NFL.com: Chip Kelly, Perry Fewell among top NFL head coach candidates
 

Chip Kelly, Perry Fewell among top NFL head coach candidates

By Daniel Jeremiah
Analyst, NFL.com and NFL Network

The 2012 NFL season is far from over, but it's never too early to look ahead. There figures to be several head-coaching vacancies following the season, so let's get a jump on examining some potential candidates for those jobs. I've come up with a list of seven names that will likely garner serious consideration for any head-coaching opportunities that arise following the season. I've also included brief comments from sources inside the NFL about each of the seven candidates.

Chip Kelly
Age: 48
Current job: Head coach, University of Oregon

Kelly has only been a head coach for four seasons at the collegiate level, but he has already established a sterling résumé. He has captured three Pac-10/Pac-12 titles and his team is currently undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the nation. He turned down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers job last offseason, but will likely have another NFL opportunity in 2013. His up-tempo offense would need some alterations to work at the NFL level, but his organizational skills and creativity will be very attractive to NFL owners.

NFC executive: "He runs the best practices I've ever seen. I would hire him in a second if I ever had the opportunity."


Kyle Shanahan
Age: 32
Current job: Offensive coordinator, Washington Redskins

The Redskins' offense has been the talk of the 2012 NFL season. Robert Griffin III has been outstanding, but the design of the Redskins' scheme has been terrific, as well. Kyle Shanahan is getting a lot of praise around the NFL for quickly developing RG3 and designing a creative offense to fit his skills. Shanahan also was very successful during his two-year stint as the Houston Texans' offensive coordinator. In 2009, the Texans finished with the NFL's fourth-ranked offense under his leadership. Despite being only 32 years old, the son of Mike Shanahan already has coached in the NFL for nine seasons.

AFC executive: "Kyle is extremely smart and he's excellent with quarterbacks. He has all of his dad's qualities and he's going to be a great head coach."

Mike McCoy
Age: 40
Current job: Offensive coordinator, Denver Broncos

McCoy has 13 years of NFL coaching experience, including the past four as the Broncos offensive coordinator. Last season, his reputation around the NFL soared as a result of his handling of the transition from Kyle Orton to Tim Tebow. He completely overhauled his scheme in the middle of the season to accommodate Tebow's specific skill set. The Broncos finished the season with the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack. This season, he has smoothly transitioned his offense to suit Peyton Manning. They are currently ranked fourth in passing. Those rankings highlight McCoy's flexibility and willingness to adapt his scheme to his personnel.

NFC personnel executive: "I don't know Mike personally, but I've taken notice of the job he's done in Denver. He deserves a lot of credit for their success in 2011."

Perry Fewell
Age: 50
Current job: Defensive coordinator, New York Giants

Fewell has done an outstanding job with the Giants. Their run to the Super Bowl last season was largely the result of his punishing defensive unit. He has overcome several injuries to key personnel and his reputation around the league is rock solid. He has interviewed for head-coaching jobs in the past, but those teams chose to go in a different direction. Many around the NFL believe he will not be passed over again.

AFC personnel executive: "I've never heard anything negative about him. His results speak for themselves and he deserves a head-coaching opportunity."

Brad Seely
Age: 56
Current job: Special teams coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

Seely has an excellent résumé and should garner consideration for any head-coaching vacancies following the season. He has coached in the NFL for 22 seasons, 10 of which were spent as the special teams coach under Bill Belichick in New England. He has transformed the 49ers' special teams unit into the NFL's very best. The fact that Baltimore's John Harbaugh has successfully made the transition from special teams coach to head coach should help Seely's candidacy.

Former player: "Brad was very well respected in our locker room. He is very detailed and he knows how to communicate."

Ray Horton
Age: 52
Current job: Defensive coordinator, Arizona Cardinals

Horton has quickly established a strong reputation as one of the NFL's top defensive minds. Following a 10-year playing career, he's been a successful assistant coach for 18 years. He served as the secondary coach for the Steelers prior to joining the Cardinals staff as defensive coordinator. The Cardinals have one of the NFL's top defensive units and Horton's scheme is broadly praised around the league.

NFC personnel executive: "He's going to be impressive during the interview process. He's very smart and confident and he has the ability to relate to everyone."


Bill O'Brien
Age: 43
Current job: Head coach, Penn State

It is highly unlikely that O'Brien would depart Penn State after only one season on the job. He has an incredibly expensive buyout clause in his contract and that would be a major deterrent to potential NFL suitors. That being said, he is a very hot name around NFL circles. He was a successful assistant under Bill Belichick and he has shown incredible leadership in guiding the Penn State program through an extraordinarily difficult situation.

Former AFC personnel executive: "Knowing Bill, he has too much integrity to leave those kids, but he's eventually going to be a very successful NFL head coach. He's very tough and organized and he's a winner."

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Apologies if repost

Perry Fewell
Bill O'Brien

Not my favorites, not even anyone I want, but out of this list they make the most sense that Clark would hire...

Fewell sucked as the interim coach in Buffalo. Do not want.

**** O'brien and ANYTHING linked to the Patriots.

Give me Chip Kelly or Kyle Shanahan.

This

O'Brien will be fired and run back to Tom Brady within 5 years.

I'd be happy with Chip Kelly. Plus if we did want to go the Geno route, Chip Kelly would be the perfect fit.

That's not the way I remember it. He took over a very bad squad and made them competitive. He went 3-4, which while not great, it was good for that particular team, which had been awful to that point.

I'm not stating that I'd like to see Fewell hired, I just don't think he sucked.

Just saying...

He beat a shitty Dolphins team, The Chiefs, and the Colts who rested everyone. I just think this organization could do a lot better than Perry Fewell.

Give me a ****ing Shanahan already.

Son of The Rat is ready.

Geno Smith on the roll out 50 yard bombs to draft bust Jon Baldwin Lelie mother ****er.

YOU CHOKE YOURSELF!

http://hercmerc.files.wordpress.com/...keyourself.jpg

The Shanahan's are not on the level of the Harbaugh's. They don't breed championships like the Harbaugh's will be doing. I don't see Kyle as much different than Brian Schottenheimer.

LMAOLMAOLMAO

Apart from being an offensive genius like his dad?

Brian Schottenheimer's offenses always sucked ass.

Kyle Shanahan has been around kick ass offense for years now.

That may be true but it's difficult to argue his success with the New York Giants.

Again, I'm not advocating the guy and would rather see the Chiefs hire someone else, but I don't think the guy is awful.

I'll take McCoy over Shanahan, BTW.

We need an offensive genius NAO.

I kinda like shanahan for our new qb to be groomed

Why?

I think Shanahan would be awful. He's too young and needs either more experience or a college head coaching gig.

At this point, he's Lane Kiffin when he coached the Raiders.

No thanks.

HE'S THE NEXT JOHN MADDEN M'FER

Far from kick ass offenses. Houston was middle of the road at best while Shanahan was there.

It's just too early for Kyle IMO. He's been in the league for quite a while it seems now, but at age 32 he's not ready.

You ****S. All the Shanahan tree does is WIN WIN WIN WIN.

This guy has studied under Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak. HE'S A PRODIGY.

If that's the case, we need Chip Kelly.

Yeah... He might be ok in about 6 years.

...

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9aiv2F24C1qbuptc.gif

Chip Kelly is the one that sings to me.

I'd like to see Kyle Shanahan do more as a coach. I know next to nothing about him other than he's done okay as a job shadower to daddy and his friends (Kubiak in Houston).

I'm pretty skeptical of him.

Well one thing is for sure. We know what Shanahan has done is not a product of himself. It's a product of experienced and proven coaches around him like Kubiak and his dad.

Give me a coach who has proven he can be THE difference and not just part of the equation.

didn't shanahan basically get his dad fired awhile back?


maybe i'm getting him mixed up with shottenheimer :hmmm:

I'm not sure about Kelly's offense in the nfl

Amazing insight.

Although he would come to this team with the same philosophy, I don't know of any good coach that doesn't make adjustments to suit his level of competition.

Besides, the NFL is evolving to fit the NCAA, not the other way around.

No.

One guy I wouldn't mind as offensive coordinator would be mike gundy. Always had good offenses at okie state

:facepalm:

McCoy would be my choice. Smart,experienced,knows the AFC West & is QB friendly.

if it comes down to QB and offensive minded schemes, Ill take Chip Kelly or the Rats kid

those defensive guys like Fewell and Horton you have no idea how they will even approach the QB situation, they draft one, they sign a veteran, either way their development of a QB is WAY LOWER than the potential Shanahan or Kelly could have working with a young QB

Chip Kelly is a genius. He would be a great head coach at any level. And he sure as hell wouldn't start a meeting 15 minutes late.

I have no opinion on OK State. But Mike Gundy is brilliant. I'm not sure how he would fit in the NFL, but he is a great coach.

What exactly is the problem with gundy?

All I know about Gundy is that he's a man, and he's 40.

That certainly makes some nice points about Shanny jr... innovative, good with QB's, young but still a 9th year NFL coach.

A lot to like there.

Well, other than the fact that he's a HEAD COACH and he's not going to jump to the NFL to be an offensive coordinator, especially when earning nearly $5 million per year, nor does he have NFL experience, nor does he fit any of the likely head coach's criteria, or the fact that he runs, the spread, well, nothing.

:rolleyes:

The problem is, as Lane Kiffin quickly learned, NFL players aren't going to immediately respect a 32 year old coach that's likely hired due to his father's name instead of actually doing something on his own.

Shanahan, at this point in time, would be an epic disaster.

Please explain how Kyle Shanahan fits the "offensive genius" mold.

Thanks in advance.

Damn right.

I thought you liked Chip?

His Big 12 record as a head coach is 64-32 and he's paid $3.75 million per year. He's never won anything significant and he runs the spread offense.

I don't see how he's even on a NFL team's radar.

I dont even know if you're a Kelly backer or not (at work, no time to read every post in threads), but would the players respect a first timer like him, straight from the college ranks with no NFL experience?

The respect factor would be a problem for him as well.

I like Kelly and his peers think he's special. I'm all in, if the Chiefs could hire him.

I don't think NFL players would have any problem playing for him. The guy has been successful at every stop. All you have to do is look at Oregon, which was far from a national power before he arrived.

The chiefs need to write down their top choices...then hire someone not on that list. This is also how they should draft from here on

Knowing the Chiefs they don't even know who Chip Kelly is.

Mark my words.

If Chip Kelly was the next HC of the Chiefs, he would build a perennial contender in KC. I have zero doubts about that.

He built the spread offense and recruited players that fit that image, capitalizing on the Nike brand and prestige to grab kids from California.

I have no doubt that with his organizational skills and intelligence, that he couldn't turn Jamaal Charles into the best weapon in the NFL, and that he'd do a great job of developing a QB.

Fewell is the best on that list. No O-minds! Defense! Cowher will do nice.

Nope. His success is due to the Giants having 4 guys who are excellent pass-rushers, not Fewell IMO.

I'm not advocating for Gundy, but to say he hasn't done anything of signifigance at OSU is over the top.

He's coached OSU to 4 out of 5 of their 10 win seasons.

He's broken the school's record for most points.

Had their highest ranking in school history on his watch...and on and on.

I want Cowher.

To the rest...I do this

http://i.imgur.com/SY0W0.gif

No at another minority(neg me please)

I wonder if Kelly is even on Clarks radar? I'd like to hire a coach first this time around.

Chip Kelly + a pushover GM who is a good talking head

Chip Kelly, please.

I wouldn't be opposed to Chucky Gruden if he were available. "Ducks and covers face"

haha

That doesn't make him an NFL head coaching prospect.

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As long as we are throwing names out there, what about Chris Peterson from BSU? He is great at motivation and getting the most out of his players.
I'm sure I will get flamed for this!:p

I wouldn't touch any of the college coaches.

Except that was the Dan Hawkins rant at CU....

Perry Fewell
Age: 50
Current job: Defensive coordinator, New York Giants

It took Kelly all of 1:05 to score on the Ducks opening possession.

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This is serious Internet! This is Chiefsplanet!

Go post at Chiefs Coalition brotha! Go post at the Coalition.

Why isn't there any mention of David Shaw?

CaliforniaChief has mentioned him. If I were going to hire anyone from college it would be Jim Tressel.

True. I like his extensive record of coaching as an assistant in the NFL. Smart, intelligent guy.

I'd still prefer Kelly but like Shaw too.

Tressel's never coached in the NFL.

um...wtf?

I just think the guy has done an outstanding job replacing Jim Harbaugh and in the transition for Luck to Nunes, on top of the points you make above.

I also like that he's not sitting pat with a rather ineffectual Nunes, giving a freshman an extended look today.

That all points to a guy with an ability to adjust and adapt.

**** Gruden.

He only plays veterans, has never developed anyone on either side of the ball and ran Tampa Bay into the ground.

I'd love for Gruden to be the head coach





At Nebraska.

Cowher or McCoy please.