With Black Monday quickly approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to have a brief look at some NFL Head Coaching candidates. Below are some of the hottest names in football that will no-doubt warrant consideration for high positions.
Kris Richard, Defensive Backs Coach - Dallas Cowboys
Career History:
Seahawks Cornerbacks Coach 2011, Seahawks Defensive Backs Coach 2012-2014, Seahawks Defensive Coordinator 2015-2017, Cowboys Defensive Backs Coach 2018
Summary:
Kris Richard's resume isn't quite as long as any of the other guys I looked at, but his might damn well be the most impressive. Though he's only 39, Richard previously presided over Seattle's "Legion of Boom" for seven years, and he is now coaching a Cowboys secondary which has greatly overachieved this season. As Seattle's Cornerbacks Coach in 2011, Richard was tasked with scheming in free-agent signing Brandon Browner and developing rookies Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell into serviceable corners. Needless to say, Richard succeeded with flying colors. Brandon Browner, a 6'4" corner who was signed by Seattle after 5-straight years in the CFL, made a Pro Bowl in his first year back in 2011. Richard Sherman obviously developed into one of the NFL's best corners of all time, recording an impressive rookie season in 2011 before recording three consecutive First-Team All-Pro recognitions from 2012 to 2014. Byron Maxwell didn't really crack the starting lineup much in Seattle, due to all of the defensive back talent there, but his time under Richard paid off in 2015 and 2016, when he started outside for the Eagles and the Dolphins, respectively. In 2013, while Kris Richard was responsible for all of Seattle's defensive backs, the Seahawks had a historic pass defense. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor all made the Pro Bowl and earned All-Pro recognition, and Seattle's defense was ranked first in the league in yards allowed and points allowed en route to an easy 43-8 Super Bowl victory over the Broncos. In every year from 2012 through 2015, the Seahawks ranked first in the NFL in scoring defense, propelled mostly by a fantastic pass defense and a great secondary. In 2018, Kris Richard took a job in Dallas, and he continued his mastery once again. Richard's primary task was converting Byron Jones from a safety to an outside cornerback, and to date, Jones' transition has been an overwhelming success. Through week 13, Byron Jones has shut down some of the NFL's best receivers; according to PlayerProfiler, Jones has yet to allow a receiving touchdown, despite lining up against Brandon Marshall, DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, and Michael Thomas, amongst others. Under Kris Richard's tutelage, Byron Jones is currently ranked the third-best CB in the NFL by PFF in his first year back playing the position. Dallas' defense as a whole is ranked 5th in the NFL. Richard is a Cover-3 Press innovator, which could help to curb some of today's more "open" offenses, and he has been known to use a 4-3 front-seven. Richard likes his corners long, and he likes his free safety to be rangy. Over the past 10 years, the passing game has become more emphasized, the nickel corner has become more prominent, and offenses run more plays out of 11 personnel than ever before, so pass defense innovators like Kris Richard are sure to garner significant interest in the 2019 offseason.
Matt LaFleur, Offensive Coordinator - Tennessee Titans
Career History: Redskins Quarterbacks Coach 2010-2013, Falcons Quarterbacks Coach 2015-2016, Rams Offensive Coordinator 2017, Titans Offensive Coordinator 2018
Summary:
Having coached under Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan, and Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur has been influenced by some of the greatest offensive minds of our generation. LaFleur's best work in Washington came in 2012 and 2013, when he worked to develop 2nd-overall-pick Robert Griffin III and 4th-rounder Kirk Cousins. In his rookie season in 2012, Robert Griffin III, who was considered to not be "pro-ready," actually made the Pro Bowl. When Griffin was unable to play in Week 15 of his rookie season due to injury, Kirk Cousins played a fantastic game, going 26-for-37 for 329 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cousins' immediate success is consequently one of LaFleur's greatest successes, because Kirk Cousins was not at all considered one of the top rookie quarterbacks in the 2012 draft. The Falcons were certainly impressed by LaFleur's quick development of RGIII and Kirk Cousins, because they hired LaFleur to be their Quarterbacks Coach in 2015 under Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan. In 2016, Matt LaFleur helped Matt Ryan to the best season of his career. Ryan, who has a career completion percentage of 65% with a TD/INT ratio of 2.2:1, in 2016 recorded a 70% completion percentage with a 5.4:1 TD/INT ratio en route to an MVP Award and an NFC Championship. Ryan's historic 2016 season prompted Sean McVay to hire LaFleur to be the Rams Offensive Coordinator in 2017. As LaFleur did not have playcalling responsibilities, his primary job in Los Angeles was to develop Jared Goff. Before LaFleur's arrival, Goff had such a bad rookie season that he prompted Cris Carter to declare after just seven starts"The guys know [Jared] can't play … they messed this pick up." What actually happened was far different. Under LaFleur's tutelage, Goff improved upon his 55%, .71:1 season in 2016 to record a Pro Bowl 62% comp, 4.0:1 TD/INT ratio season in 2017. LA's offense, for which LaFleur was responsible, exploded altogether, finishing first in the NFL in scoring offense, a tremendous improvement considering that the Rams finished dead last in 2016. In the 2018 offseason, LaFleur accepted the Titans Offensive Coordinator position, where he also has playcalling responsibilities. To date, Marcus Mariota has improved his completion percentage and TD/INT ratio since LaFleur became Offensive Coordinator. NFL teams are likely to see LaFleur as a QB guru and as one of the innovators of the Rams historic offense. LaFleur is a young, innovative mind, and he is likely to employ a zone-blocking scheme and a West Coast offense.
Mike McCarthy, Former Head Coach - Green Bay Packers
Career History: Chiefs Quarterbacks Coach 1995-1998, Packers Quarterbacks Coach 1999, Saints Offensive Coordinator 2000-2004, 49ers Offensive Coordinator 2005, Packers Head Coach 2005-2018
Summary:
Mike McCarthy is easily the most credentialed man on the Head Coaching market right now. McCarthy coached the Packers for 12 full seasons, making the playoffs in 9 of those seasons. In 7 of the 12 seasons of which Mike McCarthy was Head Coach of the Packers, Green Bay ranked top 5 in scoring offense, including #1 overall scoring rankings in 2011 and 2014. McCarthy's Packers had 8 seasons of 10+ wins, including their miracle 2010 Wild-Card Super Bowl run. Mike McCarthy's best and biggest work, of course, is the development of Aaron Rodgers. In the same offseason that the Packers drafted Rodgers, they paired him up with then-rookie Head Coach Mike McCarthy for the long run. Rodgers did not start immediately for Green Bay, instead developing under McCarthy on the bench, waiting in 2006 and 2007 to start behind Brett Favre. Favre, in the meantime, put up his last All-Pro season of his career under McCarthy in 2007 with the best completion percentage of his career at 67%. Finally, in 2008, McCarthy's work with Aaron Rodgers began to pay off, as he had a really good 16 games with 64% completions and a 2.2:1 TD/INT ratio. Rodgers would follow up this first good season with only better seasons. Under Mike McCarthy, in the 9 full seasons from 2009 through 2017, Rodgers' TD/INT ratio never slipped below 2.5:1. For reference, in that same time frame, Tom Brady fell below that threshold twice, and Drew Brees fell below the threshold five times. Rodgers' remarkable consistency is owed, at least in part, to the fact that McCarthy's offensive scheme has generally stood the test of time. The Packers ran a West-Coast offense with vertical concepts and a zone-blocking scheme with some power-gap plays. Rodgers had 2 MVP seasons under McCarthy, one in 2011 and another in 2014. Defensively, McCarthy has favored a 3-4 front, as Dom Capers, DC from 2009 through 2017, and Mike Pettine, DC in 2018, Green Bay fired McCarthy, perhaps believing that Aaron Rodgers could net them a young hotshot Head Coach. However, hiring Mike McCarthy as a Head Coach means long-term stability at the position, which is integral if the team in question strives for sustained NFL success. Mike McCarthy is 55 years old, and he hopes to have a chance at a rebound Head-Coaching stint following his disgraceful Green Bay departure.
Lincoln Riley, Head Coach - Oklahoma Sooners
Career History: East Carolina Pirates Offensive Coordinator 2010-2013, East Carolina Pirates Assistant Head Coach 2014, Oklahoma Sooners Offensive Coordinator 2015-2016, Oklahoma Sooners Head Coach 2017-2018
Summary:
The NFL is undeniably an offensively-dominated league right now, and with the recent successes of Matt Nagy, Sean McVay, and Kyle Shanahan, teams could look to strike while the iron is hot and hire the 35-year-old Lincoln Riley straight out of college. With the coordinator pool appearing to have shallowed following some recent Head Coaching hires, NFL teams may be compelled to once again search the college ranks. Without a doubt, Riley has had great offensive success in Oklahoma. His combined record in his two years of Head Coaching is 24-3, and Oklahoma's offense has produced an average of 47.4 points per game during that span, putting up over fifty points in 11 of 27 possible occasions. Riley's work with Baker Mayfield is perhaps the most impressive, because Mayfield started out as a walk-on 6'0 5/8" longshot. Under Lincoln Riley's tutelage, Baker transformed from a 64% comp, 1.3 TD/INT ratio quarterback at Texas Tech into a 71% comp, 5.0 TD/INT ratio quarterback in first year in Oklahoma. Mayfield built upon this success in 2017, improving his TD/INT ratio once again and also developing himself as a mobile quarterback en route to his Heisman Award. Finally, on April 26, 2018, the Browns made Riley's walk-on longshot the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Mayfield's has had moderate success in his rookie season for Cleveland. Baker Mayfield's biggest strengths are footwork, accuracy, and leadership, all of which are coachable traits. In that draft, Riley also saw two other offensive Sooners get drafted: tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Mark Andrews, who have both outplayed their draft positions for Baltimore. Despite these critical losses, Oklahoma has come back looking better than ever before, outscoring their 2017 selves by over 4 points per game. This is, in large part, due to the growth of quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray, a 5'9" baseball centerfielder who was listed as a 30/1 longshot for the Heisman trophy, is now considered to be the odds-on favorite, as he has put together an astounding season with 71% completions, 5.3:1 TD/INT ratio under Head Coach Lincoln Riley. In college, Riley runs a spread-option offense with air-raid and West Coast concepts and a zone-blocking scheme, but he could perhaps adapt this to the NFL in a similar way to Andy Reid has with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. His offense, riddled with pre-snap reads and adjustments, has absolutely torn through the Big 12 Conference. Young offensive innovators are in high demand in today's NFL, so Lincoln Riley is expected to get some NFL attention.
Dave Toub, Assistant Head Coach - Kansas City Chiefs
Career History: Missouri Defensive Line Coach 1998-2000, Eagles Special Teams Quality Control Coach 2001-2003, Bears Special Teams Coordinator 2004-2012, Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator 2013-2017, Chiefs Assistant Head Coach 2018
Summary:
Andy Reid's coaching tree has produced John Harbaugh, Ron Rivera, Todd Bowles, Doug Peterson, Sean McDermott, and Matt Nagy, and as Reid's assistant coach for the 2018 season, it seems destined that Dave Toub, too, will have a shot at running his own team. Of the list, John Harbaugh is perhaps the most apt comparison for Dave Toub, as both have their background primarily rooted in special teams. Toub's special teams have been highly-rated for virtually his entire career; in Chicago, he developed Devin Hester from a likely bust, since he couldn't catch on at either corner or receiver, into the best kick and punt returner of all time. In the seven years from 2006 through 2012 that Toub coached Hester, Hester had a combined 17 touchdowns in kick returning and punt returning. Moreover, when kicker Doug Bryan went down in week 3 of 2005, Dave Toub masterfully identified Robbie Gould, who was working construction at the time, as a potential replacement. This signing ended up being a huge success, as Robbie Gould became the Bears' kicker for eleven years, and he is currently the highest scoring Chicago Bear of all time. According to FootballOutsiders, Chicago's special teams was ranked top-6 in every year from 2006 through 2012, including being ranked first overall in 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2011. In 2013, when Andy Reid offered him the Special Teams Coordinator job upon taking the Kansas City Head Coaching gig, Toub accepted. Dave Toub had immediate results, taking over their 2012 22nd-ranked Special Teams and vaulting it all the way to first ranked in 2013. In his time in Kansas City, Toub has produced Pro Bowlers Dexter McCluster, Tyreek Hill, DJ Alexander, and Dustin Colquitt. Toub is an extraordinary Special Teams coordinator, but it is very important to be well-liked and well-respected as well. About Dave Toub, Greg Gabriel, former NFL talent evaluator, said,"Talk to anyone he's ever worked with or coached and they'll say the same thing. This guy deserves to be a head coach." With Kansas City's recent success, NFL teams may flock to get a piece of Andy Reid's staff, and Toub is the obvious first choice for a Head Coaching position.
John DeFilippo, Offensive Coordinator - Minnesota Vikings
Career History: Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 2007-2008, Jets Quarterbacks Coach 2009, Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 2012-2014, Browns Offensive Coordinator 2015, Eagles Quarterbacks Coach 2016-2017, Vikings Offensive Coordinator 2018
Summary:
With the consistency that the Vikings offense has exhibited so far in 2018, it is once again time to examine John DeFilippo as a potential NFL Head Coach. Though DeFilippo did spend two years in Oakland in his first major coaching job as a Quarterbacks coach, it may be best to ignore those years, as the disfunction that existed in the Oakland lockerroom due to Lane Kiffin's power struggle with late owner Al Davis and his reluctance to help develop first-overall pick JaMarcus Russell is an understandably-difficult situation for a 28-year-old first-time NFL position coach. By 2012, John DeFilippo was back in Oakland, but this time, he was coaching under HC Dennis Allen who, while not perfect, managed to avoid the chaos that had plagued Kiffin and Tom Cable during DeFilippo's first Oakland stint. In 2012, DeFilippo was tasked with getting the most out of Carson Palmer and with developing Terrelle Pryor as a quarterback. First, about Carson Palmer, DeFilippo helped ensure that his second year in Oakland went much better than his first. With DeFilippo's help, Palmer improved upon his 61% comp, 0.81:1 TD/INT ratio in 2011 to post a 61% comp, 1.6:1 TD/INT ratio season in 2012. While the latter numbers may not seem impressive, especially considering that Carson Palmer was an established veteran by that point, one must consider that he posted those numbers throwing to leading receivers WR Denarius Moore, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, and TE Brandon Myers. Under DeFilippo, Palmer posted the 3rd season of his then-9-season-long career with 4000 yards passing. The latter project would go generally unnoticed until 2013, when the world got to witness QB Terrelle Pryor in the NFL for the first time. In eleven games, Pryor produced 1798 passing yards on 57% completions with 7 touchdowns and 11 picks, and he tacked on 576 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. Again, while not immediately impressive, Pryor's season under DeFilippo is much more impressive in context. While Terrelle Pryor's completions percentage and yards per attempt were better in his first year starting than Peyton Manning in his, Pryor never started another game again following his departure from Oakland. Rather, Pryor was so pitiful as a passer that he failed to make the Seahawks roster in 2014 over Tarvaris Jackson or BJ Daniels. Thus, the fact that DeFilippo was able to make Pryor look like merely a below-average quarterback is a testament to his abilities. DeFilippo's efforts with Palmer and Pryor, however, pale in comparison to his 2014 season with rookie Derek Carr. While the Raiders had anticipated starting veteran QB Matt Schaub, Derek Carr had developed so quickly in the 2014 offseason under DeFilippo, as evidenced by his 11-for-13 and 3 touchdown outing in the fourth preseason game, that the Raiders were forced to start him in week 1. Carr had one of the most efficient rookie seasons of all time, throwing for 58% completions with a 1.8:1 TD/INT ratio, which is even more impressive considering that Derek Carr was a second-round pick from the Mountain West Conference. DeFilippo got a gig as the Browns' Offensive Coordinator in 2015, but with the turmoil posed by Johnny Manziel, Josh Gordon, and Mike Pettine, Cleveland had a poor year. Still, however, Quarterback Josh McCown turned in a good year, throwing for 64% completions with a 3.0:1 TD/INT ratio. DeFilippo got his first big chance with a steady organization in 2016, when Doug Peterson hired DeFilippo to be the Eagles' Quarterbacks coach to help develop Carson Wentz. This project succeeded massively. Carson Wentz started all 16 games in his rookie year, but in his second year, Carson Wentz played MVP-caliber football for 12 weeks before going down during the 13th game against the Rams. DeFilippo's backup quarterback, Nick Foles, played very well, throwing for 65% completions and a 3.7 TD/INT ratio including the playoffs en route to an improbable Super Bowl victory. DeFilippo then accepted the Minnesota Offensive Coordinator job, where quarterback Kirk Cousins is on track for career highs in touchdowns and yards, and Adam Thielen has emerged as one of the NFL's greatest wide receivers. DeFilippo is a mere 40 years old, he has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, and he runs a West-Coast offense with a zone blocking scheme, similar to ones that have succeeded all over the NFL over the past five years.
Kris Richard, Defensive Backs Coach - Dallas Cowboys
Career History:
Seahawks Cornerbacks Coach 2011, Seahawks Defensive Backs Coach 2012-2014, Seahawks Defensive Coordinator 2015-2017, Cowboys Defensive Backs Coach 2018
Summary:
Kris Richard's resume isn't quite as long as any of the other guys I looked at, but his might damn well be the most impressive. Though he's only 39, Richard previously presided over Seattle's "Legion of Boom" for seven years, and he is now coaching a Cowboys secondary which has greatly overachieved this season. As Seattle's Cornerbacks Coach in 2011, Richard was tasked with scheming in free-agent signing Brandon Browner and developing rookies Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell into serviceable corners. Needless to say, Richard succeeded with flying colors. Brandon Browner, a 6'4" corner who was signed by Seattle after 5-straight years in the CFL, made a Pro Bowl in his first year back in 2011. Richard Sherman obviously developed into one of the NFL's best corners of all time, recording an impressive rookie season in 2011 before recording three consecutive First-Team All-Pro recognitions from 2012 to 2014. Byron Maxwell didn't really crack the starting lineup much in Seattle, due to all of the defensive back talent there, but his time under Richard paid off in 2015 and 2016, when he started outside for the Eagles and the Dolphins, respectively. In 2013, while Kris Richard was responsible for all of Seattle's defensive backs, the Seahawks had a historic pass defense. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor all made the Pro Bowl and earned All-Pro recognition, and Seattle's defense was ranked first in the league in yards allowed and points allowed en route to an easy 43-8 Super Bowl victory over the Broncos. In every year from 2012 through 2015, the Seahawks ranked first in the NFL in scoring defense, propelled mostly by a fantastic pass defense and a great secondary. In 2018, Kris Richard took a job in Dallas, and he continued his mastery once again. Richard's primary task was converting Byron Jones from a safety to an outside cornerback, and to date, Jones' transition has been an overwhelming success. Through week 13, Byron Jones has shut down some of the NFL's best receivers; according to PlayerProfiler, Jones has yet to allow a receiving touchdown, despite lining up against Brandon Marshall, DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, and Michael Thomas, amongst others. Under Kris Richard's tutelage, Byron Jones is currently ranked the third-best CB in the NFL by PFF in his first year back playing the position. Dallas' defense as a whole is ranked 5th in the NFL. Richard is a Cover-3 Press innovator, which could help to curb some of today's more "open" offenses, and he has been known to use a 4-3 front-seven. Richard likes his corners long, and he likes his free safety to be rangy. Over the past 10 years, the passing game has become more emphasized, the nickel corner has become more prominent, and offenses run more plays out of 11 personnel than ever before, so pass defense innovators like Kris Richard are sure to garner significant interest in the 2019 offseason.
Matt LaFleur, Offensive Coordinator - Tennessee Titans
Career History: Redskins Quarterbacks Coach 2010-2013, Falcons Quarterbacks Coach 2015-2016, Rams Offensive Coordinator 2017, Titans Offensive Coordinator 2018
Summary:
Having coached under Mike Shanahan, Kyle Shanahan, and Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur has been influenced by some of the greatest offensive minds of our generation. LaFleur's best work in Washington came in 2012 and 2013, when he worked to develop 2nd-overall-pick Robert Griffin III and 4th-rounder Kirk Cousins. In his rookie season in 2012, Robert Griffin III, who was considered to not be "pro-ready," actually made the Pro Bowl. When Griffin was unable to play in Week 15 of his rookie season due to injury, Kirk Cousins played a fantastic game, going 26-for-37 for 329 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cousins' immediate success is consequently one of LaFleur's greatest successes, because Kirk Cousins was not at all considered one of the top rookie quarterbacks in the 2012 draft. The Falcons were certainly impressed by LaFleur's quick development of RGIII and Kirk Cousins, because they hired LaFleur to be their Quarterbacks Coach in 2015 under Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan. In 2016, Matt LaFleur helped Matt Ryan to the best season of his career. Ryan, who has a career completion percentage of 65% with a TD/INT ratio of 2.2:1, in 2016 recorded a 70% completion percentage with a 5.4:1 TD/INT ratio en route to an MVP Award and an NFC Championship. Ryan's historic 2016 season prompted Sean McVay to hire LaFleur to be the Rams Offensive Coordinator in 2017. As LaFleur did not have playcalling responsibilities, his primary job in Los Angeles was to develop Jared Goff. Before LaFleur's arrival, Goff had such a bad rookie season that he prompted Cris Carter to declare after just seven starts"The guys know [Jared] can't play … they messed this pick up." What actually happened was far different. Under LaFleur's tutelage, Goff improved upon his 55%, .71:1 season in 2016 to record a Pro Bowl 62% comp, 4.0:1 TD/INT ratio season in 2017. LA's offense, for which LaFleur was responsible, exploded altogether, finishing first in the NFL in scoring offense, a tremendous improvement considering that the Rams finished dead last in 2016. In the 2018 offseason, LaFleur accepted the Titans Offensive Coordinator position, where he also has playcalling responsibilities. To date, Marcus Mariota has improved his completion percentage and TD/INT ratio since LaFleur became Offensive Coordinator. NFL teams are likely to see LaFleur as a QB guru and as one of the innovators of the Rams historic offense. LaFleur is a young, innovative mind, and he is likely to employ a zone-blocking scheme and a West Coast offense.
Mike McCarthy, Former Head Coach - Green Bay Packers
Career History: Chiefs Quarterbacks Coach 1995-1998, Packers Quarterbacks Coach 1999, Saints Offensive Coordinator 2000-2004, 49ers Offensive Coordinator 2005, Packers Head Coach 2005-2018
Summary:
Mike McCarthy is easily the most credentialed man on the Head Coaching market right now. McCarthy coached the Packers for 12 full seasons, making the playoffs in 9 of those seasons. In 7 of the 12 seasons of which Mike McCarthy was Head Coach of the Packers, Green Bay ranked top 5 in scoring offense, including #1 overall scoring rankings in 2011 and 2014. McCarthy's Packers had 8 seasons of 10+ wins, including their miracle 2010 Wild-Card Super Bowl run. Mike McCarthy's best and biggest work, of course, is the development of Aaron Rodgers. In the same offseason that the Packers drafted Rodgers, they paired him up with then-rookie Head Coach Mike McCarthy for the long run. Rodgers did not start immediately for Green Bay, instead developing under McCarthy on the bench, waiting in 2006 and 2007 to start behind Brett Favre. Favre, in the meantime, put up his last All-Pro season of his career under McCarthy in 2007 with the best completion percentage of his career at 67%. Finally, in 2008, McCarthy's work with Aaron Rodgers began to pay off, as he had a really good 16 games with 64% completions and a 2.2:1 TD/INT ratio. Rodgers would follow up this first good season with only better seasons. Under Mike McCarthy, in the 9 full seasons from 2009 through 2017, Rodgers' TD/INT ratio never slipped below 2.5:1. For reference, in that same time frame, Tom Brady fell below that threshold twice, and Drew Brees fell below the threshold five times. Rodgers' remarkable consistency is owed, at least in part, to the fact that McCarthy's offensive scheme has generally stood the test of time. The Packers ran a West-Coast offense with vertical concepts and a zone-blocking scheme with some power-gap plays. Rodgers had 2 MVP seasons under McCarthy, one in 2011 and another in 2014. Defensively, McCarthy has favored a 3-4 front, as Dom Capers, DC from 2009 through 2017, and Mike Pettine, DC in 2018, Green Bay fired McCarthy, perhaps believing that Aaron Rodgers could net them a young hotshot Head Coach. However, hiring Mike McCarthy as a Head Coach means long-term stability at the position, which is integral if the team in question strives for sustained NFL success. Mike McCarthy is 55 years old, and he hopes to have a chance at a rebound Head-Coaching stint following his disgraceful Green Bay departure.
Lincoln Riley, Head Coach - Oklahoma Sooners
Career History: East Carolina Pirates Offensive Coordinator 2010-2013, East Carolina Pirates Assistant Head Coach 2014, Oklahoma Sooners Offensive Coordinator 2015-2016, Oklahoma Sooners Head Coach 2017-2018
Summary:
The NFL is undeniably an offensively-dominated league right now, and with the recent successes of Matt Nagy, Sean McVay, and Kyle Shanahan, teams could look to strike while the iron is hot and hire the 35-year-old Lincoln Riley straight out of college. With the coordinator pool appearing to have shallowed following some recent Head Coaching hires, NFL teams may be compelled to once again search the college ranks. Without a doubt, Riley has had great offensive success in Oklahoma. His combined record in his two years of Head Coaching is 24-3, and Oklahoma's offense has produced an average of 47.4 points per game during that span, putting up over fifty points in 11 of 27 possible occasions. Riley's work with Baker Mayfield is perhaps the most impressive, because Mayfield started out as a walk-on 6'0 5/8" longshot. Under Lincoln Riley's tutelage, Baker transformed from a 64% comp, 1.3 TD/INT ratio quarterback at Texas Tech into a 71% comp, 5.0 TD/INT ratio quarterback in first year in Oklahoma. Mayfield built upon this success in 2017, improving his TD/INT ratio once again and also developing himself as a mobile quarterback en route to his Heisman Award. Finally, on April 26, 2018, the Browns made Riley's walk-on longshot the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Mayfield's has had moderate success in his rookie season for Cleveland. Baker Mayfield's biggest strengths are footwork, accuracy, and leadership, all of which are coachable traits. In that draft, Riley also saw two other offensive Sooners get drafted: tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Mark Andrews, who have both outplayed their draft positions for Baltimore. Despite these critical losses, Oklahoma has come back looking better than ever before, outscoring their 2017 selves by over 4 points per game. This is, in large part, due to the growth of quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray, a 5'9" baseball centerfielder who was listed as a 30/1 longshot for the Heisman trophy, is now considered to be the odds-on favorite, as he has put together an astounding season with 71% completions, 5.3:1 TD/INT ratio under Head Coach Lincoln Riley. In college, Riley runs a spread-option offense with air-raid and West Coast concepts and a zone-blocking scheme, but he could perhaps adapt this to the NFL in a similar way to Andy Reid has with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City. His offense, riddled with pre-snap reads and adjustments, has absolutely torn through the Big 12 Conference. Young offensive innovators are in high demand in today's NFL, so Lincoln Riley is expected to get some NFL attention.
Dave Toub, Assistant Head Coach - Kansas City Chiefs
Career History: Missouri Defensive Line Coach 1998-2000, Eagles Special Teams Quality Control Coach 2001-2003, Bears Special Teams Coordinator 2004-2012, Chiefs Special Teams Coordinator 2013-2017, Chiefs Assistant Head Coach 2018
Summary:
Andy Reid's coaching tree has produced John Harbaugh, Ron Rivera, Todd Bowles, Doug Peterson, Sean McDermott, and Matt Nagy, and as Reid's assistant coach for the 2018 season, it seems destined that Dave Toub, too, will have a shot at running his own team. Of the list, John Harbaugh is perhaps the most apt comparison for Dave Toub, as both have their background primarily rooted in special teams. Toub's special teams have been highly-rated for virtually his entire career; in Chicago, he developed Devin Hester from a likely bust, since he couldn't catch on at either corner or receiver, into the best kick and punt returner of all time. In the seven years from 2006 through 2012 that Toub coached Hester, Hester had a combined 17 touchdowns in kick returning and punt returning. Moreover, when kicker Doug Bryan went down in week 3 of 2005, Dave Toub masterfully identified Robbie Gould, who was working construction at the time, as a potential replacement. This signing ended up being a huge success, as Robbie Gould became the Bears' kicker for eleven years, and he is currently the highest scoring Chicago Bear of all time. According to FootballOutsiders, Chicago's special teams was ranked top-6 in every year from 2006 through 2012, including being ranked first overall in 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2011. In 2013, when Andy Reid offered him the Special Teams Coordinator job upon taking the Kansas City Head Coaching gig, Toub accepted. Dave Toub had immediate results, taking over their 2012 22nd-ranked Special Teams and vaulting it all the way to first ranked in 2013. In his time in Kansas City, Toub has produced Pro Bowlers Dexter McCluster, Tyreek Hill, DJ Alexander, and Dustin Colquitt. Toub is an extraordinary Special Teams coordinator, but it is very important to be well-liked and well-respected as well. About Dave Toub, Greg Gabriel, former NFL talent evaluator, said,"Talk to anyone he's ever worked with or coached and they'll say the same thing. This guy deserves to be a head coach." With Kansas City's recent success, NFL teams may flock to get a piece of Andy Reid's staff, and Toub is the obvious first choice for a Head Coaching position.
John DeFilippo, Offensive Coordinator - Minnesota Vikings
Career History: Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 2007-2008, Jets Quarterbacks Coach 2009, Raiders Quarterbacks Coach 2012-2014, Browns Offensive Coordinator 2015, Eagles Quarterbacks Coach 2016-2017, Vikings Offensive Coordinator 2018
Summary:
With the consistency that the Vikings offense has exhibited so far in 2018, it is once again time to examine John DeFilippo as a potential NFL Head Coach. Though DeFilippo did spend two years in Oakland in his first major coaching job as a Quarterbacks coach, it may be best to ignore those years, as the disfunction that existed in the Oakland lockerroom due to Lane Kiffin's power struggle with late owner Al Davis and his reluctance to help develop first-overall pick JaMarcus Russell is an understandably-difficult situation for a 28-year-old first-time NFL position coach. By 2012, John DeFilippo was back in Oakland, but this time, he was coaching under HC Dennis Allen who, while not perfect, managed to avoid the chaos that had plagued Kiffin and Tom Cable during DeFilippo's first Oakland stint. In 2012, DeFilippo was tasked with getting the most out of Carson Palmer and with developing Terrelle Pryor as a quarterback. First, about Carson Palmer, DeFilippo helped ensure that his second year in Oakland went much better than his first. With DeFilippo's help, Palmer improved upon his 61% comp, 0.81:1 TD/INT ratio in 2011 to post a 61% comp, 1.6:1 TD/INT ratio season in 2012. While the latter numbers may not seem impressive, especially considering that Carson Palmer was an established veteran by that point, one must consider that he posted those numbers throwing to leading receivers WR Denarius Moore, WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, and TE Brandon Myers. Under DeFilippo, Palmer posted the 3rd season of his then-9-season-long career with 4000 yards passing. The latter project would go generally unnoticed until 2013, when the world got to witness QB Terrelle Pryor in the NFL for the first time. In eleven games, Pryor produced 1798 passing yards on 57% completions with 7 touchdowns and 11 picks, and he tacked on 576 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. Again, while not immediately impressive, Pryor's season under DeFilippo is much more impressive in context. While Terrelle Pryor's completions percentage and yards per attempt were better in his first year starting than Peyton Manning in his, Pryor never started another game again following his departure from Oakland. Rather, Pryor was so pitiful as a passer that he failed to make the Seahawks roster in 2014 over Tarvaris Jackson or BJ Daniels. Thus, the fact that DeFilippo was able to make Pryor look like merely a below-average quarterback is a testament to his abilities. DeFilippo's efforts with Palmer and Pryor, however, pale in comparison to his 2014 season with rookie Derek Carr. While the Raiders had anticipated starting veteran QB Matt Schaub, Derek Carr had developed so quickly in the 2014 offseason under DeFilippo, as evidenced by his 11-for-13 and 3 touchdown outing in the fourth preseason game, that the Raiders were forced to start him in week 1. Carr had one of the most efficient rookie seasons of all time, throwing for 58% completions with a 1.8:1 TD/INT ratio, which is even more impressive considering that Derek Carr was a second-round pick from the Mountain West Conference. DeFilippo got a gig as the Browns' Offensive Coordinator in 2015, but with the turmoil posed by Johnny Manziel, Josh Gordon, and Mike Pettine, Cleveland had a poor year. Still, however, Quarterback Josh McCown turned in a good year, throwing for 64% completions with a 3.0:1 TD/INT ratio. DeFilippo got his first big chance with a steady organization in 2016, when Doug Peterson hired DeFilippo to be the Eagles' Quarterbacks coach to help develop Carson Wentz. This project succeeded massively. Carson Wentz started all 16 games in his rookie year, but in his second year, Carson Wentz played MVP-caliber football for 12 weeks before going down during the 13th game against the Rams. DeFilippo's backup quarterback, Nick Foles, played very well, throwing for 65% completions and a 3.7 TD/INT ratio including the playoffs en route to an improbable Super Bowl victory. DeFilippo then accepted the Minnesota Offensive Coordinator job, where quarterback Kirk Cousins is on track for career highs in touchdowns and yards, and Adam Thielen has emerged as one of the NFL's greatest wide receivers. DeFilippo is a mere 40 years old, he has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer, and he runs a West-Coast offense with a zone blocking scheme, similar to ones that have succeeded all over the NFL over the past five years.