There are just two more weeks of the NFL regular season, and head coach hiring-and-firing season is off and running for the 2019-20 cycle. The Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers each fired their coach, and there are more firings on the way soon.
When we rated the job security for every coach in early December, there were four coaches squarely on the hot seat and a few more inching closer into the danger zone. We also identified the potential candidates who could get interviews.
What’s next on the NFL coaching carousel? Here’s everything you need to know about the movement through hiring-and-firing season, with updates on coaches who could be next to go and latest news with open jobs.
Read more:
Barnwell: Ranking potential openings
Tannenbaum: Inside a coaching hunt
OPEN JOBS
Interim coach Perry Fewell’s chances of becoming a serious contender to succeed Ron Rivera are dwindling with an 0-2 start. Not that he really fit the job description owner David Tepper mapped out after he fired Rivera.
Tepper continues to work behind the scenes with the advice of others inside Bank of America Stadium to put a list together with priorities on a young, offensive-minded coach with an old-school flare but big into analytics. He indicated to Sports Illustrated last week that the new coach would have input into front office jobs such as the new assistant GM and VP of football operations. There’s been a lot of speculation but nothing official in terms of interviews that could happen for assistant coaches. — David Newton
0:53
Dan Graziano discusses Cam Newton’s future in Carolina following the firing of Ron Rivera, the only head coach Newton has ever played for in the NFL.
More:
Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer attended Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, sitting with his former Utah quarterback Alex Smith in the owner’s box. He was there to watch his former Buckeye players Terry McLaurin and Dwayne Haskins, but the Redskins have an opening and Meyer is intrigued by the NFL. Still, it would take a different power structure setup to land him — plus likely beating out situations that might be more conducive to winning.
Other names that have been mentioned include Stanford coach David Shaw, but the chance of landing him is probably around 1%, leaving open the you-never-know scenario.
First, though, the Redskins must decide if they want Bruce Allen to remain as president and in charge of football operations. His presence will be a hindrance for some candidates. — John Keim
More:
JOBS THAT COULD OPEN
Coach: Dan Quinn (41-37 over five seasons)
Quinn is making a decision about his future a lot tougher on owner Arthur Blank. Thanks in large part to Julio Jones‘ effort, Quinn help guide the Falcons to a 29-22 win over the 49ers, arguably in the NFC’s best team. Although the Falcons are just 5-9, Quinn has wins over both the 49ers (11-3) and Saints (10-3), and played a great second half in a seven-point loss to the Seahawks (11-3).
Although Quinn will finish the season with a losing record, he’ll certainly try to sell Blank on the potential for a 2020 turnaround based on those impressive outings. — Vaughn McClure
More:
Coach: Freddie Kitchens (first season)
Buffalo knocking off Pittsburgh on Sunday night mathematically kept the Browns alive for the playoffs. But really, that’s just delaying the inevitable for what might be the NFL’s biggest disappointment.
Cleveland general manager John Dorsey was always going to give Kitchens every opportunity to show he warranted a second season, even without a spot in the playoffs. But Sunday’s hapless loss at Arizona did little to that end. — Jake Trotter
More:
Coach: Jason Garrett (84-66 over 10 seasons)
Garrett is still on the hot seat. It might be hotter now after the Cowboys’ win against the Rams because it has many wondering where that team has been for most of the season. A loss Sunday in Philadelphia would likely end the Cowboys’ playoff hopes, so there is little wiggle room.
Jerry Jones is not necessarily re-assessing the coaching staff now, because, “that implies that I’d concluded and had assessed the future, and that’s not correct,” he said. “So I had not reached that point, and wouldn’t under any circumstances until this season is over. What it does is remind me the season’s not over. That’s a plus thing. We’ve got a long road to hoe, but we’ve got a huge challenge coming up here this weekend up in Philadelphia. But this is what the doctor ordered to go get ready to play the Eagles.” — Todd Archer
1:40
Damien Woody feels the Cowboys’ lack of discipline and their unresponsiveness to Jason Garrett show he has lost control of the team.
More:
Coach: Matt Patricia (9-20-1 over two seasons)
The Lions lost their seventh-straight game Sunday, as they trailed 21-3 at the half to the Bucs and allowed Jameis Winston to throw for 308 yards before halftime. While not all of that can be placed on the coach, it is surely a sign of the team not improving. The fanbase has started to speak with their attendance as well, as the stadium never looked close to full and some rows in some sections of the lower bowl were almost completely empty.
Things seem to be trending in the wrong direction for Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn. While the Ford family hasn’t said anything about their status, the losses are piling up and frustration in the fan base is clearly high. — Michael Rothstein
More:
Coach: Doug Marrone (21-27 over four seasons)
The Jaguars’ come-from-behind victory over Oakland on Sunday snapped a five-game losing streak, and while it doesn’t significantly impact coach Doug Marrone’s job security, it did prove one thing: The players haven’t quit. That’s a good sign for Marrone. His decision to go with Gardner Minshew over Nick Foles looks better now than it did last week, too.
The Jaguars, however, just aren’t very talented as this point, partly due to injuries, but also because of personnel mistakes made by vice president Tom Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell. Major changes are expected once the season ends, but owner Shad Khan hasn’t given any indication on whether that means a clean sweep or not. — Michael DiRocco
More:
Coach: Pat Shurmur (8-22 over two seasons)
The Giants finally won a game for the first time since September. They ended a nine-game losing streak with a victory over the Dolphins in Week 15. Pat Shurmur’s seat is still hot, but at least it’s not the uncomfortably scorching variety it would have been had they lost in Eli Manning‘s final home start to the lowly Dolphins.
Still, not much changes with this victory. The Giants owners are going to meet after the season ends to discuss Shurmur and general manager Dave Gettleman’s fate. It still seems unlikely Shurmur survives, but a few more wins certainly won’t hurt his cause. — Jordan Raanan
More: