The Coaching Carousel: How Championship Sunday's Results Will Heat Up Remaining Searches
The NFL's Coaching carousel is in full swing, and Championship Sunday's results will be pivotal in determining the fate of several teams' head coaching searches.
Following the games, teams without a head coach will know if they can proceed with their searches and decide on their next hire. The Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Steelers are currently permitted to speak with assistant coaches from the teams playing on Sunday: the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks.
The Buffalo Bills, who fired Sean McDermott on Monday, are only permitted to talk with candidates whose seasons have already ended. Next week, the Bills will be able to talk with candidates from teams whose seasons end on Sunday, but Buffalo will have to wait until after Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 to interview a candidate on a team who advances.
Thus, the results of the AFC and NFC Championship Games will go a long way in helping this year's wild, marathon coaching carousel reach a conclusion.
Here's a look at the situations surrounding multiple teams' coaching searches:
The Raiders have at least two, potentially three, candidates whose teams will play Sunday. Sources say they are looking into scheduling another interview with Broncos offensive passing game coordinator Davis Webb, who is considered a strong candidate. Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph have interest, as well. Webb has not yet been a coordinator, but his experience as an NFL QB, along with his leadership abilities, make him an attractive candidate. The belief is Las Vegas is looking for a younger, offensive coach, and Kubiak -- a top coordinator -- and Webb fit that bill. Kubiak was also a strong candidate for the Falcons' vacancy before they hired former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Cleveland spent the past week conducting second interviews with several candidates, speaking with Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski most recently. Sources say they plan to meet with Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase early in the week, as he is among their top candidates. Scheelhaase would likely keep defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on staff if he gets the job. Cleveland has yet to fulfill the Rooney Rule requirements, and they appear to be the only team that cannot make a hire yet.
Arizona brought in Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile this week for a second interview, and sources say the plan is to bring in multiple candidates from Sunday’s conference finalists, as well. One of those candidates is likely to be Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, the brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, and a respected coach in his own right. Mike LaFleur has already had a virtual interview with the Cardinals. Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is set for a second interview on Sunday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported. Weaver has completed multiple head coach interviews this cycle.
Green Bay lost its defensive coordinator to Miami when the Dolphins hired Jeff Hafley as their next head coach. The Packers have conducted a few interviews already, including with former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon and Bears assistant Al Harris. There also is mutual interest between the Packers and Wisconsin native and ex-Badgers star Jim Leonhard, who currently is Denver’s defensive pass game coordinator/assistant head coach. While nothing is set, the hope is both sides can get together for a discussion after Sunday’s AFC title game. With Leonhard’s ties to the state, this one makes sense. Leonhard is considered to be one of the top defensive coordinator candidates.
But here's where it gets controversial... The Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching positions, has been a topic of discussion. Some argue that it's a necessary step to increase diversity in coaching, while others believe it's a tokenistic gesture that doesn't always lead to meaningful change. And this is the part most people miss... The rule has been in place for over two decades, yet the number of minority head coaches in the NFL remains low. What do you think? Do you think the Rooney Rule is effective in promoting diversity in coaching, or is it time for a different approach? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
