In the past few days, accounts have emerged regarding teams refusing to give assistant coaches the opportunity to become coordinators with new teams. Years ago, league rules prevented teams from blocking an assistant coach from getting a promotion elsewhere. The rules have since changed, allowing a team from declining to give permission to, for example, a quarterbacks coach to interview for an offensive coordinator position elsewhere.
Some teams allow it, believing that it’s better to create an atmosphere that encourages upward mobility. Other teams routinely decline, forcing assistant coaches to honor their contracts.
The Bengals, for example, have opted not to allow defensive backs coach Vance Joseph to interview to become the defensive coordinator with the Broncos. The Bengals have every right to do that.
For the assistant coaches, there’s a simple alternative: Insist on year-to-year contracts. That way, the assistant can leave after any and every given year. The risk, however, is that the team will decide that it doesn’t want to keep the assistant. Without a multi-year deal, there’s no buyout or other financial security.
A bizarre twist has arisen in Indianpolis, where the Colts declined to allow special assistant Rob Chudzinski to interview for the offensive coordinator position in St. Louis. Chudzinski’s contract expires next week, allowing him to interview unfettered. It seems a little petty for the Colts to block him from leaving a week early, and it could make Chudzinski far less inclined to return to Indy if he ends up not finding work elsewhere.
Then again, he’s still getting paid by the Browns for another year or two to not coach that team.
