6 NFL Coordinators in line for a Head Coaching Job
The Next Batch of NFL Coaches
Many NFL teams will be looking to make coaching changes next month. Some will be obvious, others who likely deserve to be fired will hang on for another season. One example made headlines this morning as Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam confirmed Hue Jackson will return for the 2018 season.
The following are six NFL Coordinators that I think have a shot at a head coaching job soon.
- Darrell Bevell
Offensive Coordinator- Seattle Seahawks
Despite being the subject of a lot of abuse for ‘that’ play call in the Super Bowl, Darrell Bevell is without a doubt one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL, and he deserves a shot as a Head Coach. The Seahawks offense has always been built around the strength of the players, and the fact Bevell once managed to get seven wins out of a Tarvaris Jackson led offense speaks volumes of how good of a play caller he is.
Bevell is a quiet man who doesn’t really get animated on the sidelines, but the Seahawks players respect him greatly. He does well with a roster that doesn’t really fit together on the offensive side of the ball, and he has had to deal with a historically awful offensive line. Bevell’s changing of the Seahawks offense to a shotgun based offense has paid dividends and made Russell Wilson into an MVP candidate, which should get him a couple of interviews this summer.
- Pat Shurmur
Offensive Coordinator- Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are currently the first seed in the NFC and many credit this to Mike Zimmer’s defense, but the offense has been incredible, as they are 4th in offensive DVOA which is a measure of efficiency. This is despite having a pretty average offensive line and losing their running back for the season. All without mentioning the fact that they have a career backup under center in Case Keenum.
The man behind this offensive resurgence is Pat Shurmur, and no offensive coordinator is doing more with a worse QB. His offense is balanced, but they make the pass plays count as Shurmur uses a variety of route combinations and the talents of Kyle Rudolph, Stefon Diggs, and Adam Thielen to attack the best mismatch. The Vikings receiving corps is probably the best in the NFL, but we should not mark Shurmur down for this, as his QB is still a career backup at the end of the day. Shurmur was a disaster in his first Head Coaching gig but it is difficult to mark down a guy for doing bad with the Cleveland Browns.
Coaches are paid to maximize every player on their side of the ball, even the limited ones, and Shurmur’s ability to do this should get him more interviews this summer.
- Kris Richard
Defensive Coordinator- Seattle Seahawks
It would not be at all surprising to see Pete Carroll having to find two new coordinators this summer. As with Darell Bevell, Kris Richard is also a very promising coach. The young coach nearly got the Buffalo Bills job last summer, but they opted to appoint Sean McDermott which has paid off so far.
Many outside of Seattle automatically assume Richard is the product of a defense that has at least four hall of famers on it, but he has actually put his own stamp on the Seahawks defense. The Hawks have moved away from being a ‘line up and play’ style defense with zone coverage, and Kris Richard has used more man coverage since his promotion in 2015. He has also deployed some interesting blitz packages, something the team lacked under Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn. He uses the coverage skills of KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner to bring extra heat from the secondary, and he has also been creative with how he aligns his defensive linemen.
Richard is far from perfect as his third and long play calling is frustrating, but the players respect him greatly, and he has brought discipline to the Seahawks defense. Teams are moving towards younger coaches in the modern NFL, and Richard being under the age of 40 means he is likely to land a Head Coaching gig this summer.
- Teryl Austin
Defensive Coordinator- Detroit Lions
Many are put off by Austin purely because the Detroit Lions defense isn’t breaking any records but that unit has been starved of talent in the front seven for many years. Austin is as good of a defensive mind as you will find in the league today. One of the things that impresses people about Austin is his ability to completely switch his coverage concepts in the middle of a game. This unpredictability has allowed the Lions secondary to be very solid this year.
Austin maximizes a very limited group of players, and he does so by relating to his players on a personal level. Lions defensive back Don Carey said of Austin that he is ‘laid back’, and makes the players feel like the scheme is ‘their scheme’ instead of Austin’s. This unique approach has worked pretty well for Austin throughout his career, and he could be a good appointment for a team with a broken locker room such as the New York Giants.
- Paul Guenther
Defensive Coordinator- Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are probably the median in the NFL as they are good, not great, on both sides of the ball. However, Paul Guenther deserves credit for what he is doing with their defense. In the eyes of the majority of Bengals insiders, Guenther is the nailed-on replacement for Marvin Lewis. Although, due to Paul Brown’s addiction to giving out contract extensions for mediocre seasons, another team might snatch up Guenther before the Bengals can make their move.
Guenther is, unfortunately, working under a Head Coach who refuses to discipline his players, notably Adam Jones and Vontaze Burfict, so he unfairly gets blamed, even though he has very little say on the matter. Outside of this, the Bengals defense plays above their talent level, and Guenther could get a Head Coaching job on the back of his work with the likes of Carl Lawson and William Jackson III.
Some critics of Guenther question the Bengals poor placing on third down defense, but in my eyes, this is because they lack man corners and a consistent pass rush.
- Pete Carmichael
Offensive Coordinator- New Orleans Saints
Pete Carmichael has been in New Orleans for the entirety of Sean Payton’s reign, and he has overseen a historically good offense in his time there. Despite being an offensive mind with influence over such a potent offense, Pete Carmichael has received very little interest from NFL front offices.
Sean Payton has used nearly every formation known to man during his time in New Orleans, and Carmichael’s exposure to this means that he would likely be able to install an offense for a team desperately in need of creativity. One thing that might work in Carmichael’s favor, is the success John Morton has had as the offensive coordinator in New York despite having Josh McCown under center, with a bad line and a rag-tag group of wideouts. Carmichael is arguably more experienced than Morton, and teams might start becoming attracted to Sean Payton’s coaching tree.
Did I forget someone? Leave me a comment below.
Joe Hulbert | 6 NFL Coordinators in line for a Head Coaching Job - Gridiron Experts
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