Pro Football History.com Blog

Best 2023 NFL Coach of the Year Candidates

By Oliver Vaughn

January 31st, 2023

With the NFL regular season wrapping up, it's time to start thinking about who the leading candidates are for Coach of the Year. There are a lot of great coaches in the league, but we've narrowed it down to 2023's top five. Here they are; Kyle Shanahan (49ers), Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles), Brian Daboll (New York Giants), Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars), and Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers). We'll take a look at why each of these coaches deserves consideration for the award.

Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

Kyle Shanahan, the current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is a leading candidate for NFL Coach of the Year honors. Leading by example and inspiring his players to better heights, Shanahan has guided the 49ers on an incredible current 13-4 winning streak.

His knack for finding ways to get the most out of all positions has made him a stand-out candidate and a must-watch during this season. With stunts like 4th down gambles and deep strategic analysis during games dominating headlines, there's no doubt he's put himself in line for recognition as one of football's best young coaches.

Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

Nick Sirianni, the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, has emerged as one of the most impressive coaches in the NFL this season. Under his leadership and guidance, the team has exceeded expectations, garnering multiple wins and maintaining a strong hold on a playoff spot.

Sirianni's creative playcalling ability and innovative smart adjustments to game situations have generated tremendous praise from football pundits near and far. With an explosive offense and solid defense, there's no denying that he is another great NFL coach of the year candidate - a well-deserved honor for one of the league's best minds.

Brian Daboll, New York Giants (9-7-1)

Brian Daboll, coach of the New York Giants, has strongly impacted the 2023 season. His guidance helped guide the team to an impressive current 9-7-1 record that makes them one of the favorites to land a spot at this year’s Super Bowl, and he is also highly considered for the NFL Coach of the Year Award.

Daboll has made a name for himself as a coach who positively contributes to his team's success by getting the best out of their players. Even more amazingly, this is all accomplished under the tremendous pressure on coaches today. If Brian continues his trajectory of great success, he may soon be walking away with one of football’s most prestigious awards.

Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)

Doug Pederson is another likely candidate for NFL coach of the year. After taking over the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022, Pederson has reshaped the team and made a real impact on their performance this season. From his record with the Philadelphia Eagles and an impressive 20 years as a coach, he came in with big aspirations in Jacksonville.

With a new energy, training regimens, and approaches to both offensive and defensive play, he’s turned things around. It seems like the Jackson Jaguars can only be going up from here! We’ll have to wait and see if his hard work pays off, but it looks like Doug Pederson is one of the strongest contenders for the NFL Coach of The Year award.

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8)

Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been praised as one of the best coaches in the NFL. During his 15-year career with the Steelers, Tomlin managed to bring them to three Super Bowl appearances, securing two victories and six division titles.

His innovative methods and untiring drive have helped propel him to become a nominee for such a prestigious award this season. Despite being unable to make a super bowl appearance this year, Mike Tomlin's immense capabilities have demonstrated why he is truly one of the most valuable members of the Pittsburgh Steelers family.

Although the NFL Coach of the Year is one of the most anticipated awards, the NFL props have also made quite a stir, with the NFL player props odds getting impressive volume this season. So as we enter the final stages of the 2022-23 season, be sure to stay up to date with the latest NFL news and rumors, as there is sure to be more drama before the season ends at the Super Bowl on the 12th of February!

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What Makes a Good Offensive Coordinator?

By Stephen Juza

January 25th, 2023

As the league becomes more geared toward offense, increased importance is placed on hiring the best possible coaching staff to work with the players. As we look around the coordinator landscape, today we dive into what backgrounds the 2022 offensive coordinators came from, and what may make a coordinator successful.

Coaches:

Not every team names an offensive coordinator, and not every team has them carry the same responsibilities. The vast majority of teams name an offensive coordinator to implement the offensive strategy and to call plays during the game. However, there are exceptions to this rule.

Some teams, like the Kansas City Chiefs, may have an offensive coordinator, but the head coach still calls plays most of the time. While offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy carries the title, head coach Andy Reid continues to serve as the primary play caller for the offense. Occasionally when the head coach calls the plays, they do not name an offensive coordinator for the team. Finally, there is one team, the New England Patriots, who had the play calling responsibilities fall to Matt Patricia, their Senior Football Advisor/Offensive Line Coach.

Experience:

In 2022, the average offensive coordinator or play-caller had 4.75 seasons of experience as an offensive position coach. This ranged from the twelve seasons for Alex Van Pelt of the Browns, down to zero years of NFL position coach experience for Patricia, Liam Coen, and Kliff Kingsbury, of the Patriots, Rams, and Cardinals, respectively.

While experience may not always dictate success, it certainly appears to help. Coordinators with two or fewer seasons of experience led offenses that only managed an average of 325 yards a game and 20 points. In fact, only two had above-average scoring offenses (Dallas and Las Vegas).

On the other end of the spectrum, coordinators with eight or more years as a position coach led offenses averaging 356 yards and 24 points. That four point improvement is the difference between a team ranked 21st in the league and one ranked 9th overall.

The lack of success comes with a price. When looking at the least experienced coordinators, very few of them are returning to their OC role for next season. Among the nine coordinators with two or fewer seasons as a position coach, only Matt Canada, Mick Lombardi, and Kellen Moore are expected to be on their team in 2023.

Position Experience:

If there is a premium on position coaching experience, which position dominates the offensive coordinator rank? Not likely a surprise, but quarterback coaches are an abundance throughout the coordinator rank.

Twenty one of the coordinators spent time as an NFL quarterbacks coach, by far the most of any position. This doesn’t include Kingsbury who himself was a NFL quarterback (and NCAA quarterbacks coach for several seasons). After quarterbacks came tight ends coach (nine individuals), wide receivers (eight), with offensive line and running back tied for two a piece. (The number doesn’t add up to 32 since coaches have coached multiple positions over their career).

While it may be a quarterback-driven league, hiring an experienced quarterbacks coach to be your offensive coordinator is not always a guaranteed ticket to quarterback success. Two of the five most experienced quarterbacks coaches-turned-coordinator (Pep Hamilton and Todd Downing) led two of the worst offenses this season.

Key Takeaways:

When looking at the list of inexperienced coordinators, it is heavily populated by teams with young quarterbacks. Teams don’t appear to be setting their future franchise quarterback up for success by pairing them with an inexperienced coach.

When examining the remaining teams in the playoffs, all four offensive coordinators have 4+ years as a position coach, and all four are leading high-scoring offenses led by young quarterbacks. It may be a hard adjustment for a new quarterback coming into the league, and teams may not be giving them every chance of success with an experienced coordinator.

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Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: First Time Candidates

By Stephen Juza

January 4th, 2023

With each NFL season, about 25% of the teams will fire their head coach and begin searching for their next franchise savior. In this series, we will look at the top coaching candidates that will be considered for a head coaching opportunity. In our prior posts, we looked at the top former head coaches and the top former players who are primed for a promotion to the head coaching role. In our final post, we look at the best who would be making their first interview for a head coaching vacancy.

Ejiro Evero:

Current Job: Defensive Coordinator, Denver Broncos

Broncos Record: 4-12-0

Years of NFL Experience: Fifteen seasons in the NFL, with one as a defensive coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Ejiro Evero will be a new branch in the Gruden/Morris/Harbaugh/Tomsula/McCarthy/McVay/Hackett coaching trees. Evero spent two years as a member of Jon Gruden's staff, one year as a member of Raheem Morris' staff, four years as a member of Jim Harbaugh's staff, one year as a member of Jim Tomsula's staff, one year as a member of Mike McCarthy's staff, five years as a member of Sean McVay's staff, and one year as a member of Nathaniel Hackett's staff.

Parting Thoughts: The Broncos general manager has already stated he would like to interview Evero for the top job after the season. He declined the offer to interview for the interim head coach position after Hackett was fired mid-season. Evero has had tremendous success with defenses across multiple coaching stops. While the Broncos season has been far worse than expected, the defense has been a consistent bright spot and a source of optimism.

Shane Steichen:

Current Job: Offensive Coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Record: 13-3-0

Years of NFL Experience: Twelve seasons in the NFL, including three as offensive coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Shane Steichen will be a new branch for the Turner/Chudzinski/McCoy/Lynn/Sirianni coaching trees. Steichen spent two years as a member of Norv Turner's staff, one year as a member of Rob Chudzinski's staff, three years as a member of Mike McCoy's staff, four years as a member of Anthony Lynn's staff, and two years as a member of Nick Sirianni's staff.

Award-winning Players: Justin Herbert, 2020, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, Los Angeles Chargers

Parting Thoughts: Steichen has never interviewed for a head coaching position before, but his success with the Eagles offense over the last two seasons will garner serious looks this offseason.

Ben Johnson:

Current Job: Offensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions

Lions Record: 8-8-0

Years of NFL Experience: Ten seasons in the NFL, with one season as an offensive coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Ben Johnson will be a new branch in the Philbin/Gase/Patricia/Campbell coaching trees. Johnson spent four years as a member of Joe Philbin's staff, three years as a member of Adam Gase's staff, one year as a member of Matt Patricia's staff, and two years as a member of Dan Campbell's staff.

Parting Thoughts: Johnson has the Lions offense performing way above expectations throughout the season. After finishing last season at 3-13-1, Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator. The offense responded by ranking fourth in points scored in the 2022 season, an improvement over the 25th ranking in 2021.

Shane Waldron:

Current Job: Offensive Coordinator, Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Record: 8-8-0

Years of NFL Experience: Twelve seasons in the NFL, two as offensive coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Shane Waldron will be a new branch in the Belichick/Gruden/McVay/Carroll coaching trees. Waldron spent one year as a member of Bill Belichick's staff, one year as a member of Jay Gruden's staff, four years as a member of Sean McVay's staff, and two years as a member of Pete Carroll's staff.

Parting Thoughts: The Seahawks offense surprised many this season after losing former All-Pro quarterback Russell Wilson. However, new quarterback Geno Smith has posted his best season of his ten-year career. Waldron has coached with several of the top coaches in the game, and could bring valuable experience to a new franchise should he be hired.

Frank Smith:

Current Job: Offensive Coordinator, Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Record: 7-9-0

Years of NFL Experience: Thirteen seasons in the NFL, and one season as offensive coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Frank Smith will be a new branch in the Payton/Fox/Gruden/Staley/McDaniel coaching trees. Smith spent four years as a member of Sean Payton's staff, three years as a member of John Fox's staff, three years as a member of Jon Gruden's staff, one year as a member of Brandon Staley's staff, and one year as a member of Mike McDaniel's staff.

Parting Thoughts: When he was healthy, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa posted his best season of his short career. In a quarterback-driven league, teams will likely give Smith a look at a head coaching vacancy to hope he can replicate the same success with a new quarterback.

Check out the prior two posts in the series:

Prior Article: Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: Former NFL Players

Prior Article: Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: Former Head Coaches

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Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: Former NFL Players

By Stephen Juza

January 3rd, 2023

Aaron Glenn:

Prior Interviews: Glenn interviewed for the Saints and the Broncos head coaching jobs at the conclusion of the 2022 regular season.

Current Job: Defensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions

Lions Record: 8-8-0

Years of NFL Coaching Experience: Eleven seasons in the NFL, including two seasons as a coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Aaron Glenn will be a new branch in the Pettine, Payton, and Campbell coaching trees. Glenn spent two years as a member of Mike Pettine's staff, five years as a member of Sean Payton's staff, and two years as a member of Dan Campbell's staff.

College Playing Career: After originally playing at Navarro College, he transferred to Texas A&M for his final two seasons. Glenn was a consensus All-American in 1993 and two-time All-SWC.

NFL Playing Career: Glenn played cornerback. He was drafted in the first round in the 1994 draft. Glenn had a long, successful career in the NFL, playing fifteen seasons across five different teams. His best years were with the New York Jets, where he received two of his three Pro Bowl nominations. After his run with the Jets, he was acquired by the Houston Texans during the 2002 expansion draft.

Parting Thoughts: Glenn garnered serious interest last offseason from multiple teams, and he will likely get more consideration this offseason. While the Lions’ turnaround this season has been impressive, it has been largely driven by offensive improvements, not the defense

Ken Dorsey:

Prior Interviews: Dorsey has not interviewed for any head coaching jobs before this season.

Current Job: Offensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills

Bills Record: 12-3-0

Years of NFL Coaching Experience: Nine seasons in the NFL, with one as a coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Ken Dorsey will be a new branch in the Rivera and McDermott coaching trees. Dorsey spent five years as a member of Ron Rivera's staff and four years as a member of Sean McDermott's staff.

College Playing Career: Dorsey was a 2x Heisman Trophy finalist after a standout career in Miami. He was a first-team All-American in 2002, and the national championship winning squad in 2001 is considered one of the most talented college football teams ever.

NFL Playing Career: After Miami, Dorsey was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL draft. He played for seven seasons between the NFL and the CFL, mostly as a backup quarterback. He did start 13 games in his career, most of them in 2004 for the 49ers.

Parting Thoughts: Dorsey’s spent time working with two different standout quarterbacks during their best years of their career (Cam Newton and Josh Allen). In a quarterback driven league, Dorsey’s experience could be invaluable in turning around a franchise in 2023.

Kellen Moore:

Prior Interviews: Moore interviewed for several potential head coaching jobs last offseason, including Jacksonville, Denver, Miami, and Minnesota.

Current Job: Offensive Coordinator, Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Record: 12-4-0

Years of NFL Coaching Experience: Five seasons in the NFL, including four as a coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Kellen Moore will be a new branch in the Garrett and McCarthy coaching trees. Moore spent two years as a member of Jason Garrett's staff and three years as a member of Mike McCarthy's staff.

College Playing Career: Moore set numerous records during his time in Boise. He was the first QB in FBS history to win 50 games as a starting quarterback. He was also very careful with the ball, setting the NCAA record for the lowest percentage of his passes being intercepted in his career. Beyond his records, he also won countless awards, including a three time conference offensive player of the year and two time quarterback of the year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus.

NFL Playing Career: After Boise State, Moore went undrafted and signed with the Detroit Lions in 2012. During his six years in the NFL, he saw the field one season. In 2015, Moore started two games late in the season after starter Tony Romo broke his collarbone.

Parting Thoughts: Moore has spent almost his entire professional career in the Cowboys organization. Moore has helped guide the Cowboys’ offense through a difficult season after starting quarterback Dak Prescott missed five games with injury. However, the Cowboys went 4-1 with backup quarterback Cooper Rush under center. Teams looking for offensive experience will give Moore strong consideration in the coming weeks.

DeMeco Ryans:

Prior Interviews: Ryans interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason for their vacant head coaching position, and turned down an opportunity to have a second interview with the organization to return to the 49ers.

Current Job: Defensive Coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

49ers Record: 12-4-0

Years of NFL Experience: Six seasons in the NFL, including two as a coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, DeMeco Ryans will be the third branch in the Shanahan coaching tree. Ryans spent six years as a member of Kyle Shanahan's staff.

College Playing Career: Ryans won various awards during his seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide - the Lott Trophy to highlight both his on-field and academic accomplishments, first team All-American, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

NFL Playing Career: After his time in Alabama, Ryans was drafted in the second round, 33rd overall, by the Houston Texans. Ryans was named Rookie of the Year in 2006, and followed that with his only nomination to the All-Pro team in 2007. After his playing career ended, he took a season off and began his coaching career with the 49ers.

Parting Thoughts: Similar to Moore, Ryans has spent his entire coaching career with the San Francisco 49ers. This season, Ryans has helped lead the top ranked defense in the league. While offensive coaches will get more consideration this offseason, Ryans will likely be Kyle Shannahan’s second defensive coordinator hired to the top job.

Jerod Mayo:

Prior Interviews: Mayo interviewed with the Broncos and the Raiders last offseason for their head coaching opportunities, falling short in both interviews.

Current Job: Inside Linebackers Coach, New England Patriots

Patriots Record: 8-8-0

Years of NFL Coaching Experience: Four seasons in the NFL, all as a position coach.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Jerod Mayo will be the eleventh branch in the Belichick coaching tree. Mayo spent four years as a member of Bill Belichick's staff.

Family History: Mayo is the brother of current New England Patriots strength and conditioning assistant coach Deron Mayo.

College Playing Career: Mayo played college football at Tennessee where he was named first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American in his junior year before declaring for the NFL draft in 2008.

NFL Playing Career: Mayo was drafted by the Patriots with the tenth overall pick in the NFL draft. He excelled right out of the gate, receiving 49 of 50 possible votes for Rookie of the Year. During his career, he was named to the All-Pro team once (2010) and made two Pro Bowls (2010, 2012).

Parting Thoughts: Mayo has spent his entire NFL life under Bill Belichick, which may cause concern for some teams. Belichick’s coaching tree leaves a lot to be desired, but another former Patriots’ linebacker (Mike Vrabel) has found success as a coach.

Eric Bieniemy:

Prior Interviews: Bieniemy has interviewed for a variety of jobs over the last four years, including the Saints and the Broncos last offseason.

Current Job: Offensive Coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Record: 13-3-0

Years of NFL Coaching Experience: Fifteen seasons in the NFL, including five as a coordinator.

Coaching Trees: If hired, Eric Bieniemy will be a new branch in the Childress and Reid coaching trees. Bieniemy spent five years as a member of Brad Childress' staff and ten years as a member of Andy Reid's staff.

Award-winning Players: Patrick Mahomes, 2018, Most Valuable Player, Kansas City Chiefs; Patrick Mahomes, 2018, AP Offensive Player of the Year, Kansas City Chiefs.

College Playing Career: Bieniemy played running back for the University of Colorado. During his time in Colorado, he was named an All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist.

NFL Playing Career: After college, he was drafted in the second round by the San Diego Chargers. He played nine seasons in the NFL, four with the Chargers, four with the Bengals, and one with the Eagles. His last season (1999) was Andy Reid's first season as a head coach in Philadelphia.

Parting Thoughts: Bieniemy has been interviewing for a head coaching position for several years, but hasn’t been able to break through despite coaching excellent offenses in both of his assistant stops. One possible thought is that despite his success as a coach, Andy Reid is still dictating much of the offensive strategy. Teams also could be more hesitant to hire another of Reid’s offensive coordinators after watching Matt Nagy struggle with the Bears.

Check out the other two in the series:

Next Article: Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: First Time Candidates

Prior Article: Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: Former Head Coaches

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Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: Former Head Coaches

By Stephen Juza

January 2nd, 2023

Sean Payton:

Playing Career: Payton played college football at Eastern Illinois and was undrafted out of college. He played for a variety of teams throughout the Arena Football League, Canadian Football League, and the UK Budweiser National League, and played three games in the NFL during the NFL strike of 1987.

Current Job: Payton joined Fox to work in the studio throughout 2022 after stepping down last season as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Years of NFL Coaching Experience: Twenty-four seasons in the NFL.

Head Coach Experience: Fifteen seasons, 152-89-0, 9-8 in the playoffs. Payton has the highest winning percentage in Saints history (63%), and was the winner of the 2006 Coach of the Year award, and led the team to a Super Bowl victory to finish the 2009 season, the first in franchise history.

Coaching Trees: Before he was a head coach, Payton spent two years as a member of Ray Rhodes' staff, four years as a member of Jim Fassel's staff, and three years as a member of Bill Parcells' staff. Two of his former assistant coaches are active head coaches in the NFL, Dan Campbell and Dennis Allen.

Award-winning Players: Drew Brees, 2008, AP Offensive Player of the Year, New Orleans Saints; Drew Brees, 2011, AP Offensive Player of the Year, New Orleans Saints; Alvin Kamara, 2017, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, New Orleans Saints; Marshon Lattimore, 2017, AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, New Orleans Saints

Parting Thoughts: Sean Payton may be the best coaching candidate available this offseason and will have his choice of the jobs should he want to re-enter the coaching ranks. Any team that signs him will also need to trade the Saints for his coaching rights due to his contract and retirement last offseason with the Saints.

Leslie Frazier:

Current Job: Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills. Frazier has spent the last six seasons in Buffalo leading the defense.

Bills Record: 11-3-0

Years of NFL Experience: Twenty-four seasons in the NFL.

Head Coach Experience: Three seasons, 18-29-1, 0-1 in the playoffs. He also served as the interim head coach of the Vikings during the 2010 season.

Coaching Trees: Before he was a head coach, Leslie Frazier spent four years as a member of Andy Reid's staff, two years as a member of Marvin Lewis' staff, two years as a member of Tony Dungy's staff, and four years as a member of Brad Childress' staff. Since his first head coaching stint, he has also spent two years as a member of Lovie Smith's staff, one year as a member of John Harbaugh's staff, and six years as a member of Sean McDermott's staff.

Award-winning Players: Adrian Peterson, 2012, Most Valuable Player, Minnesota Vikings; Adrian Peterson, 2012, AP Offensive Player of the Year, Minnesota Vikings

NFL Playing Career: Frazier played defensive back for the Chicago Bears from 1981-1985, including winning the Super Bowl XX. Frazier led the team in interceptions that season, but his career was cut short during a knee injury suffered during the Super Bowl.

Parting Thoughts: While Frazier did not have much success during his initial head coaching stint, he has had a lot of success with the Bills defense more recently and has likely coached his way into another shot as a head coach.

Dan Quinn:

Current Job: Defensive Coordinator, Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Record: 12-4-0

Years of NFL Experience: Twenty seasons in the NFL.

Head Coach Experience: Six seasons, 47-49-0, 3-2 in the playoffs, with a loss in the Super Bowl at the conclusion of 2016.

Coaching Trees: Quinn spent two years as a member of Steve Mariucci's staff, two years as a member of Dennis Erickson's staff, two years as a member of Nick Saban's staff, two years as a member of Eric Mangini's staff, one year as a member of Jim L. Mora (Jr.)'s staff, three years as a member of Pete Carroll's staff.

Award-winning Players: Matt Ryan, 2016, AP Offensive Player of the Year, Atlanta Falcons

Parting Thoughts: Quinn has coached in big games, and while the Falcons regressed the longer he was with the team, we have previously written about coaches like him who have been able to have very successful coaching careers after their first failed stint. Quinn fits the profile of ‘the “Bill” ’ described in a previous blog post: A coach that had flashes of success with their first stint and coached for at least five seasons.

Brian Flores:

Current Job: Linebackers Coach/Senior Defensive Assistant Coach, Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers Record: 8-8-0

Years of NFL Experience: Nineteen seasons in the NFL, including four Super Bowl victories as an assistant coach or scouting assistant.

Head Coach Experience: Three seasons, 24-25.

Coaching Trees: Flores spent eleven years as a member of Bill Belichick's staff and one year as a member of Mike Tomlin's staff.

College Playing Career: Flores played linebacker for Boston College, but a leg injury prevented him from playing professionally.

Parting Thoughts: Last offseason, Flores was fired from the Dolphins despite back-to-back winning seasons. Despite his firing, he still garnered interviews with several teams for the head coach position last offseason.

Frank Reich:

Previous Job: Head Coach, Indianapolis Colts

Colts Record (with him at the helm): 4-11-1

Years of NFL Experience: Seventeen seasons in the NFL

Head Coach Experience: Five seasons, 41-39-1, 1-2 in the playoffs.

Coaching Trees: Reich spent one year as a member of Tony Dungy's staff, three years as a member of Jim Caldwell's staff, one year as a member of Ken Whisenhunt's staff, three years as a member of Mike McCoy's staff, and two years as a member of Doug Pederson's staff. Two of his former assistant coaches, Matt Eberflus and Nick Sirianni, are currently head coaches.

Award-winning Players: Darius Leonard, 2018, AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, Indianapolis Colts; Andrew Luck, 2018, Comeback Player of the Year, Indianapolis Colts

Playing Career: Reich was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1985 draft, and played quarterback in the NFL for the Bills, Panthers, Jets, and Lions. During his career, he primarily was the backup quarterback for these teams, although saw his most game action during the 1996 season with the Jets.

Parting Thoughts: Reich was only recently fired from the Colts, but a series of short-term quarterback decisions doomed the franchise to instability. Three winning seasons out of five should be enough to warrant Reich an interview, if not another shot at the top job.

Check out the other two posts in the series:

Next Article: Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: First Time Candidates

Next Article: Overview of Potential Head Coach Candidates: Former NFL Players

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