“NFL Coaching Carousel-Makes You Dizzy”

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The NFL coaching vacancies are nearly filled. A wild two weeks since the season ended. No so much the firings, but rather the hiring’s.

At one point, there was the potential of 10-jobs that would open. Big names got cut loose, there were a couple of surprise decisions made in hirings, and a couple of big names,still don’t have jobs.

Tom Coughlin exited the Giants in a very ugly press conference, refusing to shake the hand of close friend and owner John Mara at the end of his press conference. Coughlin looked like a lock to take over the Eagle job, and also interviewed with the 49ers. Both positions are filled, and at age 69, he may be done.

Mike Shanahan, a legendary coach in Denver, a failure in Washington, isn’t coming back. Once you’re out of it a couple of years, it’s tough to get back in it. He made John Elway, and John Elway made him. Since then,nothing, few coaching interviews, and no offers. His visit with the 49ers might be the last time he applies for a job.

Chip Kelly, the smartest man in football, gets to show what he learned from his Philadelphia experience, now that he has taken the 49ers job. He went thru 4-quarterbacks in two and a half years with the Eagles. He inherits Colin Kaeperneck at QB, but not much else.

Ben McAdoo, beloved for his development of Eli Manning, TDs up, picks down, gets promoted as Giants head coach. He’s bright, dynamic diverse, but he’s gonna need a better defense than he has had recently in New York.

Adam Gase landed in Miami, after three years of success, watching his offenses put up good numbers in Denver and Chicago. If you can work with Jay Cutler, and refine him, think what he can do with the highly volatile Ryan Tannehill.

Hue Jackson plied his trade, did well, and sold himself after a good run with Cincinnati. Now he goes up I-71, but this won’t be easy in Cleveland, where they have Johnny Manziel, but not much else.

Tennessee still seems to have an opening, after axing Ken Whisenhunt (3-20), and letting Mike Mularkey coach the thing to a (3-13) record. Hiring a GM first, then a coach, seems to be the game plan, unless Mularkey has the job secured.

The axe did not fall on Chuck Pagano in Indianapolis, but it did on 6-assistant coaches. Mike McCoy got a contract extension after a (4-12) season, stunning since San Diego is the same club that fired Marty Schottenheimer after a (14-2) season years ago, though 8-assistant coaches have departed from the staff.. Jacksonville has gone thru an agonizing slow-rebuild process, but Gus Bradley stays on, hoping to take them to the next level next season. Sean Payton is still head coach of the Saints with critical needs on defense. Jim Caldwell went (6-2) after a horrible (1-7) start in Detroit, and seems to have hung, though new GM-Bob Owen has just gotten the keys to the office.

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