Tuesday is a wrap for Coach Watch. The 49ers have some names attached now, as do other teams. We still have six vacancies and some elite coaches to fill them, so hope that the 49ers front office can knock this out of the park still exists.
The Connections:
We begin with Sean Payton who has had considerable movement. Ian Rapoport has reported that Payton's decision has come to two teams, so far: San Francisco and New Orleans; leave his current team and come to the Bay Area or stick around. Add New York into the mix as well, as reports said they would make a hard push for Payton. While there hasn't been any response to New York's inquiries, it's important to note that Payton is a disciple of Bill Parcells, and Parcells has a history in New York.
New York isn't the only franchise, Miami has also been reported to be interested in Sean Payton. This isn't the first time the Dolphins have tried to get in the middle of San Francisco's coaching business. Keep in mind, while potential interest in multiple teams could drive up Payton's price, the New Orlean Saints head coach would probably prefer to not be involved in giving up draft picks of his future club.
Hue Jackson is the other name that has been linked as Trent Baalke's guy. Nothing more has been said on the matter, though Tennessee has reached out to him. They join the Browns and Dolphins. Both Hue Jackson and Sean Payton could be the home run hires this year, so the demand should be no surprise.
Up for interviews:
Dianna Marie Russini tweeted out that Mike Shanahan was scheduled for an interview with the 49ers on Wednesday in New York, then moments later said the interview was on hold. Those of you experiencing Deja vu aren't crazy, it was this same time last year that Shanahan was considered by many to be the front runner before Adam Gase was considered the front runner before Tomsula was hired before Tomsula was fired. This time, it looks like Shanahan will not be hungry for Chevy's
Anthony Lynn is also scheduled to come to San Francisco for an interview. Lynn is the current assistant head coach/running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills. This means he would have been ironically taking orders from former 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. In addition to his experience as a running backs coach, Lynn was also special teams coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Interviewing Anthony Lynn will satisfy the Rooney rule for the San Francisco 49ers.
Other Candidates:
Mike Holmgren is still waiting for an interview after expressing interest...
Coach Tracker:
Add Mike Smith to the list of top hires for Miami. The Dolphins are reportedly doing "background work with ex-players & coaches" (per Ian Rapoport ).
The New York Giants search is underway with both Ben McAdoo and Steve Spagnuolo, The Giants' offensive and defensive coordinators respectively interviewing for the head coach role.
Speaking of the Giants, this morning it was reported that Tom Coughlin may be open to some kind of role within the franchise. This tweet may say otherwise:
Tom Coughlin walking RIGHT by Giants President and CEO John Mara after his exit presser pic.twitter.com/cSGVXByf3e
— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) January 5, 2016
Adam Gase is also expected to have a stop in the Big Apple for an interview. Again, I doubt he comes to the other end of the country given what happened last year. He also has spoken to the Browns, though I'm don't think it was an official interview.
Teryl Austin has completed his interview with the Miami Dolphins. The Browns and Eagles are also in the equation.
Sean McDermott, Matt Patricia, and Paul Guenther are on the Brown's radar.
Speaking of the Browns, in news not regarding a specific coach, but in looking for the specific coach, the organization has brought in Paul DePodesta as executive vice president. DePodesta worked previously as a baseball executive for the Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics. You know him from the film, Moneyball.
Vacancies:
- San Francisco
- Cleveland
- Miami
- Philadelphia
- New York
- Tennessee