Black Monday tracker: Which NFL coaches and GMs got the ax?
UPDATE (1:15 a.m. ET): The Oakland Raiders currently have a head coach, but that isn't keeping them from looking for an upgrade on the sideline. And they aren't looking far, either.
After being shunned by ex-49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh despite offering him more money than the University of Michigan, the Raiders are looking at San Francisco tight end coach Eric Mangini, FOX Sports 1 NFL Insider Mike Garafolo reports.
Mangini, 43, is 33-47 in five seasons as head coach in the NFL, spending three seasons in New York as the Jets' head man before Rex Ryan before spending another two in Cleveland. His best was his first, when he went 10-6 and earned a wild-card berth in New York. This past season was his first in San Francisco.
The Raiders fired head coach Dennis Allen in September after an 0-4 start. Tony Sparano was named interim coach and went 3-9, leading the Raiders to three wins in their last five games and a three-game home winning streak to end the regular season. There has yet to be an official announcement on Sparano's future with the club.
Source: Jets to interview Seahawks DC Dan Quinn
The New York Jets are acting furiously as they move on from the Rex Ryan-John Idzik-era.
Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is set to interview with the Jets, FOX Sports 1’s NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported on Monday.
Quinn, who took over Seattle’s defense after Gus Bradley was hired in Jacksonville, has the Seahawks ranked first in points allowed and yards allowed.
Report: Oakland eyeing Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio?
The Oakland Raiders’ head coaching search hasn’t officially begun, but one high-profile coordinator could be atop owner Mark Davis’ wish list.
Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is expected to get “significant interest,” NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday. Davis, in fact, sought out Del Rio this past Sunday for a hello on the field, according to the report.
Del Rio coached nine seasons in Jacksonville and racked up a 68-71 record.
-Ross Jones
Falcons players give Mike Smith standing O on way out (1:50 p.m. ET):
Mike Smith is no longer Atlanta’s head coach, but he leaves the Falcons organization with the respect of his players.
That became apparent Monday during Smith’s farewell address to the team. A source told FOX Sports that Falcons players gave Smith a standing ovation following his speech.
“It was very emotional,” the source said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Smith was fired Monday after the Falcons (6-10) failed to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive season following a 34-3 home loss to Carolina. The Falcons posted a 67-50 record during Smith’s seven years at the helm that included four playoff appearances and five winning seasons.
The Falcons already have moved toward finding Smith’s replacement. FOX Sports NFL Insider Mike Garafolo has confirmed that Atlanta requested an interview with Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase. If the meeting is agreed upon, it will take place this weekend while the Broncos have a playoff bye before their divisional-round home matchup January 11 against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh or Indianapolis.
-Alex Marvez
Adam Gase emerges as a hot candidate (1:20 p.m. ET):
FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported Sunday that Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase was on San Francisco’s list of head coaching candidates to replace the departed Jim Harbaugh.
The 49ers began moving toward arranging that meeting Monday by submitting an interview request for Gase, the Denver Post reported.
NFL Network reported that Atlanta also has requested permission to interview Gase as a potential replacement for Mike Smith, who was fired Monday.
Both interviews would take place this weekend while the Broncos had a bye week before playing in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs.
Gase began generating head coaching buzz last year as Denver’s Peyton Manning-led offense broke multiple NFL records. Gase, though, declined opportunities to interview to remain with the Broncos for the 2014 season.
Gase, 36, spent two years as Denver’s quarterbacks coach (2011 and 2012) before being promoted to offensive coordinator following the departure of Mike McCoy to become San Diego’s had coach.
-Alex Marvez
Tom Coughlin looks to be safe (12:35 p.m. ET):
According to multiple reports, Tom Coughlin will return to the Giants as their head coach.
He will reportedly meet with owner John Mara about the rest of the staff.
In 11 seasons with team, Coughlin is 96-80 in regular season with two Super Bowl victories.
Bears make firings official (12:15 p.m. ET):
The Bears made official their firings on Monday, including coach Marc Trestman. Alex Marvez first reported Trestman's firing.
“I want to thank Virginia, George and the McCaskey family, Phil Emery and Ted Phillips for giving me the opportunity to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears. I also want to thank all the coaches and players who gave us everything we asked over the past two years. I have tremendous respect for this organization. Chicago is a special city with great fans. I appreciate the warm support my family and I received.”
Woody Johnson speaks (11:10 a.m. ET):
The Jets owner spoke about his decisions to fire coach Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik.
"I work for the fans, but I don't listen to the fans. The fans that are going to be most vocal don't represent all the fans."
Johnson credited Ryan with always trying to cultivate a positive attitude, and also commended Idzik for managing the team's salary cap.
"(Idzik) had a plan for that. Maybe we should have spent more. Probably should have," Johnson said.
On firing Idzik: "That was a tough decision."
Johnson admitted that keeping Ryan while hiring Idzik may have been a mistake, but admitted that Ryan's back-to-back AFC title game runs did buy him some rope.
"Those first two years he was so phenomenal," Johnson said.
Now Johnson wants to hire a general manager and a coach with a clean slate, together, at the same time.
Bears can GM and coach (9:40 a.m. ET):
According to FOX Sports NFL insider Alex Marvez, the Bears have fired general manager Phil Emery and and head coach Marc Trestman.
Trestman's firing was first reported by FOX Sports.
Falcons dump Mike Smith (9:30 a.m.):
The Atlanta Falcons jettisoned Mike Smith after seven seasons. This past year, a disappointing 6-10 year, in which the Falcons lost a winner-take-all play-in game on Sunday to the Panthers, 34-3, was the last straw for a coach who won two NFC South titles and made it to the NFC title game in 2012.
Owner Arthur Blank said this about Smith in a statement on Monday:
“Smitty’s contributions to our club, team and city over the last seven years are numerous,” Blank said. “His accomplishments on the field made him the most successful coach in the 49-year history of the Falcons, and we are grateful for the foundation he has laid for us for the future.”
Jets clean house (8:40 a.m. ET):
The Jets have fired head coach Rex Ryan after six seasons, and general manager John Idzik after two seasons.
Owner Woody Johnson has called upon the NFL front office veterans Charlie Casserly and Ron Wolf -- each former general managers -- to start the search for their replacements.
Here is the full statement from owner Woody Johnson:
Raiders had hopes set on Harbaugh (7:55 a.m. ET):
It may have been a lost cause, but at least the Oakland Raiders tried. A source tells Alex Marvez that the team made a push to hire Jim Harbaugh, but ultimately lost out to his alma mater.
"Jim was their first choice," the source said. "(The Raiders) are disappointed."
Black Monday preview:
There have been darker clouds forming prior to previous Black Mondays.
On what is the traditional day for the firing of NFL head coaches once the regular season has ended, only four such moves are considered either likely or imminent.
Jim Harbaugh's announced departure from San Francisco was long in the making. Rex Ryan has reportedly cleared out his office with the New York Jets already. A 34-3 loss to Carolina that cost Atlanta a playoff berth Sunday probably sealed Mike Smith's fate. And the firing of Marc Trestman is looming after a 5-11 season and quarterback fiasco with Jay Cutler.
There already is a vacancy in Oakland as Dennis Allen was fired after the team's 0-4 start. Interim head coach Tony Sparano is a candidate for the permanent position, but the Raiders will be interviewing outside candidates.
Here is a look at the expected firings and what could be next for those coaches and their respective franchises:
REX RYAN
Team: New York Jets
Coaching record (including playoffs): 50-52 (six seasons)
Where it went wrong: After reaching the AFC Championship Game in Ryan's first two seasons, the Jets began a gradual descent as talent on the roster did the same for four years. The pairing of Ryan with general manager John Idzik, who joined the team in 2013, never clicked. Ryan also never got things figured out on offense, especially at quarterback, where Mark Sanchez failed to pan out and Geno Smith didn't develop quickly enough over the past two seasons.
Legacy: Even after his weight-loss surgery, Ryan was a larger-than-life figure in the nation's biggest media market. Ryan talked big from the moment he got hired, including his famous statement that he wasn't hired to "kiss Bill Belichick's, you know, rings." He also made off-field headlines for antics ranging from a $50,000 NFL fine for flipping off a fan at an MMA event to the surfacing of foot-fetish videos involving his wife. Shenanigans like this sometimes overshadowed the fact Ryan is one of football's great defensive gurus whose team always played hard even when out of the playoff race.
What's next for Ryan? Ryan told the CBS announcing crew last Saturday that he had no interest in serving as a defensive coordinator in 2015. Despite the Jets' having failed to make the playoffs for four straight seasons, Ryan should be a candidate for head coaching vacancies elsewhere. Atlanta would be an intriguing fit, especially if Ryan would be willing to keep Dirk Koetter as his offensive coordinator.
What's next for the Jets? With Jets owner Woody Johnson hiring long-time NFL executive Charley Casserly as an outside consultant, it's assumed Idzik will also be heading out the door. NJ.com reported that Casserly had started contacting potential replacements for Ryan and Idzik before New York played its season finale against Miami.
MARC TRESTMAN
Team: Chicago
Coaching record: 13-19 (two seasons)
Where it went wrong: The Bears were never the same after squandering the chance to win the 2013 NFC North title when Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers completed a game-winning, 48-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb on fourth-and-eight in the final minute of a 33-28 Packers victory. A 38-17 loss to Green Bay in Week 4 this season started a slide in which the Bears lost five of their next six and became the first NFL team since 1923 to allow 50-plus points in consecutive contests. A five-game losing streak to end the season began on Thanksgiving Day against Detroit. All the good coaching work Trestman had done with Jay Cutler gradually became undone before his decision to bench the quarterback before a Week 16 loss to Detroit. Trestman's milquetoast demeanor has seemingly done little to inspire the Bears through these tough times. It didn't help when one of Trestman's top assistants (offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer) was exposed as an NFL Network media leak with Cutler criticism that should have remained in-house.
Legacy: Trestman was a curious hire by general manager Phil Emery, whose lengthy interview list of candidates included 2014 Coach of the Year front-runner Bruce Arians. After prior stints as an NFL and college assistant, Trestman came to the Bears via the Canadian Football League, where he had guided the Montreal Alouettes to two Grey Cup titles. Chicago's 445 points last season marked the franchise's highest scoring output since the 1985 Bears won the Super Bowl. The unit wasn't nearly as prolific this year while Chicago surrendered the most points in franchise history in back-to-back seasons.
What's next for Trestman? Trestman said he expects to return when asked during his postgame news conference following Sunday's 13-9 loss at Minnesota. Whether he was given a vote of confidence or is simply hoping will be known soon enough. If he is gone, expect Trestman to draw consideration for vacancies elsewhere at offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach. If he stays, look for Trestman to fire Mel Tucker as defensive coordinator.
What's next for the Bears?: Emery's job security appears just as tenuous as Trestman's. Emery bears responsibility for the structure of Cutler's $126 million contract extension that doesn't give the franchise an easy way to cut ties during the offseason. The Bears either have to try to reinvent Cutler or part ways in what would assuredly be an unfavorable trade or release scenario. Chicago's linebacker corps and secondary need plenty of help as well.
JIM HARBAUGH
Team: San Francisco
Coaching record (including playoffs): 49-22-1 (four years).
Where it went wrong: This split has nothing to do with San Francisco's on-field performance. The 49ers enjoyed their best four-year stretch since the 1995-98 seasons with Harbaugh as head coach. It was the long-strained working relationship between Harbaugh and the 49ers' front office, particularly general manager Trent Baalke, that disintegrated beyond repair. Top 49ers executive Jed York sided with Baalke, which led to Harbaugh's departure.
Legacy: Harbaugh leaves huge shoes to fill. He made the 49ers immediate winners after the franchise hadn't finished above .500 for eight straight years. Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman helped salvage the foundering career of quarterback Alex Smith and developed his replacement (Colin Kaepernick) into a Super Bowl starter. Harbaugh's ultra-competitive nature -- including his coaching battles against his brother John with the Baltimore Ravens -- and demonstrative sideline demeanor made him one of the NFL's most colorful characters.
What's next for Harbaugh? He is expected to become the new head coach at his alma mater -- the University of Michigan. While Wolverines fans are hoping that he becomes a lifer a la Bo Schembechler, the 51-year-old Harbaugh is young enough to return to the NFL someday and continue his pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy if so desired.
What's next for the 49ers?: FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported the 49ers have a list of eight candidates for potential interviews with defensive line coach Jim Tomsula the top in-house candidate. The other names are Dan Quinn (Seattle defensive coordinator), Todd Bowles (Arizona defensive coordinator), Teryl Austin (Detroit defensive coordinator), Adam Gase (Denver offensive coordinator), Josh McDaniels (New England offensive coordinator), Kyle Shanahan (Cleveland offensive coordinator) and Jim Mora (UCLA head coach).
MIKE SMITH
Team: Atlanta
Coaching record: 67-50 (seven seasons, including playoffs)
Where it went wrong: The Falcons could never recapture the magic of the 2012 season, when they lost at home to San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game. Atlanta finished 4-12 in 2013 and went 52 days without a victory at one point this season. Smith did himself no favors with poor clock management that greatly contributed to the Falcons losing late leads in defeats against Detroit and Cleveland.
Legacy: History will look kindly on Smith, who became the first head coach in franchise history to post winning records in five consecutive seasons. Smith also helped the Falcons move past the ugliness of the Mike Vick/Bobby Petrino debacles in 2007. Atlanta, though, suffered opening losses in three of four postseason appearances under Smith and squandered the chance to make the playoffs again this year with a horrid showing against the visiting Panthers in the season finale.
What's next for Smith? Smith's low-key personality probably doesn't make him a good fit for a broadcasting career. While his chances of landing another head coaching job immediately appear slim, Smith would be a highly sought defensive coordinator -- a job he held with Jacksonville from 2003 to 2007.
What's next for the Falcons? General manager Thomas Dimitroff's job security also may be in jeopardy, with ESPN reporting that the Falcons have a search firm in line to help with the hiring of a new head coach. Regardless, the Falcons must make improving the NFL's worst pass rush the past two seasons their top offseason personnel priority.