NFL coaching roundup: Josh McDaniels drops out of Browns search, Dennis Allen stays with Oakland

The Browns coaching search and Dennis Allen’s standing with the Raiders are the stories making headlines on Wednesday.

Jan 8, 2014, 9:45 PM UTC

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is taking himself out of the running for the Browns head coaching job, according to several reports. The former Broncos head coach had a great meeting with the Browns on Saturday, but ultimately decided to stay in New England, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Browns really liked McDaniels and were interested in hiring him, according to Football Scoop.

McDaniels was 11-18 with the Broncos before he was fired midway through his second season with the team. After a one-year stint in St. Louis as offensive coordinator, McDaniels returned to New England to take over for Bill O'Brien in the same role. The Patriots ranked seventh in the league in offense this season under McDaniels, despite the injuries to Rob Gronkowski and the loss of Wes Welker.

Dennis Allen to remain Raiders head coach

The Raiders will keep Dennis Allen as the head coach of the team, according to owner Mark Davis, via ESPN. Allen and Davis met on Tuesday night to discuss the direction of the coaching staff and franchise. Allen will return for a third season after posting a record of 8-24 in his first two years as head coach.

ESPN’s John Clayton reports that at least six assistant coaches will be retained, but did not specify which individuals had been extended contracts. Allen is the seventh head coach of the Raiders in the last 10 seasons and was hired by general manager Reggie McKenzie shortly after he fired Hue Jackson, who post an 8-8 record in his only season with the team.

Jay Gruden considered top candidate for Redskins job

The Redskins will interview Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden on Wednesday and he is considered to be the favorite for the job, according to The Washington Post. Gruden has called the plays for the Bengals offense for three seasons and has helped lead Cincinnati to the playoffs in each of those years. He is also the younger brother of former Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden, who won a Super Bowl for Tampa Bay and now works as an analyst for ESPN.

Gruden has been a hot name in the coaching carousel this year, as he has already interviewed with the Titans and has another planned with the Vikings on Thursday. Last offseason, Gruden interviewed with the Eagles, Chargers and Cardinals for their head coaching vacancies.

Another source told The Washington Post that Gruden has been leaning toward the job in Tennessee, so the Redskins will have to make a solid offer to get him to sign with them. Neither hiring is a done deal.

Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin set to interview with Redskins

The Redskins plan to interview Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin on Thursday, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. Franklin is a hot commodity in college and the NFL, after leading to 24-15 record during the last three season. The program has struggled to win for decades, but Franklin has found a way to crack the code, making him a desirable candidate for other vacancies.

Franklin is among a large group of candidates that have interviewed or been linked to the Redskins job, which as noted above includes Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, as well as Philadelphia quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor, Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and San Diego offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, among others. Vanderbilt is reportedly doing all they can to retain Franklin, who has also drawn interest from Penn State.

Dolphins interviewing Bill Lazer for OC job, per report

The Dolphins will interview Eagles quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor on Wednesday for their offensive coordinator position, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. If hired, Lazor would take the place of Mike Sherman, who was fired by the franchise earlier this month. He is the second member of the Eagles staff to attract attention from the Dolphins, as Philadelphia's VP of Player Personnel Tom Gamble is expected to be a top candidate for the general manager job in Miami.

Lazor has also been rumored to have received interest from the Redskins regarding their head coaching vacancy. He has spent one in Philadelphia under Chip Kelly, and coached quarterback Nick Foles to the best touchdown-interception ratio in NFL history (27:2). In addition, he improved the accuracy and turnovers of Michael Vick earlier in the season. Lazor has also worked as an assistant with Dan Reeves in Atlanta, Joe Gibbs in Washington and Mike Holmgren in Seattle.