New Coaches

There were seven NFL head coaching openings this offseason. All seven are now filled. Here they are.

Miami Dolphins: Adam Gase
Cleveland Browns: Hue Jackson
New York Giants: Ben McAdoo
San Francisco 49ers: Chip Kelly
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dirk Koetter
Tennessee Titans: Mike Mularkey
Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson

It's an interesting group of new head coaches. Chip Kelly isn't really a new head coach as he moved straight from the Eagles to the 49ers. There was only a single game in between in which he was unemployed.

Mike Mularkey isn't a new head coach either. This is his third shot at a head coaching gig. The surprising thing about his previous two shots is the great lack of an opportunity that he had to do anything. He got two years from the Buffalo Bills (2004-05) and a single season from the Jacksonville Jaguars (2012). That's ridiculous. I've always found Mularkey to be a very creative coach and I hope that he's given a reasonable shot to do something this time.

Hue Jackson also had a ridiculously short previous head coaching gig. He was the Oakland Raiders head coach for a single season in 2011. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam hasn't shown much patience with coaches in his short time running the team. He'd be wise to find some.

Unless something goes terribly wrong with the team I really don't understand how any NFL decision-maker can give a head coach a single season.

The other four new head coaches are newbies. They were all also offensive coordinators last year. All seven are considered offensive football coaches. Dirk Koetter is the one NFL head coaching newbie with previous head coaching experience at some level. He was the Boise St. head coach from 1998-2000 and the Arizona St. head coach from 2001-06. He started his coaching career as the head coach at Pocatello (ID) High School in 1983.

If I had to pick a favorite head coaching hire it'd be the Cleveland Browns hiring of Hue Jackson. He's been ready for years. Actually, he should still be the Raiders head coach.

I'd tap Ben McAdoo as the new head coach with the best shot at early success. The Giants should have won more than they did last year. He knows the team. He definitely knows the offense. It should be a smooth transition.

Good luck to the new NFL head coaches.