Seahawks, 2009)
Possible fits: San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins
The buzz around Mora: There are two sides to this. On one hand, there have been rumblings that Mora would like to get back into the NFL. On the other, he has an incredibly promising true freshman quarterback (Josh Rosen) to build around in Westwood. Mora's run in Atlanta did include an appearance in the NFC title game, and he was only fired after he made eyes at his alma mater, Washington, late in the 2006 season. And it's hard to kill him for what happened with the Seahawks: He got one season with a roster in complete disrepair that Pete Carroll and John Schneider gutted the following year. The Charger job is one the rumor mill has connected him to, which makes sense geographically (if the team goes to L.A., L.A. already knows Mora), and also because GM Tom Telesco has ties to Mora's dad.
Kyle Shanahan, offensive coordinator, Atlanta Falcons
Age: 36
NFL head-coaching record: n/a
Possible fits: Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins
The buzz around Shanahan: Atlanta's late-season swoon isn't going to help Shanahan, but his work with the running game and setting up Julio Jones for a career year certainly will. Shanahan's work with a host of different types of quarterbacks, along with his adaptability (see: 2012 Redskins), make him very much a candidate for today's NFL. It'd be interesting to see Shanahan paired with Andrew Luck. But he might be more attractive to teams like the Titans and Dolphins, who have quarterbacks with unconventional backgrounds.
Mike Shula, offensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers
Age: 50
NFL head-coaching record: n/a
Possible fits: Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles
The buzz around Shula: This wouldn't be Shula's first shot as a head coach: He preceded Saban at his alma mater, took the Alabama job under very adverse circumstances and helped set the stage for the success to come. He was fired from that job, so a deeper look into what went wrong in Tuscaloosa would be merited. But in the time since, he's clearly distinguished himself with his work first as Cam Newton's position coach (2011-12) and then as his coordinator (2013-present), and he has 24 seasons as an NFL assistant on his résumé. Teams that have passers who came into the league a little raw (Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill) have taken notice.
Who Do You Choose ?
Alphabetical Order -
Adam Gase, offensive coordinator, Chicago Bears
Age: 37
NFL head-coaching record: n/a
Possible fits: Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions
The buzz around Gase: Will be at the top of a number of lists because of his ability to work with quarterbacks, but just as important might be his ability to manage different personalities. The last two signal callers he has coached (Peyton Manning, Jay Cutler) are strong-willed in different ways, and this Nick Saban protégé found a way to get the most out of both of them while building strong relationships with each. Gase was pursued by Cleveland two years ago, and if Manning were to be hired in a front-office capacity (as some have speculated) by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (who liked Gase quite a bit), he'd be a natural there. He's from the Detroit area, and a team -- like the Lions (or Dolphins) -- that needs to get more out of a high-priced quarterback should be intrigued.
Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals
Age: 50
NFL head-coaching record: 8-8 (Oakland Raiders, 2011)
Possible fits: San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans
The buzz around Jackson: Jackson has waited his turn for a second shot after acquitting himself pretty darn well in his one-year head-coaching debut in Oakland. The job he's done with Andy Dalton and AJ McCarron is the shiny object for all to fixate on, but the ex-Raider head man also spent time coaching on the defensive side during this four-year stint as a Bengal assistant. His ties to the Bay Area would make him a natural in San Francisco, and Dolphins executive vice president Mike Tannenbaum actually served as Jackson's agent before being brought on full-time in Miami. The Titans merit mention, as well, because of their young quarterback and Jackson's experience developing guys at that position.
Chip Kelly, unemployed
Age: 52
NFL head-coaching record: 26-21 (Philadelphia Eagles, 2013-15)
Possible fits: Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers
The buzz around Kelly: So ... This is a new one. Per sources, Kelly intimated to people on Tuesday night, after his firing in Philly, a desire to stay in the NFL. And there's reason to think he can succeed there. The bottom line, as those in the Eagles' building see it: The deconstruction of his running game over the last three years led to his demise. Having a quarterback who runs isn't required for Kelly's scheme, but it helps. And while you don't need superstar guards, having competent players at those spots would've helped, too, as would have better planning at tailback. (If Frank Gore signs, DeMarco Murray never lands there, and the dynamic is different.) The truth is, Kelly needs a run game like most teams need a quarterback. When that failed him in Philly, the rest of the operation suffered badly. So the idea that pairing him with the right personnel man who can help him build the team his way could work isn't crazy. And Tennessee is the obvious place for him to do it.
Jim Mora, head coach, UCLA
Age: 54
NFL head-coaching record: 31-33 (Atlanta Falcons, 2004-06; Seattle Seahawks, 2009)
Possible fits: San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins
The buzz around Mora: There are two sides to this. On one hand, there have been rumblings that Mora would like to get back into the NFL. On the other, he has an incredibly promising true freshman quarterback (Josh Rosen) to build around in Westwood. Mora's run in Atlanta did include an appearance in the NFC title game, and he was only fired after he made eyes at his alma mater, Washington, late in the 2006 season. And it's hard to kill him for what happened with the Seahawks: He got one season with a roster in complete disrepair that Pete Carroll and John Schneider gutted the following year. The Charger job is one the rumor mill has connected him to, which makes sense geographically (if the team goes to L.A., L.A. already knows Mora), and also because GM Tom Telesco has ties to Mora's dad.
Kyle Shanahan, offensive coordinator, Atlanta Falcons
Age: 36
NFL head-coaching record: n/a
Possible fits: Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins
The buzz around Shanahan: Atlanta's late-season swoon isn't going to help Shanahan, but his work with the running game and setting up Julio Jones for a career year certainly will. Shanahan's work with a host of different types of quarterbacks, along with his adaptability (see: 2012 Redskins), make him very much a candidate for today's NFL. It'd be interesting to see Shanahan paired with Andrew Luck. But he might be more attractive to teams like the Titans and Dolphins, who have quarterbacks with unconventional backgrounds.
Mike Shula, offensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers
Age: 50
NFL head-coaching record: n/a
Possible fits: Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles
The buzz around Shula: This wouldn't be Shula's first shot as a head coach: He preceded Saban at his alma mater, took the Alabama job under very adverse circumstances and helped set the stage for the success to come. He was fired from that job, so a deeper look into what went wrong in Tuscaloosa would be merited. But in the time since, he's clearly distinguished himself with his work first as Cam Newton's position coach (2011-12) and then as his coordinator (2013-present), and he has 24 seasons as an NFL assistant on his résumé. Teams that have passers who came into the league a little raw (Marcus Mariota, Ryan Tannehill) have taken notice.
Who Do You Choose ?
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