It feels like we say this every day, but Friday could be big for the current head coach and general manager search. The news and rumor mill around the NFL has been churning for well over a month now and there’s still not a single hire. Several teams are now performing their final interviews, while others are conducting second interviews.
The names of Eric Bieniemy and Kevin O’Connell are two to look out for today, but Leslie Frazier will also have the chance to put his name in the frame in Chicago.
Update: Joe Schoen has been hired as the GM of the New York Giants. Meanwhile, former-Giants head coach Ben McAdoo has been hired as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.
NFL News and Rumors Today
At some point, all these rumors around the NFL have to turn into hard news. This has collectively been the most patient hiring cycle we have seen in the NFL. That is not to say it is a bad thing. Historically, NFL teams have rushed to make hires at the crucial GM and HC spots and it typically ends badly. Hopefully, the more patient nature of the current search results in hires that remain in their roles for more than just a year or two.
Chicago Bears
Fired: Matt Nagy (HC), Ryan Pace (GM)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Dennis Allen
Saints defensive coordinator
Tuesday, Jan. 25 - Todd Bowles
Buccaneers defensive coordinator
Saturday, Jan. 22 - Jim Caldwell
Former Colts, Lions head coach
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Brian Daboll
Bills offensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Matt Eberflus
Colts defensive coordinator
Monday, Jan. 17 (first); Monday, Jan. 24 (second) - Brian Flores
Former Dolphins head coach
Friday, Jan. 14 - Leslie Frazier
Bills defensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Byron Leftwich
Buccaneers offensive coordinator - Doug Pederson
Former Eagles head coach
Wednesday, Jan. 12 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Saturday, Jan. 22
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Browns vice president of football operations
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Morocco Brown
Colts director of college scouting
Monday, Jan. 24 - Ran Carthon
49ers director of player personnel
Wednesday, Jan. 19 - Ed Dodds – Withdrew from consideration
Colts assistant general manager
Monday, Jan. 17 - Glenn Cook
Browns vice president of player personnel
Wednesday, Jan. 12 - Ryan Poles
Chiefs director of player personnel - Jeff Ireland
Saints assistant general manager
Friday, Jan. 14 - Champ Kelly
Bears assistant director of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Omar Khan
Steelers vice president of football and business administration - Reggie McKenzie
Dolphins senior personnel executive
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Monti Ossenfort
Titans director of player personnel
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Joe Schoen – Hired by the Giants
Bills assistant general manager
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Eliot Wolf
Patriots director of scouting
Tuesday, Jan. 18
The latest: The Bears will continue their search on Friday. They have interviews for both positions lined up across the weekend and early next week. On Friday, they will interview former Minnesota Vikings head coach and current Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
Their second interview with Matt Eberflus on Monday could be crucial. However, he also completed a second interview with the Jaguars Thursday, so he could yet be hired before that interview takes place.
Denver Broncos
Fired: Vic Fangio (HC)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Eric Bieniemy
Chiefs offensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Brian Callahan
Bengals offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Jonathan Gannon
Eagles defensive coordinator
Wednesday, Jan. 19 - Luke Getsy
Packers QB coach/passing game coordinator
Friday, Jan. 14 - Aaron Glenn
Lions defensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Jerod Mayo
Patriots LB coach
Wednesday, Jan. 19 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Kevin O’Connell
Rams offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Tuesday, Jan. 18
The latest: Friday will see the Broncos interview their final candidate that has been publicly requested. Eric Bieniemy has been a hot name in previous cycles but has yet to be hired. Could Friday be the day he secures a head coaching role with an AFC West rival? Today may provide more clarity into the Broncos’ potential direction in their search. Even if it is not Bieniemy who is hired, we could hear whether any of the 10 candidates will have second interviews over the weekend or early next week.
Houston Texans
Fired: David Culley (and offensive coordinator Tim Kelly)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Brian Flores
Former Dolphins head coach
Friday, Jan. 14 - Jonathan Gannon
Eagles defensive coordinator
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Joe Lombardi
Chargers offensive coordinator
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Kevin O’Connell
Rams offensive coordinator - Josh McCown
Former NFL QB
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Hines Ward
Florida Atlantic special assistant to the head coach
Saturday, Jan. 15
The latest: The Texans do not appear to be in a rush. So far, they have interviewed five candidates and plan to meet with O’Connell. A date has yet to be set but will likely depend on how things play out with the Rams over the weekend. Unless dominoes start to fall quickly for the Texans, we may not see them make a hire until the calendar rolls over to February.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Fired: Urban Meyer (HC)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Darrell Bevell
Jaguars interim head coach
Tuesday, Jan. 11 - Todd Bowles
Buccaneers defensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 3 (Jan. 7 has also been reported) - Jim Caldwell
Former Colts and Lions head coach
Tuesday, Jan. 4 - Matt Eberflus
Colts defensive coordinator
Saturday, Jan. 15 (first); Thursday, Jan. 20 (second) - Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 14 - Byron Leftwich
Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 7 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 7 - Bill O’Brien
Alabama offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Doug Pederson
Former Eagles head coach
Thursday, Dec. 30 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
The latest: There was some expectation (hope even) that the first domino in this search would fall Thursday. However, the Jaguars did not make Eberflus their head coach after his second interview — at least, not yet. Whether both sides wanted to sleep on it or if we may yet see the Jaguars doing further interviews, we could find out sometime today.
Las Vegas Raiders
Resigned: Jon Gruden (HC)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Jerod Mayo
Patriots LB coach
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Trey Brown
Bengals scout - Ed Dodds
Colts assistant general manager - Champ Kelly
Bears assistant director of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Dave Ziegler
Patriots director of player personnel
Friday, Jan. 21
The latest: The early indications are that the Raiders will get their general manager in place first and then look to hire the head coach. They will complete their second interview for the GM role today, but it is unlikely we hear anything conclusive about their plans for either position until next week at this point.
Miami Dolphins
Fired: Brian Flores (HC)
Scheduled/requested interviews:
- Thomas Brown
Rams assistant head coach
Friday, Jan. 21 - Brian Daboll
Bills offensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Leslie Frazier
Bills defensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Vance Joseph
Cardinals defensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Mike McDaniel
49ers offensive coordinator
Wednesday, Jan. 19 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20
The latest: The show rolls on in Miami with two interviews scheduled for Friday. Vance Joseph is the more familiar of the two names on the docket for today. Still, given the success of coaches coming from under the wings of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, Thomas Brown should not be discounted as a sleeper candidate.
Minnesota Vikings
Fired: Mike Zimmer (HC), Rick Spielman (GM)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Todd Bowles
Buccaneers defensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21
- Nathaniel Hackett
Packers offensive coordinator
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Kellen Moore
Cowboys offensive coordinator - Jonathan Gannon
Eagles defensive coordinator
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Raheem Morris
Rams defensive coordinator - Kevin O’Connell
Rams offensive coordinator
Friday, Jan. 21 - Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator - DeMeco Ryans
49ers defensive coordinator
Wednesday, Jan. 19
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Browns vice president of football operations
Monday, Jan. 17 - Brandon Brown
Eagles director of player personnel
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Glenn Cook
Browns vice president of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 20 - Monti Ossenfort
Titans director of player personnel
Sunday, Jan. 16 - Ryan Poles
Chiefs director of player personnel
Tuesday, Jan. 18 - Catherine Raîche
Eagles vice president of football operations
Monday, Jan. 17 - John Spytek
Buccaneers vice president of player personnel
This week - Eliot Wolf
Patriots player personnel consultant
Thursday, Jan. 20
The latest: It is set to be another intriguing day in Minnesota. Interviews with Bowles and O’Connell are confirmed for today, and the Vikings requested second interviews with both Ryan Poles and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for their GM position. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Adofo-Mensah will interview Tuesday and Poles Wednesday.
New York Giants
Fired/retired: Joe Judge (HC), Dave Gettleman (GM)
Hired: Joe Schoen (GM)
Scheduled/requested HC interviews:
- Dan Quinn
Cowboys defensive coordinator
Scheduled/requested GM interviews:
- Ran Carthon
49ers director of pro personnel
Monday, Jan. 17 - Ryan Cowden
Titans vice president of player personnel
Friday, Jan. 14
- Quentin Harris
Cardinals vice president of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 13 - Joe Hortiz
Ravens director of player personnel
Saturday, Jan. 15 - Monti Ossenfort
Titans director of player personnel
Friday, Jan. 14 - Adam Peters
49ers assistant general manager
Monday, Jan. 17 (first), Thursday, Jan. 20 (second) - Ryan Poles
Chiefs executive director of player personnel
Thursday, Jan. 13 (first), Wednesday, Jan. 19 (second) - Joe Schoen
Bills assistant general manager
Wednesday, Jan. 12 (first), Tuesday, Jan. 18 (second) - Adrian Wilson
Cardinals vice president of pro personnel
Wednesday, Jan. 12
The latest: Just before 12 PM ET, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garofolo reported that the Giants have identified Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen as their next GM. Per Rapoport, they will begin working on a deal. Once that’s done, the head coach search will likely kick into high gear before candidates start getting hired elsewhere.