NFL Coaching Carousel Still Spinning
Indianapolis Colts
OUT: Jim Caldwell
IN: TBC
Jim Irsay has promised that a new coach will be announced this week. NFL betting fans would be best advised to steer clear of Rob Lowe’s Twitter account while awaiting the news. The list of candidates named includes the unusual prospect of Marc Trestman, who led the Montreal Alouettes to two Grey Cup victories in the CFL. More conventional names being mooted include Brad Seely, the 49ers’ special teams coach, and Baltimore’s defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano.
Jacksonville Jaguars
OUT: Jack Del Rio
IN: Mike Mularkey
Former Bills’ coach Mike Mularkey gets his second crack at a NFL head coaching job in Jacksonville. Mularkey served as offensive coordinator in Atlanta since 2008, earning much praise for his work in developing a potent unit. His head coaching record is less than stellar, going 14-18 in his 2 seasons in Buffalo.
Kansas City Chiefs
OUT: Todd Haley
IN: Romeo Crennel
The man who engineered Green Bay’s sole defeat in the regular season has been given full command in Kansas City. Romeo Crennel will look to use his second shot as a head coach to prove there is fruit to be found on the Bill Belichick coaching tree. Crennel suffered a miserable tenure in Cleveland, a graveyard for coaches since the expansion Browns joined the NFL.
Miami Dolphins
OUT: Tony Sparano
IN: Joe Philbin
NFL betting fans may not be familiar with Joe Philbin’s name but he brings a solid resume as a coordinator with him to South Beach. Philbin spent the last five seasons overseeing Green Bay’s electrifying offense, helping the Packers to victory in Super Bowl XLV last year. The appointment, Philbin’s first head coaching gig in the league, comes just a couple of weeks after his 21 year-old son Michael died in a drowning accident.
Oakland Raiders
OUT: Hue Jackson
IN: Dennis Allen (TBC)
Though still to be confirmed at the time of publication, Dennis Allen looks certain to be named as Oakland Raiders head coach. The ever dysfunctional Raiders will look for Allen to replicate the masterful work he performed on Denver’s defense. The move to hire a defensive coordinator however makes the bounty paid to re-unite Carson Palmer with Hue Jackson mid-season look particularly steep.
St. Louis Rams
OUT: Steve Spagnuolo
IN: Jeff Fisher
NFL betting fans loved Spags as a defensive coordinator but he never quite fit as a head coach. The Rams won a bizarre battle with the Dolphins to hire Fisher. The former Titans coach was much coveted despite only making just one Super Bowl appearance, a losing one, in his lengthy tenure with the franchise. Gregg Williams has joined Fisher’s staff, surely making blitzes the order of the day for next season in St. Louis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OUT: Raheem Morris
IN: TBD
Chip Kelly was all but on the plane to Tampa when the Oregon Ducks’ mastermind opted to stay in Eugene for a little while longer. Now Mike Sherman is being linked heavily with the Bucs. After six winning seasons in seven years as head coach with the Packers, Sherman’s four year tenure with Texas A&M was seen as a disappointment.
