There will be at least five coaching changes, and could be upwards of 10, coming in the NFL as the regular season concludes Sunday, with several coaches likely to be informed of their fate shortly after their final games. Three teams are already on an interim head coach who will not be retained in their current capacity -- Miami, Tennessee and Philadelphia -- while league sources indicated a head coaching change is virtually certain in Indianapolis and Cleveland.
Internal discussions about the future of the head coach is ongoing within several other organizations, with the situation with the New York Giants among the most closely watched given Tom Coughlin's two Super Bowl wins with the team. Many believe that if the team did part with Coughlin it would likely signal a major change to the front office as well, and Coughlin could opt to retire himself, though he has given no signals in that regard to this point. If the Giants job opened it would be the most coveted in the league, and many premier candidates consider it to be ideal given the stability of ownership, the loyalty they display and the presence of a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback on the roster.
Mike McCoy has been on the hot seat in San Diego, but league sources said there is a definite possibility that McCoy is retained, though no final decision will be made until after the season is complete. The pricetag of potential candidates like Sean Payton and Jim Mora could be substantial and the overall strength of the available candidates also provides pause. Owner Dean Spanos is heavily engaged with trying to move the team to Carson -- a vote is scheduled in less than two weeks -- and conducting a coaching search now would certainly further complicate an already trying time for ownership.
49ers coach Jim Tomsula is only completing his first season as a head coach, but pressure is mounting on ownership to make changes with fan distrust rising. Putting their horrible season on Tomsula, in the wake of an ugly falling out with former coach Jim Harbaugh a year ago, may not be fair, and the York family has long been a champion of Tomsula's, so there are some complicated dynamics to navigate as the season winds down. General Manager Trent Baalke is entrenched, sources said, but the recent addition of someone like Chip Kelly to the coaching market could prompt the York family to alter from its current course.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell's future has been in doubt since the team began firing top officials midseason, though Detroit‘s strong finish after a poor start and the tenacity the players have displayed in rallying could very well be enough to save his job. Caldwell posted an 11-win season in 2014, his first with the club, and while there have been some failures -- such as the Hail Mary that Green Bay executed to defeat the Lions in primetime -- ownership has noted the support the players have for him. There is also an impetus to retain both coordinators on Caldwell's staff, and keeping the head coach gives them the best shot to do so (defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will get head-coaching consideration elsewhere).
New Orleans coach Sean Payton is a candidate to leave as well, and while that situation will take some time to clarify, a departure is quite possible, sources said. Sean Payton will conduct exit interviews and meet with players as well as executive Mickey Loomis and ownership, with that process likely taking through Tuesday. Should the sides decide Payton, with two years left on his contract, be free to pursue other opportunities, then a trade to another NFL team could quickly materialize. Ultimately, the compensation could end up being limited (some execs have suggested a third- or fourth-round pick). Payton would have particular interest in San Diego or the Giants, sources maintain, while the Colts and Dolphins have long mulled possibly acquiring the coach, sources said.
More sweeping changes are in store for other teams. The Titans will conduct a general manager search as well, sources said. Miami owner Stephen Ross expects to keep Mike Tannenbaum as his chief of football operations (one source close to him described Tannebaum's seat as "lukewarm," though he doubts any change is made), but GM Dennis Hickey has already been fired.
The Dolphins are very likely to promote from within for that position, with assistant general manager Eric Stokes and college scouting director Chris Grier the two favorites, but the title will not carry the usual weight as Tannenbaum retains final say over football operations. Tennessee could end up hiring a GM before a head coach, though the team has not yet released its current general manager, Ruston Webster. Texans assistant general manager Brian Gaine is among the candidates for that position, sources said.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is trying to avoid the kind of widespread changes he has made with great regularity, and while he blanches at the reputation, he could end up purging both coaches and execs. The split between those sides has long been an issue, and the team has badly lacked leadership from ownership on down. Several coaches Haslam has chased in the past -- Adam Gase, Doug Marrone, Chip Kelly -- are available now.
Colts owner Jim Irsay will conduct a coaching search that could result in general manager Ryan Grigson being let go, though his ability to land a premier candidate remains to be seen. The Lions already have a general manager opening, while Atlanta owner Arthur Blank has been considering altering his front office again.
