With Black Monday out of the way, several NFL teams find themselves without a head coach, and that means our list of the op 5 NFL head coach candidates.
Coaches are vital to an NFL team’s overall success, and there are plenty of men looking to either prove themselves or get redemption with another chance.
Every year, there are a handful of NFL head coach candidates that are highly sought after. With several teams having head coaching vacancies, it’s a good time to consider a few of the league’s top candidates.
Several NFL teams are gearing up to start their search for a new head coach. Teams such as the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Arizona Cardinals all find themselves in the hunt for a new head coach this offseason.
This season, it seems like Jon Gruden reclaiming the top spot with the Oakland Raiders will be that memorable move that highlights the coaching carousel. Gruden aside, here’s a list of the top five NFL head coach candidates.
5. Vikings OC Pat Shurmur
Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is one of the hottest head-coaching prospects in the NFL this offseason. Shurmur, former head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2011-12, found a way to overcome injuries to Sam Bradford early in the season.
The 51-year-old is credited with much of the team’s success. Shurmur was able to insert the team’s third-string quarterback, Case Keenum, midway through the season, and he found a way to get a productive unit on the field. In fact, Shurmur’s excellent play-calling is part of what propelled Keenum to a 98.3 passer rating, good for seventh among NFL quarterbacks.
Shurmur has been putting his quarterback in the best position to succeed all through the season, and it paid off when the Vikings earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. Shurmur’s ability to get the best out of his offense, especially his quarterback, has him near the top of many coaching searches. Teams such as the Chicago Bears, among others, have been mentioned as a possible good fit for the offensive guru Shurmur.