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Head Coach candidates if we decide to move on

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minny65
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Some names I saw in an article I just read.  I tried to only include Offensive experienced coaches.  
Joe BradyJoe Burrow threw a Division I-FBS-record 60 touchdown passes in 2019, and the Panthers hired the LSU passing-game coordinator -- not the Tigers OC -- to run their offense. Brady has immediately made Carolina an intriguing offense, helping it stay afloat without Christian McCaffrey. The way the NFL has gone in recent years, the 31-year-old assistant will receive looks in 2021 and should be a head coach at some point in the early '20s. 
Ryan Day

Day leaving the 49ers for Columbus in 2017 produced monster stat lines for Buckeyes QBs. After J.T. Barrett returned to dominance in 2017, Dwayne Haskins threw 50 TD passes in his only season as a starter. Transfer Justin Fields then dropped a 41-3 TD-INT ratio in his first starter season in 2019 and is on track to follow Haskins as a high first-round pick. Day worked under Chip Kelly as QBs coach in Philly and San Francisco, and while that may not help him, continued success at Ohio State will undoubtedly garner the 41-year-old Big Ten leader NFL looks soon.
Tony Elliott
Clemson used co-offensive coordinators for most of Deshaun Watson's tenure and part of Trevor Lawrence's. Elliott previously shared the play-calling role with Jeff Scott, the Tigers co-OC from 2015-19, but is running the show solo in 2020. And Lawrence, despite his positive COVID-19 test, is a Heisman frontrunner. Elliott, 41, has been at Clemson since 2011, being onboard for the program's rise. He has not surfaced on NFL radars yet, but the 2020 season and perhaps beyond could provide a springboard for Dabo Swinney's play-caller. 
Pat Fitzgerald
From 1904-2007, Northwestern football amassed two nine-win seasons. Since Fitzgerald began his run as Wildcats head coach in 2008, the program has five such seasons. Fitzgerald, 45, has surfaced on the NFL radar in recent years. The Packers tried to interview him to replace Mike McCarthy, but the Northwestern alum did not bite. Although Fitzgerald has coached at Northwestern since 2001, the Big Ten presents an uphill battle for the academically geared school. This creates an achievement ceiling of sorts, which could push the respected HC to reconsider the pros.
Graham Harrell
After one season as USC's offensive coordinator, Harrell popped up on the NFL radar. The Eagles sought to interview him, but the 35-year-old assistant opted to stay in Los Angeles. A Mike Leach disciple after his time playing and coaching under the Air Raid innovator, Harrell has since been the OC at North Texas and USC. In Year 1 succeeding (technically) Kliff Kingsbury at USC, Harrell oversaw Kedon Slovis go from three-star recruit to a player who threw 30 TDs in just 10 full games as a true freshman. Given Kingsbury's success with Kyler Murray, Harrell will be on NFL radars again in 2021. 
Mike Kafka
One of the best coaching trees in recent NFL history, Andy Reid will almost certainly see his third Chiefs-years offensive coordinator land a head-coaching job. Eric Bieniemy's impending exit opens the door for Kafka, an ex-Eagles backup QB and current Chiefs QBs coach. The Chiefs blocked Kafka from interviewing for the Eagles OC job this year, giving him the "passing-game coordinator" title in 2020. Kafka, 33, has been Kansas City's QBs coach since 2018. Given what has happened in K.C. since that promotion, Kafka will appear on coaching carousels soon. 
Byron Leftwich
Like Charlie Weis, Josh McDaniels and Bill O'Brien, Leftwich might emerge as a head coach after being Tom Brady's offensive coordinator. Not on the radar prior to Brady's arrival, Leftwich was stuck with Josh Rosen and Jameis Winston in his first seasons as a play-caller. But the former first-round QB pick has Brady playing at a much higher level than he did in 2019, and the Bucs have barely had Pro Bowl wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin healthy at the same time this season. How Leftwich incorporates Antonio Brown and manages the historic distractor will help shape how soon he gets HC looks.

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#1 · Dec 25, 9:46 AM
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Mike McDanielFor teams wanting in on the Kyle Shanahan offense, McDaniel might be the best bet. He has worked under Shanahan for 13 seasons since debuting as a Texans assistant in his early 20s. The 49ers continue to produce rushing success, churning out three 500-yard rushers in 2019 -- when Raheem Mostert finished off his transformation from career special-teamer to RB1 with Terrell Davis-like zone-running dominance in the NFC title game -- and have seen fifth-string back JaMycal Hasty have success this year. The 37-year-old run-game coordinator will be an offensive coordinator candidate soon and is on a path toward a top job.
Lincoln Riley

Sooner or later, an NFL team will make Riley an offer he cannot refuse. The Oklahoma coach comes up in NFL hiring news cycles each offseason, after he continues to form elite offenses and guide teams to the College Football Playoff. Riley coached Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to the Heisman Trophy and turned Jalen Hurts from demoted Alabama QB to Heisman runner-up. Riley has sufficient credentials to follow Kliff Kingsbury to the pros, and the 37-year-old coach figures to make that move at some point in the next few years.
Greg Roman
Roman led the rejiggering efforts of three NFL offenses, first changing up the 49ers' attack after dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick took the reins and then structuring the Bills offense around the mobile Tyrod Taylor. Roman doing the same with Lamar Jackson figures to be the tipping point. As QBs coach, Roman played a key role in changing the Ravens offense from a staid Joe Flacco attack to one built around Jackson's skill set. Fully weaponizing Jackson last season, en route to the young QB's unanimous MVP, granted Roman head-coaching interviews. He should be back on the circuit in 2021.
Arthur Smith
Beyond Bieniemy, this seems like the easiest hire to predict. Smith, Tennessee's second-year OC, both leading Ryan Tannehill's mid-career breakout and unleashing Derrick Henry have made the Titans a factor after they hovered off the competitive radar for most of the previous decade. Tannehill's 9.6 yards per attempt last year ranks in the top 10 all time for a season, and the injury-prone QB sitting at fourth in QBR -- despite the Titans losing many players and practice time amid their COVID-19 outbreak -- provides cake icing for an assistant who was coaching tight ends as recently as 2018.
Shane Steichen
Not yet on the head-coaching radar, Steichen could build a case quickly. Justin Herbert is now the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite, going from a prospect who some thought would need to sit for a while and learn to an instant-impact starter. Named Chargers offensive coordinator via 2019 midseason promotion, Steichen is the rare OC to call plays for a team with an offensive-oriented head coach. Anthony Lynn leaving play-calling to his 35-year-old assistant will open the door to Steichen capitalizing on Herbert's success with a head-coaching job of his own.
Dabo Swinney
College football mainstays have tried their hand at the NFL for decades. John McKay, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Nick Saban and Chip Kelly did so -- with mixed results. Matt Rhule just signed a seven-year Panthers contract after enjoying a fraction of Swinney's success. Swinney has orchestrated one of the sport's best 21st-century success stories, making Clemson a national power. The 13th-year Tigers coach may not be especially tempted right now, hovering as a major college football power broker, but at some point this will come up for the 50-year-old leader. He would have options.

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#2 · Dec 25, 9:46 AM
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I read somewhere that if Pat Fitzgerald moves on to the NFL, George Paton is a guy to keep an eye on in regards to a HC/GM pairing. 

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#3 · Dec 25, 10:40 AM
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Les Steckel is available. :-)

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#4 · Dec 25, 11:02 AM
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There won't be a new head coach yet. 

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#5 · Dec 25, 4:18 PM
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@"Vikergirl" said: There won't be a new head coach yet. 
Maybe there should be
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#6 · Dec 25, 4:49 PM
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@"mblack" said:
@"Vikergirl" said: There won't be a new head coach yet. 
Maybe there should be
Maybe but he is going to get a pass. Capers will be the scapegoat on defense. 
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#7 · Dec 25, 4:53 PM
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@"Vikergirl" said:
@"mblack" said:
@"Vikergirl" said: There won't be a new head coach yet. 
Maybe there should be
Maybe but he is going to get a pass. Capers will be the scapegoat on defense. 
Because they will let Zimmer make the call. Its time people above him make the call. The last Camara touchdown tells you all you need to know.

The defense (his specialty) is not even trying. This defense is simply terrible. I am not buying excuse of missing players. They had a whole year to adjust. So please let's not talk about Barr, Hunter or whoever.
Players can't tackle. They can't focus. Its just very painful to watch.

I can understand the Kendrick absence but all teams miss players. The saints are missing their two best WR and they have not missed a beat. They lost one game when Brees was out. Payton adjusted. 

Zimmer said at the beginning of the season that he never had a bad defense so he had "planned" for this so that is not an excuse to use 
He has simply been out coached and the game has passed him by. In his best day he is above average and that will not cut it.
Vital game against Cowboys and you lose
Must win game against Bears and you lose
Must win game against Saints and your team does not show up

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#8 · Dec 25, 5:10 PM
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@"mblack" said:
@"Vikergirl" said:
@"mblack" said:
@"Vikergirl" said: There won't be a new head coach yet. 
Maybe there should be
Maybe but he is going to get a pass. Capers will be the scapegoat on defense. 
Because they will let Zimmer make the call. Its time people above him make the call. The last Camara touchdown tells you all you need to know.

The defense (his specialty) is not even trying. This defense is simply terrible. I am not buying excuse of missing players. They had a whole year to adjust. So please let's not talk about Barr, Hunter or whoever.

I can understand the Kendrick absence but all teams miss players. The saints are missing their two best WR and they have not missed a beat. They lost one game when Brees was out. Payton adjusted. 

Zimmer said at the beginning of the season that he never had a bad defense so he had "planned" for this so that is not an excuse to use 
He has simply been out of he'd and the game has passed him by. In his best day he is above average and that will not cut it.



I am not disputing any of that. They have to adjust and adapt on defense as well as offense. They can't win by only running every game. This defense is just sad right now and the OL is still a work in progress. As a fan I want more than playoffs. I know that is not happening this year. I wish he would stop calling plays and let the defensive coordinators do it. We need better play calling on defense and offense. I don't know what the owners want at this point.

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#9 · Dec 25, 5:16 PM
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This defense is brutally bad and the OL aint stout enough when it matters...

Hard to lay all of that @ Olde Zimm's feet imo. 

But I am ready to move on - just not sure to whom yet. 

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#10 · Dec 25, 5:44 PM
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@"purplefaithful" said: This defense is brutally bad and the OL aint stout enough when it matters...

Hard to lay all of that @ Olde Zimm's feet imo. 

But I am ready to move on - just not sure to whom yet. 


He won't get out of the way on defense and offense. Adapt or die. 

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#11 · Dec 25, 5:46 PM
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Zimmer will be HC next year, time to fixate on other issues folks

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#12 · Dec 25, 5:51 PM
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Bring in Fudd...!  ;) B)  

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#13 · Dec 25, 6:02 PM
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3 things stood out:

1. The clock mgmt at the end of the first half was terrible. There’s no other word to describe it. 
2. We burned a timeout early in the 2H on 3rd and 1 in the redzone because our coaches weren’t prepared.
3. Our 2 minute drill is atrocious, per usual. 

I’m not even mentioning a bunch of other things because the Saints are a good team. But all 3 of these things— especially 1 and 2– are something that should 1000% NOT be happening with Zimmer having coached for going on a decade. I’m sure he has a million things going on in his head and in his ears during the game but the clock management is so bad it’s infuriating. 

Mike Zimmer is a good coach who I’m pretty sure will never be a great one. Kirk Cousins is in that same boat.

It might be time to strive for better.

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#14 · Dec 25, 6:06 PM
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@"Hawkvike25" said: Zimmer will be HC next year, time to fixate on other issues folks
Great! another 8-8 ceiling to look forward to!!
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#15 · Dec 25, 8:12 PM
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@"pattersaur" said: 3 things stood out:

1. The clock mgmt at the end of the first half was terrible. There’s no other word to describe it. 
2. We burned a timeout early in the 2H on 3rd and 1 in the redzone because our coaches weren’t prepared.
3. Our 2 minute drill is atrocious, per usual. 

I’m not even mentioning a bunch of other things because the Saints are a good team. But all 3 of these things— especially 1 and 2– are something that should 1000% NOT be happening with Zimmer having coached for going on a decade. I’m sure he has a million things going on in his head and in his ears during the game but the clock management is so bad it’s infuriating. 

Mike Zimmer is a good defensive coordinator who I’m pretty sure will never be a great one. Kirk Cousins is in that same boat.

It might be time to strive for better.


fixed it for you

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#16 · Dec 25, 8:13 PM
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@"purplefaithful" said: This defense is brutally bad and the OL aint stout enough when it matters...

Hard to lay all of that @ Olde Zimm's feet imo. 

But I am ready to move on - just not sure to whom yet. 


Thats the thing.  Fitzgerald and Roman are the only 2 on that list that intrigue me and i dont think either one is better than Zim. So if is simply fresh blood?  meh...

Kubes i would be down for but he wont do it unless Clint is the OC, prolly not even then. 

Zimmer should get one more year with at least average talent on d , He and Speilly are locked at the hip with Cousins anyway 

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#17 · Dec 25, 8:25 PM
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I'll leave that up to the new GM!

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#18 · Dec 25, 9:19 PM
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25. Minnesota Vikings: 6-9 (Last week: 17)

Will Mike Zimmer be back in 2021? Every team has battled COVID-19 and injuries. Minnesota has done it poorly.

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#19 · Dec 28, 2:04 PM
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@"minny65" said: 25. Minnesota Vikings: 6-9 (Last week: 17)
Will Mike Zimmer be back in 2021? Every team has battled COVID-19 and injuries. Minnesota has done it poorly.
Which team spent the year replacing 8 starters from the prior year's D? 
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#20 · Dec 28, 2:09 PM
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@"BarrNone55" said:
@"minny65" said: 25. Minnesota Vikings: 6-9 (Last week: 17)
Will Mike Zimmer be back in 2021? Every team has battled COVID-19 and injuries. Minnesota has done it poorly.
Which team spent the year replacing 8 starters from the prior year's D? 
IDK but who is responsible for for the timing of all those contracts coming up at the same time?  We have praised Brez for many years on that and those are GM calls.  Every team had some players opt-out like Pierce did.  Hunter's injury sucked and he may never come back 100% every team has injuries.  Pierce may not even be the answer in the IDL.

Excuses are endless for every team but I am ready to start anew like the Packers did 2 years ago with replacing McCarthy and Ted Thompson.  I see one of the most balanced and well coached Packer teams I have seen in a long time with Rodgers.  

I call out situation the last few years as a whack-a-mole strategy.  Just when we figured out our offense (numerous OC's) our Defense falls apart for all the reasons above.  Now it is our Defense and ST's.  I have been done with Zimmer since the Eagles debacle after needing a miracle to even get there.  Our team under Zimmer is so inconsistent from game to game.  I want change and a new direction.  I would follow what the Pack did...promote the director of player personnel who then hires his coach.  I am ready for Paton at GM and a HC like Saleh from the 49'ers with a new vision and focus on drafting a QB in a very deep QB draft.

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#21 · Dec 28, 2:47 PM
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