Editor’s Note: The NFL playoffs are here & NBC Sports EDGE Plus is giving you a special offer. Get 15% off an EDGE Plus annual subscription throughout the playoffs when you use promo code PLAYOFF15. Get every tool for every game at one low price. It’s easier than ever to play & wager with confidence when you have NBC Sports EDGE Plus. Click here to learn more!
With the 2021 NFL regular season in the books, many teams have moved on from their coaches (and GMs) and are looking to start fresh. I’ll keep track of every head coaching interview (which will also include requested interviews) and hire below. I will also add some analysis on the candidates and eventual winners for each job.
Jacksonville Jaguars Hire Doug Pederson
Interviews:
- Jags OC Darrell Bevell
- Bucs DC Todd Bowles
- Former Lions HC Jim Caldwell
- Colts DC Matt Eberflus
- Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett
- Bucs OC Byron Leftwich
- Cowboys OC Kellen Moore
- Formers Texans HC Bill O’Brien
- Former Eagles HC Doug Pederson
- Cowboy DC Dan Quinn
- Rams OC Kevin O’Connell
Notes: The Jags were clearly looking for stability from their next head coach. Multiple candidates had a previous link to the franchise while even more were previously head coaches. They ultimately landed on a former head coach in Pederson. The former Philadelphia boss took down a Lombardi Trophy in his four-year stint with the team and was eventually fired mostly based on disagreements with Philly brass. This divide centered around how the team should be built. Rumors have already indicated that both Leftwich and Pederson had concerns about partnering up with Jags GM Trent Baalke. Though Pederson’s track record on the field is as good as you can find among this year’s coaching pool, pairing him with a general manager who may not draw favorable reviews around the league could go sideways.
Denver Broncos Hire Nathaniel Hackett
Interviews:
- Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy
- Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon
- Packers quarterback coach Luke Getsy
- Lions DC Aaron Glenn
- Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett
- Patriots linebacker coach Jerod Mayo
- Cowboys OC Kellen Moore
- Rams OC Kevin O’Connell
- Cowboys DC Dan Quinn
- Bengals OC Brian Callahan
Notes: All reports had the Broncos down to three candidates before Hackett was hired. Quinn was expected to get the job and he may have if he wanted it. However, Quinn chose to stay in Dallas so Hackett was chosen over O’Connell. Hackett was the Packers’ offensive coordinator for the recent Aaron Rodgers renaissance and the MVP quarterback has given a ringing endorsement of him. The Broncos are seemingly a quarterback away from being an AFC contender and Hackett has a history of fostering solid to elite quarterback play. He was even the quarterbacks coach for Blake Bortles’ best season in Jacksonville. Who the Broncos go with at quarterback remains to be seen but Hackett was an obvious choice after Quinn pulled out of the race.
Chicago Bears Hire Matt Eberflus
Interviews:
- Bucs DC Todd Bowles
- Bills OC Brian Daboll
- Colts DC Matt Eberflus
- Bills DC Leslie Frazier
- Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett
- Bucs OC Byron Leftwich
- Former Eagles HC Doug Pederson
- Cowboys DC Dan Quinn
- Former Dolphins HC Brian Flores
- Formers Lions HC Jim Caldwell
- Saints DC Dennis Allen
Notes: The Bears brought in Eberflus, Caldwell, and Quinn for second interviews. Eberflus has no head coaching experience and the problem with Chicago was primarily on offense last year. His staff hirings will be crucial. Colts LBs coach Dave Borgonzi is expected to follow Eberflus and take over as the Bears’ defensive coordinator. For the future of the franchise, Chicago’s offensive coordinator hiring may be more important than who they chose as their head coach. The team selected Packers QBs coach Luke Getsy for the job. Getsy will be tasked with tailoring an offense around Justin Fields, something the previous regime didn’t put much effort into.
After seeing the stunning success Kansas City has had in the past decade, the Bears couldn’t help but latch onto their executive director of player personnel, Ryan Poles. The Chiefs have employed Poles for the last 13 years as he worked his way up the organization. Many have touted Poles as a future GM in recent years so his hiring isn’t much of a surprise. He joined the interviewing process and the team quickly landed on Eberflus.
Miami Dolphins Hire Mike McDaniel
Interviews:
- 49ers OC Mike McDaniel
- Cowboy DC Dan Quinn
- Bills OC Brian Daboll
- Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown
- Cardinals DC Vance Joseph
- Cowboys OC Kellen Moore
- Bills DC Leslie Frazier
Notes: It didn’t take long for Miami to reveal their intentions after moving on from Brian Flores despite consecutive winning seasons. They wanted someone who can unlock Tua Tagovailoa, which Flores failed to do in two years with the rookie. Their finalists, McDaniel and Moore, were both instrumental in elite offenses this past season.
McDaniel has followed the Shanahans (Mike and Kyle) around the league for years and was ultimately the choice for Miami. He was promoted from run game coordinator to offensive coordinator in 2021. Jimmy Garoppolo also put some of his best play on tape in 2021 as the 49ers returned to the playoffs before toppling the Cowboys and Packers. McDaniel’s experience crafting a ground game was likely an important point for the Dolphins, who ranked 30th in rushing yards.
Minnesota Vikings Hire Kevin O’Connell
Interviews:
- Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett
- Cowboys OC Kellen Moore
- Rams OC Kevin O’Connell
- Cowboys DC Dan Quinn
- Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon
- 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans
- Bucs DC Todd Bowles
- Rams DC Raheem Morris
Notes: The Vikings were in the market for a new GM and a new head coach as Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, staples of the Minnesota franchise for the past decade, were both canned at the end of a disappointing 2021 season. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Browns VP of football operations, was the first to join the team, taking on the role of general manager. Adofo-Mensah has gained a following as an analytics mind but still worked well with Cleveland. His hiring could go a long way to bridge the gap between the old guard and newer styles of management.
O’Connell is expected to be announced as their next head coach once the Super Bowl concludes. O’Connell’s only blemish is his lack of play-calling experience at the NFL level. He has served as the Rams’ offensive coordinator for two seasons but Sean McVay calls the plays in LA. Still, all reports have O’Connell as a central figure in the offensive design and game-planning which earns him plenty of credit in the Rams’ offensive success with Matthew Stafford under center. Giving him Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook could be a recipe for monstrous seasons from the elite duo.
Las Vegas Raiders Hire Josh McDaniels
Interviews:
- Patriots linebacker coach Jerod Mayo
- Interim HC Rich Bisaccia
- Bucs DC Todd Bowles
- Patriots OC Josh McDaniels
Notes: Jon Gruden resigned in shame after emails featuring racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks from him leaked earlier this year. Bisaccia took over as interim head coach, went 7-5, and got the Raiders back into the playoffs. Bisaccia’s performance was beyond admirable but Las Vegas management clearly wanted to wash their hands of the Gruden era. They moved on from GM Mike Mayock at the end of the year and ultimately went a different direction with the head coaching vacancy.
The Raiders hired Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler and their offensive coordinator McDaniels on the same day. The two were a package deal as McDaniels has been a supporter of Ziegler within the New England organization for years. McDaniels has spent the past decade as the Pats’ offensive coordinator and handled the switch to rookie quarterback Mac Jones well. In Jones’ first season, the offense finished 15th in yards and sixth in points. The team wasn’t done hiring coaches with New England in their byline though. They stole Giants DC Patrick Graham for the same role. Graham spent seven years as a positions coach with the Patriots and his time there overlapped with Ziegler and McDaniels.
New York Giants Hire Brian Daboll
Interviews:
- Cowboys DC Dan Quinn
- Bills OC Brian Daboll
- Former Dolphins HC Brian Flores
- Bills DC Leslie Frazier
- Giants DC Patrick Graham
- Bengals DC Lou Anarumo
Notes: The Giants ultimately chose to relieve head coach Joe Judge of his duties after a disastrous 2021 season. This came shortly after Dave Gettleman retired from his GM role. Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen was hired to replace Gettleman. Schoen was considered by many to be the right-hand-man of Bills GM Brandon Beane.
After Schoen was brought in from Buffalo, it became clear that the Giants weren’t done exporting Bills staffers. Their offensive coordinator and the architect of Josh Allen’s ascent was the choice for New York. Daniel Jones shares some similarities to early-career Allen and the hope is that Daboll can work his magic yet again. On top of adding Daboll, the team brought in Patrick Mahomes’ quarterbacks coach, Mike Kafka. It’s clear that the Giants are going all out to set Jones up for success, a strategy that worked well for Allen.
Houston Texans Hire Lovie Smith
Interviews:
- Former Dolphins HC Brian Flores
- Chargers OC Joe Lombardi
- Florida Atlantic wide receivers coach Hines Ward
- Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon
- Former NFL QB Josh McCown
Notes: Houston moved on from David Culley after one year and a 4-13 record. Culley was brought in to shepherd a pitiful roster to the 2022 Draft without making any noise and he did just that. After ruling out all of their supposed finalists, the Texans suddenly pivoted to Smith. Smith had a successful run of nearly a decade with the Bears starting in 2004 but his team eventually stagnated, leading to his firing. He then flopped as the coach of the Buccaneers before heading to the college ranks. He went 17-39 as the coach of Illinois. Smith may have turned a corner after spending a year as the Texans defensive coordinator and assistant head coach but his track record says otherwise. The Texans’ choice of coach and the process that led to his hiring appears representative of the discombobulated nature of their organization.
New Orleans Saints Hire Dennis Allen
Interviews:
- Saints DC Dennis Allen
- Lions DC Aaron Glenn
- Bucs OC Byron Leftwich
- Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy
- Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi
- Former Eagles HC Doug Pederson
- Former Dolphins HC Brian Flores
Notes: Sean Payton is finally hanging it up after floating out the idea of retiring for many years. Rumors have already surfaced of him possibly returning in a few seasons but the Saints will move forward without their coach of 16 years. Allen began the Saints’ search as the favorite and that expectation was proven correct after the Saints made him the final hire of the cycle.
Allen was brought in as the New Orleans’ defensive coordinator in 2015 and after two years of retooling his side of the ball, the Saints have been anywhere from an above-average to an elite defense over the past five years. They have been a top-five defense by points allowed in each of the past two seasons and no worse than 14th over their past five campaigns. Allen also has a little over two years of experience as a head coach, though not a successful one. From 2012 to 2014, he went 8-28 as their boss and was fired four weeks into his third season.
