In what could make for a significant change to the head coaching interview process, teams will no longer have to wait until the regular season’s conclusion to interview candidates.
Beginning Wednesday, teams will be able to request and conduct virtual interviews with HC candidates currently employed by other teams, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (via Twitter). No in-person interviews can happen until the regular season ends, however, and these virtual meetings will be capped at two hours, per Pelissero (on Twitter). This pre-interview policy of sorts does not apply to coordinator candidates, however.
Traditionally, teams must wait until their interview candidate’s team completes its regular season. This slows the process and allows unattached coaches to interview for jobs before active coaches have the opportunity to do so. Teams interested in active coaches will have interesting decisions to make beginning this week.
The Falcons, Lions and Texans have HC openings and could now get the jump on other teams expected to fire coaches — like the Jaguars or Jets — thanks to this rule change. This week should now also provide clarity on which teams are interested in certain HC candidates.
However, this rule tweak will give teams the opportunity to refuse HC-needy franchises’ requests to conduct these early-bird virtual interviews, per Pelissero and Rapoport. They do not have such privileges once the regular season ends. It will be interesting to see if teams decline requests for these virtual meet-and-greets, when these assistants will be free to interview for HC jobs in early January.
Great idea!
Call me cynical but I think the prior rule was one that GMs and coaches often winked at. Unless you have someone under constant surveillance or have them electronically bugged, how can you be certain secret meetings aren’t taking place?
I think any industry, sports or other business, that have this requiement(whether it’s reg season end in nfl or in your contract at some other occupation) gets winked at. As long as no complete morons are involved, It’s something that’s easy to accomplish off site or through 3rd parties
Agreed. Government agencies and tech giants like Apple and Google are always trying to poach top people from each other even when company policies state they won’t.
Well this certainly gives incentive to fire your coach now, if you plan to do so. And hope that certain teams give permission. Why not take advantage of that rule, as a front office, if you know the coach is gone? Also if I’m a team with even the slightest playoff chance at all, don’t even ask until it’s over. After that though why hold someone down. Unless you plan to offer a raise/coach in waiting thing…