The 2022 NFL Coaching Carousel

Story posted January 13, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Justin Ciavolella

The NFL regular season has ended and with that came multiple new head coaching vacancies.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins made the most surprising move thus far firing Brian Flores. Flores led the Dolphins to a 9-8 record this season following a 1-7 start. Miami has the talent to compete and Flores had them compete until the very end.

With that being said, the Dolphins should look for a seasoned NFL head coach. With that being said, one former head coach that sticks out is former Super Bowl winning coach Doug Pederson. This is not a rebuilding situation, so an experienced coach should be able to get the most out of the talent and get the team back into the playoffs.

Chicago Bears

The Bears moved on from head coach Matt Nagy, following another disappointing season. With Nagy gone, the Bears seem like they will restart their rebuild with first-round pick Justin Fields as the centerpiece.

Fields’ style is fit for a college style offense meaning the Bears should look for a college style coach. It has been rumored that Jim Harbaugh could be fielding NFL offers to leave the University of Michigan.

Fields would develop nicely under Harbough and the staff that he would bring.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings moved on from longtime head coach Mike Zimmer after another disappointing finish in the NFC North. The Vikings will also be looking for a new general manager, leaving it unseen to see how they will construct the roster.

Dan Quinn, the current defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys and former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, is a good fit. They have young stars and veteran pieces that could make a run for the playoffs with the right coach.

Denver Broncos

Vic Fangio was let go following the Broncos loss on Saturday night. Fangio had plenty of young talent to work with, but lacked a quarterback. Fangio dealt with a revolving door of quarterbacks during his tenure and never got the offense going.

With all the young talent on the Broncos roster and most likely a new quarterback, it makes sense to bring in an up and coming offensive mind in the NFL.

Kellen Moore, who has done well as the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, could get his first head coaching job in Denver.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders let go of Jon Gruden following allegations in the middle of the season and replaced him with Rich Bisaccia. Bisaccia was forced into a tough situation, but was able to help them clinch a playoff spot.

The players know him and he helped them exceed expectations. A promotion to their full time head coach would be a smart move for the Raiders. If they go in a different direction, Eric Bieniemy of the Kansas City Chiefs would be a good fit as he has helped turn the Chiefs into a prolific offensive force.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars moved on from Urban Meyer not even a year into his contract. Trevor Lawrence had a prime season of development wasted and that needs to be corrected fast.

The Jaguars need to do what is best for their franchise centerpiece and that would be finding an offensive minded head coach. This is another spot for Kellen Moore or Eric Bieniemy to get their chances. Start fresh with the second-year quarterback and help move Jacksonville in the right direction.

New York Giants

The Giants did end up firing Joe Judge after all. With Judge gone, the Giants have officially cleared house and entered into another stage of their long rebuild.

With it being rumored that Buffalo’s assistant general manager Joe Schoen is at the top of their GM search, Brian Daboll could be someone to watch here. Daboll helped Josh Allen turn it around in year three, which is something the Giants are looking for out of Daniel Jones in year four.

Justin Ciavolella is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jtc5751@psu.edu.