We may be about to see the wildest head coaching carousel in NFL history. This morning it was reported that the Patriots are parting ways with Bill Belichick, making for the third surprise head coach firing in this cycle. The Titans’ long-successful head coach Mike Vrabel has been dismissed and yesterday Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll joined the list, as well.
There are also several other hot candidates from around the league, including Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Jim Harbaugh is also expected to make the jump back into the NFL after winning a national title at Michigan. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is also among the early favorites for the job.
Belichick is in a league of his own, though – having won a total of six Super Bowl championships – more than any coach in history. The last few years there has been some debate over whether it was Belichick or Tom Brady who deserves the most credit for that run. Either way, no honest analyst would deny that Belichick is one of the greatest defensive coaches in the history of the sport.
As it happens, a defensive coaching upgrade is exactly what this team needs right now. While Carroll had a reputation as a great defensive mind, his defenses had been underperforming for several years – just a little too long for ownership’s taste. Subbing Carroll for Belichick alone should be enough to get this current roster back into the playoffs – even if they retained Shane Waldron and Clint Hurtt as coordinators (they won’t).
The question is if Belichick is still interested in coaching. If he is, the Seahawks job should probably be considered the most-enticing out of the eight head coach openings around the league. No other team in that group has a better roster and only one has a better quarterback than Geno Smith. Seattle’s new-look front office would be foolish not to interview Bill Belichick.
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