NFL coaching candidates: Patriots assistants, Jim Harbaugh top early wish lists

The Los Angeles Rams made it official when they fired Jeff Fisher. The NFL’s head coaching carousel has sputtered back to life as the 2016 regular season winds to a close.

Fisher’s ouster will just be the first in a long line of dominoes that relocates veteran head coaches and rising coordinators alike. The Rams will need to replace interim coach John Fassel this offseason, but he won’t be the only cog who gets swapped out. Untenable situations in Buffalo, Jacksonville, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York could all lead to major coaching changes this winter.

As rumors fly about which head coach’s seat is the hottest, a number of names have risen to the top of the league’s wish list. Some names are familiar, others more obscure. And, in what may become an annual tradition, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has made the list.

Here are some of the hottest names among NFL head coaching candidates through the end of 2016.

The shine of Austin’s résumé faded some when the Lions dropped from No. 2 in total defense in 2014 to No. 18 in 2015, but the 51-year-old’s experience in bringing along defensive backs earned him interest from a few NFL franchises last year. During the 2015 offseason, Austin was twice interviewed by the Atlanta Falcons before the team settled on Dan Quinn and he turned down an interview request from the Denver Broncos.

His star is trending back upward as the Lions are in line to claim a division title for the first time since 1993. However, Detroit’s rise in 2016 is more aligned with a solid offensive effort than a smothering defense. Austin’s unit ranks just 28th in the league in yards allowed per play and third-down conversion rate against. A second straight season of regression could keep Austin anchored to the Lions’ sideline.

Coaching résumé:

Seattle Seahawks (defensive backs coach): 2003-2006
Arizona Cardinals (defensive backs coach): 2007-2009
Florida Gators (defensive coordinator): 2010
Baltimore Ravens (secondary coach): 2011-2013
Detroit Lions (defensive coordinator): 2014-2016

Bennett is a Green Bay lifer, having spent all but two seasons of his NFL career since 1993 in Wisconsin’s third-largest city. The Packers assistant coach played the first six seasons of his career as a featured tailback and returned to the sideline in 2001 to work his way from running backs coach up to offensive coordinator.

Bennett’s offense with the Packers has been solid despite a total lack of healthy or effective runners in 2016. Green Bay has scored nearly 26 points per game (seventh in the league) and used a potent passing attack to stabilize what once looked like a lost season at 4-5. One big question about his résumé remains however: How successful can he be without a two-time MVP like Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback?

Coaching résumé:

Green Bay Packers (running backs coach): 2001-2010
Green Bay Packers (wide receivers coach): 2011-2014
Green Bay Packers (offensive coordinator): 2015-2016

Bevell only worked with Aaron Rodgers for one year in Green Bay and was never able to bring along Tarvaris Jackson to the level of a competent NFL starter in Minnesota. However, he had his first real chance to mold a top talent into an elite quarterback with Russell Wilson and he passed that test with flying colors. Under the tutelage of Bevell, Wilson has become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL with consistent improvement in each season, and that has earned the coach plenty of praise.

The Seahawks have consistently contended for a Super Bowl during his six seasons with the team. Bevell is likely to draw interest again this offseason after he was interviewed by the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills during the coaching searches of 2015. Teams looking for a versatile offensive mind and a history of developing players shouldn’t hesitate to line the Seattle assistant up for an interview.

Coaching résumé:

Green Bay Packers (assistant quarterbacks coach): 2000-2002
Green Bay Packers (quarterbacks coach): 2003-2005
Minnesota Vikings (offensive coordinator): 2006-2010
Seattle Seahawks (offensive coordinator): 2011-2016

The best-named man in the league has become a fast-rising star among coaching circles. At only 32-years old, Cooter would become the league’s youngest head coach if he took a new job this offseason. His climb up the coaching ranks has been astronomical; after spending 2013 as an offensive assistant with Denver, he needed only two seasons to earn a promotion to offensive coordinator with Detroit.

Cooter’s reputation has been bolstered by Matthew Stafford’s jump from “fantasy football standout” to “potential NFL MVP.” The veteran quarterback is playing the best football of his career under the young OC’s guidance. As a result, the Lions are on pace to earn their first division title since 1993. If Detroit’s resurgence continues through the postseason, expect the Jim Bob hype to ascend to new levels.

Coaching résumé:

Indianapolis Colts (offensive assistant): 2009-2011
Kansas City Chiefs (quality control coordinator): 2012
Denver Broncos (offensive assistant): 2013
Detroit Lions (quarterbacks coach): 2014-2015
Detroit Lions (offensive coordinator): 2015-2016

Haley originally drew hype as a top offensive mind in the NFL when he helped lead the Cardinals to a Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2008 season. It was strong enough to earn him a shot as head coach of the Chiefs, and while the team improved to 10-6 in 2010 to go to the playoffs and Matt Cassel earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, Haley’s time with the team ended after a disappointing 7-9 campaign in 2011.

Since then, Haley has led the prolific Steelers offense, which finished No. 2 in the NFL in 2014 and No. 3 in 2015 despite missing Ben Roethlisberger for four games. After a midseason swoon, he’s got Pittsburgh back in playoff position this winter.

Coaching résumé:

Chicago Bears (wide receivers coach): 2001-2003
Dallas Cowboys (wide receivers coach): 2004-2006
Arizona Cardinals (offensive coordinator): 2007-2008
Kansas City Chiefs (head coach): 2009-2011
Pittsburgh Steelers (offensive coordinator): 2012-2016

Harbaugh was extremely successful in his first stint as an NFL head coach, taking a 6-10 49ers team and improving them to 13-3 by the end of his first season. San Francisco went to the NFC Championship game in each of its new coach’s first three years, but an 8-8 record in the fourth — and irreconcilable differences with management — led to Harbaugh’s departure after the 2014 season.

Harbaugh is a rare example of a college coach able to translate his skills and technique to the NFL. After a successful tenure where he turned Stanford from a Pac-12 doormat into a national championship contender, the outspoken head coach shifted gears in the Bay Area to take over the San Francisco 49ers. With a 44-19-1 record, he’s one of the most successful pro coaches of all time.

After two very successful seasons in Ann Arbor, it seems unlikely the lauded head coach would jump ship to return to the NFL. Harbaugh has a pattern of working at places he has a personal connection, whether that’s his alma mater or California institutions near the Palo Alto high school he attended. With the Wolverines shelling out $9 million this past season to keep him, don’t expect Harbaugh to leave the Big Ten any time soon.

Coaching résumé:

Oakland Raiders (quarterbacks coach): 2002-2003
University of San Diego (head coach): 2004-2006
Stanford University (head coach): 2007-2010
San Francisco 49ers (head coach): 2011-2014
University of Michigan (head coach): 2015-2016

Interested teams:

Anyone with a vacancy, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Lynn played six seasons in the NFL as a running back and in his 13 seasons coaching running backs in the NFL, he’s been at five different stops. Among the players he has worked with are Fred Taylor, Julius Jones, Jamal Lewis, Thomas Jones, LaDainian Tomlinson, Shonn Greene, Chris Ivory, and LeSean McCoy. Those running backs combined for eight 1,000-yard seasons under Lynn.

His 2015 season, following Rex Ryan to Buffalo, was the first time he had the title of assistant head coach attached to his name. He worked with LeSean McCoy, who finished with 895 rushing yards in 12 games.

Lynn earned a promotion in 2016 after Buffalo crashed out of the gates to an 0-2 start. With the heat on Ryan’s seat rising, Lynn replaced Greg Roman as the team’s offensive coordinator. The Bills responded with a four-game winning streak that briefly put the team in the playoff picture before falling back to earth and another ~.500 season.

If Ryan is fired before the end of his 2016 campaign, it’s possible Lynn earns another promotion — this time to interim head coach.

Coaching résumé:

Jacksonville Jaguars (running backs coach): 2003-2004
Dallas Cowboys (running backs coach): 2005-2006
Cleveland Browns (running backs coach): 2007-2008
New York Jets (running backs coach): 2009-2014
Buffalo Bills (running backs coach/assistant head coach): 2015
Buffalo Bills (offensive coordinator): 2016

Like Chip Kelly, Josh McDaniels failed in spectacular fashion in his first stint as a head coach in the NFL. And like Kelly, it had plenty to do with his performance directing personnel. During the two years that McDaniels was head coach of the Broncos, the team traded away Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, and drafted Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft.

Since then, McDaniels had one unsuccessful season with the Rams and four excellent seasons with the Patriots — the team that put him on the coaching map in the first place. During that latter run in New England, the team has finished in the top four in the NFL in scoring each season. It’s also worth noting McDaniels was the one in charge of the offense during the team’s 18-1 run in 2007.

Coaching résumé:

New England Patriots (quarterbacks coach): 2004-2005
New England Patriots (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach): 2006-2008
Denver Broncos (head coach): 2009-2010
St. Louis Rams (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach): 2011
New England Patriots (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach): 2012-2016

McDermott joined the staff of the Carolina Panthers in 2011 as their defensive coordinator, and the defense has been exceptional under his leadership. The Panthers ranked sixth in the league in total defense during last year’s run to the Super Bowl while leading the NFL in turnovers forced in the regular season.

The shine has come off his star a bit as the Panthers plummeted out of the postseason orbit early in the season. Carolina will follow up a conference title with a non-winning season thanks to regression across the board. After allowing just 19.5 points per game last fall, McDermott’s defense is giving up nearly 26 per contest. Everything from yards allowed to third-down conversion rate has spiked, leading to questions about the coordinator’s capabilities as a head coach.

Prior to coming to the Panthers, McDermott spent his entire NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began as an administrative coordinator in the scouting department, working his way through the ranks until he was named defensive coordinator in 2009.

Coaching résumé:

Philadelphia Eagles (assistant defensive backs coach): 2004-2006
Philadelphia Eagles (secondary coach/safeties): 2007
Philadelphia Eagles (linebackers coach): 2008
Philadelphia Eagles (secondary coach/defensive coordinator): 2009-2010
Carolina Panthers (defensive coordinator): 2011-2015

The Patriots defensive coordinator took an unconventional route to become one of the league’s hottest young assistants. The bearded fixture of the Foxborough sideline played his college football at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute, a Division-III school with a reputation for churning out engineers, not NFL employees.

Patricia worked his way through college coaching stops across the northeast before latching on with the Patriots in 2004. New England has been his only home as an NFL coach, and he’s worked up the ranks to lead the defense for one of the league’s most prestigious franchises. He’s been able to turn undrafted players like Malcolm Butler into stars while keeping New England afloat despite the roster turnover that has traded away Pro Bowlers like Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins.

Patriot defensive coordinators under Bill Belichick don’t have a great track record as head coaches. Eric Mangini went 33-47 in five seasons with the Jets and Browns. Romeo Crennel was 28-55 after stops in Cleveland and Kansas City. Fortunately for Patricia, the Browns aren’t in the market for a new No. 1.

Coaching résumé:

New England Patriots (offensive coaching assistant): 2004
New England Patriots (assistant offensive line): 2005
New England Patriots (linebackers coach): 2006-2010
New England Patriots (safeties coach): 2011
New England Patriots (defensive coordinator): 2012-2016

Shanahan is the architect of the highest-scoring offense in the NFL this season, and he masterfully utilizes all of the Falcons’ weapons to their full potential. He’ll be one of the hottest names as coaching searches fire up this season because of the quick turnaround Atlanta has made offensively under his leadership.

After serving as a graduate assistant at UCLA and transitioning into the pro game as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Shanahan was hired by the Texans as a wide receivers coach and worked his way up to the offensive coordinator role in Houston. Shanahan’s scheme has been influenced by Gary Kubiak, but he’s made it fully his own over the years.

His next stop was Washington, where he served as offensive coordinator under his father, Mike Shanahan. Shanahan coaxed some great performances out of Robert Griffin III when he was healthy, and Griffin, tackle Trent Williams and running back Alfred Morris all made the Pro Bowl in 2012.

After a brief stay in Cleveland, which ended with his resignation over the organization’s wish to start Johnny Manziel at quarterback, Shanahan landed with the Falcons under Dan Quinn. The offense looked unstoppable at the beginning of the 2015 season, then sputtered thanks in large part to poor offensive line play.

In 2016, however, the Falcons’ offense is firing on all cylinders, and with that has come the confidence that Shanahan is prepared to make the jump to a head coaching role.

Coaching résumé:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (offensive quality control coordinator): 2004-2005
Houston Texans (wide receivers coach): 2006
Houston Texans (quarterbacks coach): 2007
Houston Texans (offensive coordinator): 2008-2009
Washington (offensive coordinator): 2010-2013
Cleveland Browns (offensive coordinator): 2014
Atlanta Falcons (offensive coordinator): 2015-2016

It’s tough to say how much impact Shurmur really had on the Eagles offense during Chip Kelly’s tenure, but he was also with the franchise during some of the best seasons of Donovan McNabb’s career. After helping Sam Bradford to be named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2010, Shurmur took over as head coach of the Browns, but was one of several coaches to get fired after a brief stint.

After a 4-12 season in his first year with Cleveland, Shurmur had Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson leading the way as rookies in 2012, but that didn’t go as planned and he was out after a 5-11 season. Since then, Weeden and Richardson have been complete failures in the NFL, so it’s tough to say that Shurmur ever really had a chance at finding success with the pair.

Shurmur is currently the Vikings offensive coordinator, inheriting the role after Norv Turner vacated the position. He’s had his hands full with an offense ravaged by injuries (Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson, both starting offensive tackles), but he’s managed to make Bradford look like a viable starting quarterback again.

Coaching résumé:

Philadelphia Eagles (quarterbacks coach): 2002-2008
St. Louis Rams (offensive coordinator): 2009-2010
Cleveland Browns (head coach): 2011-2012
Philadelphia Eagles (offensive coordinator): 2013-2015
Minnesota Vikings (tight ends coach/offensive coordinator): 2016