Vic Fangio

Volin’s Latest: McDaniels, 49ers, Reich, Jets

As reports continue to trickle in on the NFL’s five head coaching openings, as well as the GM vacancies in Chicago and New York, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe explores the rumor mill and passes along a handful of interesting tidbits in his latest column. Here are the highlights:

  • One league source tells Volin that without Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh in the mix for any of the current openings, there’s a “dearth of superstar candidates.” The source expects most teams to hire candidates with previous head coaching experience.
  • Volin hears from one source the Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be “very careful” about which opportunities he pursues. The source predicts that the Falcons will be the only club McDaniels seriously considers, given his relationship with general manager Thomas Dimitroff and the presence of a solid, risk-free quarterback in Matt Ryan.
  • An internal promotion remains a strong possibility for the 49ers, despite the fact that the team is reaching out to several outside candidates. Volin hears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is a likelier candidate than defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
  • According to Volin, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is the “most serious” candidate for the Jets‘ head coaching vacancy in the early stages of that search. Reich is also expected to be a top candidate for the Bills if Doug Marrone decides to opt out of his contract, though Marrone is considered likely to stay in Buffalo.
  • One source predicts to Volin that Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin isn’t yet completely safe, in spite of owner Stephen Rosscomments earlier this month.
  • Former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland could get a few interviews this offseason, but he has nothing lined up at the moment, says Volin.

Michigan Hires Jim Harbaugh

11:40am: ESPN’s Michele Steele provides a full breakdown of Harbaugh’s deal (via Twitter), which includes a number of potential incentives and bonuses.

11:13am: Officially announcing the hiring of Harbaugh at a press conference, Hackett confirmed that the former Niners coach signed a seven-year, $35MM contract (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).

TUESDAY, 9:26am: According to John U. Bacon (Twitter links), Harbaugh’s salary with Michigan will be about $5MM a year plus incentives, which is a similar deal to the one he had with the Niners. Bacon says that Harbaugh told Michigan AD Jim Hackett he didn’t want to be the highest-paid coach in college football, and that he was more concerned about pay for his assistants.

Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reported earlier that the Raiders’ offer to Harbaugh was higher than Michigan’s, which makes more sense if Oakland just had to top $5MM or so, rather than approximately $8MM, as had been previously reported.

MONDAY, 7:22pm: The contract is signed, according to David Jesse and Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.

9:30am: As expected, Jim Harbaugh will be the next head coach at the University of Michigan, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who says the school has told its biggest boosters that a deal with Harbaugh is done and that a news conference is scheduled for Tuesday. Albert Breer of the NFL Network also confirms (via Twitter) that the agreement between Harbaugh and Michigan is done, as had been suggested this weekend by reporters such as John U. Bacon, Dave Feldman of CSNBayArea.com, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports.

While details on Harbaugh’s new contract with the Wolverines aren’t currently known, a report earlier in December indicated that Michigan was willing to pay $48MM for six years. Breer reported this morning that the deal could ultimately get up to $9MM per year, since there was some “quiet bidding” over the weekend.

While Harbaugh’s departure from San Francisco had been anticipated for some time, he never recorded a losing season with the Niners, compiling a 44-19-1 record in his four seasons with the team. He’ll look to bring some of that success, which included three appearances in the NFC championship game and a loss in the Super Bowl, to a Wolverines team that had a disappointing 2014 season under former head coach Brady Hoke.

The Raiders were among the NFL teams with interest in Harbaugh, and Mike Silver of the NFL Network suggested today (Twitter link) that Oakland owner Mark Davis planned to speak to Harbaugh this morning. There was a belief that the former Niners coach preferred to remain in the NFL, but even with a handful of head coaching jobs opening up today, it appears he couldn’t resist the allure of returning to Michigan, particularly on a deal that makes him the highest-paid coach in NCAA history.

As for the Niners, who agreed to part ways with Harbaugh, Peter King of TheMMQB.com hears that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will be interviewed, and that GM Trent Baalke may have interest in UCLA coach Jim Mora. Additionally, multiple sources have informed Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that Mike Shanahan could be a candidate for the San Francisco job. For now, Baalke is set to meet with the team’s assistant coaches to help clarify their futures, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Coaching Rumors: Ryan, Falcons, Bears, 49ers

Black Monday is underway, and a handful of teams are expected to make announcements today regarding changes to their coaching staffs and/or front offices. Here are a few of the latest rumors to start off the day:

  • The Jets were the first team to formally announce the firing of a head coach this morning, and Rex Ryan appreciated the quick, definitive decision from owner Woody Johnson, since he feels as if he has a chance at another head coaching job, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. Per Mehta (Twitter links), Ryan will explore head coaching opportunities, and if he doesn’t land a job, he believes his next role will be with ESPN — he doesn’t have interest in any defensive coordinator positions.
  • Mike Smith is “absolutely done” in Atlanta, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That coincides with what we’ve heard in recent weeks, and is no surprise, considering how the Falcons finished their regular season yesterday. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) that while Smith’s tenure with the Falcons is “on life support,” the same doesn’t appear to be true for general manager Thomas Dimitroff.
  • While multiple reports have suggested the Bears will likely part ways with head coach Marc Trestman, Trestman himself is preparing as if he’ll return for the 2015 season, writes Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. Rapoport tweets that the Bears head coach figures to make a “strong case” to save his job, perhaps pointing to the performance by quarterbacks not named Jay Cutler in his system. Still, it’s hard to imagine the club bringing Trestman back for another year.
  • The 49ers are in no hurry to name their next head coach, according to Rapoport, who tweets that the search is expected to be “lengthy and methodical.” One in-house candidate, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, won’t be joining Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, says Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. As for Harbaugh’s offer from Michigan, Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that it could ultimately get up to $9MM per year, since there was some “quiet bidding” over the weekend.
  • The Raiders were “truly in the mix” for Harbaugh before he decided to go to Michigan, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, adding that Harbaugh was the Raiders’ top choice and they were disappointed not to land him. Oakland is now expected to cast a wide net as the club attempts to identify its next coach, though if it were up to the players, perhaps interim coach Tony Sparano would be the top choice, says Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group. Sparano will have the opportunity to interview for the permanent job, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
  • Titans CEO Tommy Smith reiterated yesterday that head coach Ken Whisenhunt and GM Ruston Webster will both be back for the 2015 season, writes Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com.

Extra Points: Saints, Raiders, Jags, Eagles

After a disappointing season in New Orleans, Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan wasn’t interested in speculating about his job security. As Mike Triplett of ESPN.com details, Ryan vowed to do his best to right the ship if he gets the opportunity.

“If I get a chance, that’d be awesome. But, hey, the numbers are what they are. They don’t look good,” Ryan said. “But hell, it is what it is. This is a win business. And, hey, this is a ‘tough-people’ business, too. So I’ll be great with whatever happens.”

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • The Raiders have yet to interview a minority candidate for their head coaching job, so the team likely won’t be ready to make a quick offer to anyone at season’s end, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
  • If the first year of the David Caldwell/Gus Bradley era in Jacksonville was about survival and the second was about discovery, the third will be about winning, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, who expects the Jaguars to be very active this offseason as the team reaches the point in its rebuild where contending is a priority.
  • Jaguars defensive lineman Tyson Alualu, a former first-round pick, is eligible for free agency this offseason, but is “excited about the future” in Jacksonville, and hopes to remain with the team, O’Halloran writes in a separate Times-Union piece.
  • Expect the Eagles to make significant changes to their secondary this offseason, says Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
  • Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle examines Vic Fangio‘s candidacy for a head coaching job, either with the 49ers or another club.

La Canfora’s Latest: 49ers, Saints, RGIII

It is almost a foregone conclusion that 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh will not be prowling the San Francisco sidelines after the 2014 season. Although much of the talk concerning the 49ers’ head coaching situation has centered around Harbaugh’s next destination, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examines how the team might go about replacing its successful but polarizing general.

Although Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase would be a logical external candidate, La Canfora writes that the 49ers plan to thoroughly evaluate their internal options and that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and defensive line coach Jim Tomsula would be at the top of the team’s list. Both men have done an exceptional job during their tenure with the club, and 2014 might represent their high-water mark as coaches, given that the 49ers’ defense has thrived in the midst of injuries to some of its best players.

Tomsula is a personal favorite of owner Jed York, and both he and Fangio are expected to receive interest from other clubs looking to fill head coaching positions. However, the team would like to keep as much of its talented defensive staff in place as possible, particularly since Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are expected to follow Harbaugh wherever he goes. Hiring Tomsula or Fangio would also mesh with San Francisco’s preferred operating procedure, as it would be out of character for the team to attempt to attract a big-name, big-money coach from outside the organization.

Let’s take a look at some other relevant issues that La Canfora has touched on this morning:

  • La Canfora writes that there is a growing rift between Saints head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, and that the team is expected to find a new defensive coordinator–which would be its fifth in Payton’s nine-year tenure–after the season. Citing an unnamed source, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweets that La Canfora’s report is “very accurate,” although Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that he has not heard about the friction between Payton and Ryan.
  • La Canfora tweets that he expects “substantial change” on the Saints and 49ers rosters after this season given the teams’ high salary cap numbers and large salaries.
  • If Washington were to try to trade quarterback Robert Griffin III after the season, La Canfora writes that the team is unlikely to get more than a third round pick for him.
  • We learned earlier today that the Ravens are expected to reward Justin Forsett with a multiyear deal after this season, but La Canfora notes that Forsett’s contract prevents him from signing an in-season extension if Baltimore were inclined to lock him up sooner. As former agent Joel Corry tweets, Forsett’s age (30) will limit the size of his contract, despite his “low mileage.”
  • Although the Colts have stated they do not have interest in bringing Ray Rice aboard, La Canfora wonders if the team’s need at running back and Rice’s relationship with head coach Chuck Pagano will be enough for them to change their stance.

Bay Area Notes: Bowman, Harbaugh, McKenzie

A Friday report indicated that there’s a possibility injured 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman won’t return to the field this season, but he shouldn’t be ruled out quite yet. A league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that Bowman has been cleared to practice next week, and intends to return to the practice field at that time. Assuming Bowman does indeed being practicing next week, the 49ers will have three weeks to add him to their active roster — if the team isn’t ready to activate him at that point, he’ll sit for the rest of the season.

As the Niners look forward to the possibility of seeing another standout linebacker return to their lineup, let’s check in on a few more items out of San Francisco and Oakland….

  • Within his Saturday mailbag, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com responds to a question about the likelihood of 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio receiving a contract extension. As Maiocco points out, while a new deal for Fangio – who is signed through 2015 – is possible, his future will likely be tied to that of Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the club’s coaching staff.
  • Speaking of Harbaugh, amidst speculation that the head coach could part ways with the 49ers at season’s end, Bob Glauber of Newsday writes that Harbaugh would be the best option to coach the Jets next season, if he becomes available.
  • Even with the club at 0-9, people within the Raiders organization think general manager Reggie McKenzie could keep his beyond this season, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. As Tafur explains, McKenzie appears to have “hit a home run” with the team’s 2014 draft class, and you could make the case that some of Oakland’s shortcomings this season have been the result of injuries. When I looked last Saturday at teams with the most salary on injured reserve, the Raiders ranked third.