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The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

June 29th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL experienced a busy offseason on the coaching front. A whopping 10 teams changed coaches during the 2022 offseason, with the Buccaneers’ late-March switch pushing the number into double digits.

Fourteen of the league’s 32 head coaches were hired in the past two offseasons, illustrating the increased pressure the NFL’s sideline leaders face in today’s game. Two of the coaches replaced this year left on their own. Sean Payton vacated his spot in second on the longest-tenured HCs list by stepping down from his 16-year Saints post in February, while Bruce Arians has repeatedly insisted his Bucs exit was about giving his defensive coordinator a chance with a strong roster and not a Tom Brady post-retirement power play.

While Bill Belichick has been the league’s longest-tenured HC for many years, Payton’s exit moved Mike Tomlin up to No. 2. Mike Zimmer‘s firing after nine seasons moved Frank Reich into the top 10. Reich’s HC opportunity only came about because Josh McDaniels spurned the Colts in 2018, but Indianapolis’ backup plan has led the team to two playoff brackets and has signed an extension. Reich’s seat is hotter in 2022, however, after a January collapse. Linked to numerous HC jobs over the past several offseasons, McDaniels finally took another swing after his Broncos tenure ended quickly.

As 2022’s training camps approach, here are the NFL’s longest-tenured HCs:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2025
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018; extended through 2026
  11. Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019; extended through 2027
  12. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
  13. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  14. Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team): January 1, 2020
  15. Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
  16. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  17. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  18. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  19. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  20. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  21. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  22. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  23. Nathaniel Hackett (Denver Broncos): January 27, 2022
  24. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  25. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  26. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  27. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  28. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  29. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  30. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  31. Lovie Smith (Houston Texans): February 7, 2022
  32. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022

Saints Envision Jameis Winston Starting Week 1

May 9th, 2022 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints were one of the finalists to acquire Deshaun Watson, but they ultimately brought back a familiar face to be their starting quarterback for the immediate future. Jameis Winston is recovering from a torn ACL, but new head coach Dennis Allen plans on him being healthy to start the 2022 season. 

When speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Allen was asked about Winston’s recovery (video link). “I think he’s doing well in the rehab process” he said, adding that “he’s working his tail off and really doing a really good job in the rehab and I like where he’s at”. That would point to the 28-year-old being ready for the fall, as was reported in March.

When asked if Winston was, as of now, seen as the Week 1 starter, Allen answered, “well… that’s certainly the plan. There’s a lot of days between now and Week 1, but we certainly like where he’s at right now. We like the progress that he’s making… My vision and my hope is that he continues to progress on the same level as he gets another year in the system.”

After a turnover-filled tenure with the Buccaneers, the former No. 1 pick headed to New Orleans as Drew Brees‘ backup. His level of play as the starter last season, though – 1,170 yards, 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions in seven games prior to the injury – earned him a two-year extension. The team also signed veteran Andy Dalton as his backup, and declined to add a developmental signal-caller during the draft.

That leaves Winston as the No. 1 heading into a season which, the Saints hope, can see significant improvement in the passing game. A healthy Michael Thomas, first-round receiver Chris Olave and, of course, a fully recovered Winston would go a long way to accomplishing that goal.

NFC Coaching Notes: Bears, Vikings, Giants

February 10th, 2022 at 10:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The post-Sean Payton era has started in New Orleans, with Dennis Allen officially taking over as the Saints new head coach. When speaking about his promotion, Allen mentioned the value of continuity within the franchise.

“I think that was one of the unique things about this job is that this was not a broken job. This is a job that’s a desirable job. This is a job that has a foundation and culture of winning that’s already been built,” Allen said (via ESPN’s Mike Triplett). “I don’t see this as something where we need to have a ton of change.”

While Allen acknowledged that he’ll preach a lot of the lessons he learned from Payton, he also intends to put his “own spin” on the job.

“I want to take the lessons that I’ve learned, I want to build upon those lessons, and I want to create my own legacy here with the New Orleans Saints,” the coach said.

More coaching notes out of the NFC…

  • Andre Curtis is the Bears new safeties coach, the team announced. The 45-year-old has spent the past seven years with the Seahawks, including the past four years as the defensive passing game coordinator. Per the Bears’ website, the Seahawks had six defensive backs earn at least one Pro Bowl nod during Curtis’s stint with Seattle.
  • The Vikings are expecting to hire Chris Kuper as their offensive line coach, reports Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (via Twitter). Kuper had an eight-year playing career with the Broncos, and following a three-year coaching stint with the Dolphins, he joined the Broncos as their assistant offensive line coach in 2019. He ultimately spent three seasons in Denver.
  • The Vikings are also hiring Chris Rumph as their defensive line coach, per Wilson (on Twitter). The 50-year-old spent the 2021 season in the same role with the Bears, and he’s also had an NFL coaching stint with the Texans.
  • The Giants are hiring Mike Groh as their wide receivers coach, according to Pro Football Talk. Groh spent the past two years as the WRs coach with the Colts, and he had a previous stint with the Eagles that saw him getting promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Saints To Name Dennis Allen As New Head Coach

February 7th, 2022 at 5:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The final head coaching vacancy has been filled. The Saints have informed defensive coordinator Dennis Allen that he’ll be the team’s new head coach, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

Allen was thought to be the favorite for the gig considering his familiarity with the franchise and the continuity he’d provide in a post-Sean Payton era. As SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan reports (on Twitter), Allen isn’t expected to make many (if any) changes to the coaching staff, while Albert Breer of TheMMQB notes (on Twitter) that the new HC also has a strong relationship with the scouting department.

The 49-year-old’s coaching career started in Atlanta, but he took on a bigger role once he moved to New Orleans, eventually becoming their secondary coach (which saw him earn his lone Super Bowl ring). He later became the Broncos defensive coordinator before getting hired as the Raiders head coach in 2012.

His tenure with Oakland didn’t last very long. Early on in his third season in charge, he was fired, and he finished his tenure as head coach with an 8-28 record. Allen ended up returning to the Saints, and after a brief stint as a senior defensive assistant, he became their defensive coordinator in 2015.

In his seven seasons in the role, Allen rehabilitated his image. He was on the HC radar last offseason, and he was a candidate for the Bears head coaching gig this cycle. Once Payton left New Orleans, he seemed like a natural replacement for the Saints. While he received some strong competition from the likes of Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores (per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter), Allen was ultimately chosen as the 11th full-time head coach in franchise history.

2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 6th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Coaching Rumors: Saints, Texans, McDaniel, Giants, Broncos

February 6th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints began their cycle of head coaching interviews this week, conducting meetings with the following candidates: former Eagles’ head coach Doug Pederson (1/30; hired by Jaguars), former Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores (2/1), Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (2/2), their current special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi (2/3), their current defensive coordinator Dennis Allen (2/4), and Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (2/6).

New Orleans also requested permission to interview Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. There were some early reports that permission had been granted, but that hasn’t been confirmed and nothing has been scheduled, as of yet. ESPN’s Saints’ reporter Mike Triplett also mentioned that current offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was offered an opportunity to interview for the position, but Carmichael declined. Despite being a part of Sean Payton‘s staff since Payton’s tenure in New Orleans began back in 2006, it appears Carmichael has no interest in running the show in the Big Easy. Whether he has retirement or another destination in mind or he is just comfortable in his role, Carmichael will not be the Saints’ next head coach.

Here are a few more notes from the ongoing coaching searches and staff changes throughout the NFL, starting with the other head coaching vacancy:

  • Houston recently narrowed their list of head coaching candidates down to three: Brian Flores, former quarterback Josh McCown, and Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Well, according to USA Today’s Josina Anderson, the Texans are now down to two candidates, with Gannon being informed Saturday that he will not be receiving the head coaching position, leaving Flores and McCown as the two remaining names.
  • New Dolphins’ head coach Mike McDaniel reportedly has interest in holding on to some of the defensive assistants currently under contract in Miami, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. This includes current defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, who followed Flores to Miami from New England. The lack of staff turnover would be a positive for a defensive unit that played well during the team’s seven-game win-streak in the back half of the season.
  • The Giants were able to add a piece to Brian Daboll‘s new staff while missing out on another today. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweeted out that Andy Bischoff will become the Giants’ new tight ends coach. Bischoff followed David Culley from Baltimore to Houston and will make the lateral move over from the Texans with their head coaching position still in the air. Unfortunately, the Giants did not get their running backs coach, as Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweeted out that Deland McCullough has turned down Daboll’s offer, choosing instead to remain the running backs coach at Notre Dame, believing it gives him the best opportunity to eventually become a head coach.
  • New Broncos’ head coach Nathaniel Hackett is also looking to fill out his staff. The Broncos are planning to interview Jon Embree who most recently held the position of tight ends coach/assistant head coach in San Francisco. Embree parted ways with the Niners after being asked to take a 60 percent pay cut after San Francisco’s NFC Championship loss. The man who has coached George Kittle since he was drafted in 2017 would be a nice addition to Hackett’s system.

Doug Pederson Added As A Candidate For Saints’ HC Job

January 31st, 2022 at 12:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of names being linked to the league’s newest head coaching vacancy continues to grow. The Saints have already completed an interview with Doug Pederson, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

[Related: Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Rapoport notes that the interview took place on Sunday, making Pederson the fifth candidate whose name has been attached to New Orleans. The 54-year-old has already been listed as a candidate for the jobs in Chicago, Denver, Minnesota and Jacksonville. While the level of interest on each side has differed in all four of those cases – the first two on that list have already hired their new coaches, and Pederson doesn’t appear to be a finalist for the other two openings – the buzz he is generating is certainly notable.

After being fired by the Eagles last year, Pederson was out of the NFL in 2021. There is certainly an interest around the league for the Super Bowl LII champion, though, including from the Saints, who are in catch-up mode relative to the other HC-needy teams.

In a related tweet, Rapoport details the schedule for the other Saints’ interviewees this week. The plan is, apparently, to meet with each of Brian Flores, Aaron Glenn and Dennis Allen in that order. The only exclusion from that list is Byron Leftwich, whom the team has put in an interview request for.

Here’s an updated look at the Saints’ coaching search:

Latest On Bears’ Head Coaching Search

January 25th, 2022 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

TUESDAY: Quinn and Eberflus will travel to Chicago for their interviews, per ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (on Twitter). With new GM hire Ryan Poles now on board, the Bears will likely make their choice soon. Quinn will meet with Poles and Co. on Tuesday, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Additionally, Allen’s interview did not go on as scheduled Tuesday, Breer tweets. The longtime Sean Payton assistant stayed in New Orleans for the 16-year HC’s press conference, during which he announced he was leaving his post. Allen is now on the short list to succeed Payton in New Orleans.

MONDAY: The Bears are giving Dan Quinn and Jim Caldwell a second look. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the Bears have requested second interviews with the two candidates.

[RELATED: 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Quinn has been one of the most sought-after candidate of this year’s HC cycle. His work with Dallas’ defense in just one season – seventh in the league in points allowed per game, first in interceptions, to name a few statistics – has put him in line to get another HC gig one year after being fired by the Falcons. Quinn has already scheduled a second interview for the Broncos HC job.

Caldwell, 66, served as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach in 2019 before health issues forced him to step aside. Fortunately, he’s said to be back to full health now, and it sounds like he’s ready for his next job. Between his time with the Colts and Lions, Caldwell owns a career 62-50 record as a head coach with four playoff berths and one Super Bowl appearance. Caldwell’s last stop in Detroit saw him never finish with fewer than seven wins, but he was still canned following back-to-back 9-7 seasons.

Meanwhile, Rapoport notes that Matt Eberflus will have his second interview on Wednesday, while Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will get his first crack at the gig tomorrow.

Saints Expected To Interview Dennis Allen, Aaron Glenn For HC

January 25th, 2022 at 3:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the aftermath of Sean Payton’s decision to step away from the team, the Saints are in need of a new head coach for the first time since 2006. Two names have been brought up as candidates expected to be interviewed for the vacancy: Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and Lions DC Aaron Glenn (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). 

[Related: Sean Payton “Stepping Away”]

Allen’s name being listed should come as no surprise. He was touted as a candidate when it surfaced Payton may not be returning to New Orleans. The 49-year-old began his NFL coaching career with the Saints, including a stretch as the team’s secondary coach during their Super Bowl XLIV win. He was hired to be the Broncos’ DC not long after, which earned him his first head coaching opportunity.

Allen took over as the Raiders’ HC in 2012, but his tenure didn’t last very long. Early on in his third season in charge, he was fired. With a record of 8-28, he had not received much interest from teams for another HC gig, but that has changed recently. Following a return to New Orleans, and a promotion to DC in November of 2015, Allen was back on teams’ radars last year, and is currently scheduled to interview with the Bears. Things may change, however, if Allen is offered Payton’s old position first.

Glenn, meanwhile, served as a colleague of Allen’s with the Saints from 2016 to 2020. His work there earned him the DC job in Detroit this past offseason. The fact that he was in that role for only one season – along with, of course, the Lions’ record, placing them in the basement of the NFC – speaks volumes about how he is regarded around the league. The 49-year-old has already interviewed with the Broncos and been linked to the opening in Minnesota.

For the latest on the Saints’ coaching search, and those of the other eight teams with a vacancy, be sure to check our Tracker regularly.

 

Saints HC Sean Payton Not Certain To Return In 2022

January 23rd, 2022 at 9:57am CST by Rory Parks

After the 2020 season, Saints fans bid adieu to one franchise icon in quarterback Drew Brees. Now that the 2021 season is over, will New Orleans also have to say goodbye to the man who came to town with Brees 16 years ago and helped reverse the franchise’s fortunes?

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, head coach Sean Payton has not yet told the Saints that he is definitely returning for the 2022 campaign. He has been on vacation for over a week, and it sounds as though he is using that time to ponder his NFL future. Rapoport adds that Payton has “gone dark” on several people close to him.

Payton’s desire to go off the grid for a moment seems to have been borne out of his need to recharge after what his confidants tell Rapoport was “an incredibly challenging and difficult season” for him. New Orleans dealt with more than its fair share of injuries in 2021, and Payton was forced to cycle through four different passers in the first year of the post-Brees era. The QB situation was particularly taxing, and it has forced Payton to reevaluate his immediate future.

If he elects not to return to the New Orleans sidelines, Payton would likely not coach another club in 2022, per Rapoport. Instead, as Albert Breer of SI.com suggests, the 58-year-old may choose to follow Brees’ path and become a talking head somewhere, as TV networks have reportedly been gearing up to make a run at him (Twitter link).

Or, he could take a break from football entirely and rejoin the head coaching ranks in 2023 (though in such a scenario, a return to the Saints probably would not be in the cards, and New Orleans would end up trading him to another club). It’s likely that any team in need of an HC at that time would have Payton at or near the top of its list of preferred candidates, and a television opportunity will probably always be there for him whenever he chooses to retire from coaching for good. Indeed, Rapoport says that Payton is not considering official retirement at this point, and that if he steps away, it would only be for a year.

This is far from the first time that these types of rumors have surrounded Payton, who has publicly scoffed at them in the past. But Katherine Terrell, the Saints’ beat reporter for ESPN, suggests that there is real substance to this report (Twitter link). While Terrell believes Payton will be back in New Orleans in 2022, she concedes it is a situation to keep an eye on.

Payton is under contract through 2024 and is one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. It would no doubt be difficult for him to leave the city where he has built a terrific legacy, but it’s worth mentioning that the Saints will once again have an unenviable salary cap situation and do not have an obvious means of adding a championship-caliber QB to the roster. Perhaps Payton will decide that cutting ties now, while his stock is still as high as it can be, is the most prudent course of action.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who has landed a head coaching interview with the Bears, would perhaps be the Saints’ top choice to replace Payton. However, the club would have to conduct a complete search, not only for its own benefit, but to comply with Rooney Rule requirements. And with HC interviews around the league already well underway, New Orleans would have a lot of catching up to do.

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