Top-10 coaches most likely to make the jump to the NFL

Look for these 10 coaches to potentially field offers from NFL teams in the near future.

Change is a scary concept to consider. When the circumstances have been adjusted to a certain style for so long, it can be difficult to make a move and go in a different direction.

Despite what you might believe, that premise stays true when it comes to the status of a head football coach — specifically in the National Football League. See, when it comes to the college coaching carousel, there’s always another energized, up-and-coming individual ready to take the job.

But the NFL only has 32 head coaching positions available, and hiring the wrong guy can be more costly than at the college level.

If the wrong coach is hired at a university, he can hide behind his coordinators and recruiting skills. Sooner or later, though, the problem is recognized and a change is needed.

Having the wrong coach in the NFL becomes obvious much quicker.

When the Miami Dolphins fired Tony Sparano in 2011, they replaced him with Todd Bowles as an interim coach. Bowles had to wait until 2015 to get a full-time position as the New York Jets’ head coach, and he has the team in second place in the AFC East.

As for Miami, instead of hiring Bowles for the full-time job after he won two out of three, they gave the spot to Joe Philbin, who had spent the previous five years as the Green Bay Packers’ offensive coordinator. During his entire three-and-a-half-year run with Miami, Philbin was on the hot seat. He was finally fired this season with a 24-28 overall record, and he was replaced by Dan Campbell in the interim.

While some teams follow the same route as the Dolphins and hire coordinators around the league, we’ve seen teams like the Philadelphia Eagles find success by plucking out of the college ranks. Chip Kelly has gone 37-22 so far, and he might be a sign of hope for other teams to mimic that move.

With certain coaching positions expected to be open after this season (Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, etc.), we could see at least one college coach get a job — with plenty of others receiving interviews.

So, with that being said, here are the top-10 college coaches likely to be the next to jump to the NFL.

Next: Dabo Swinney