NFL Odds: Head Coach Hirings

The NFL’s most brutal tradition, “Black Monday,” was abnormally gentle this year. Usually the first day after the regular season is filled with coach firings, but that wasn’t the case this year, as most coaches had already been let go beforehand.

Whatever day it occurs, getting fired sucks. However, a loss of employment for guys like Rex Ryan and Mike McCoy equals a new opportunity for a handful of the league’s most talented assistants. There are currently six job openings around the league, meaning five men will now get to live out their dreams by becoming an NFL head coach … and one of them will get stuck with the 49ers.

The hottest names this offseason seem to be on the offensive side of the ball, with coordinators Josh McDaniels and Kyle Shanahan drawing the most interest. But with six vacancies in need of filling, all sorts of names have come through the rumor mill. Which ones have a serious chance at a job? Let’s look at the odds.

2017 NFL Coaching Odds

Odds to coach the Buffalo Bills

• Anthony Lynn: 1/1
• Frank Reich: 5/1
• Sean McDermott: 7/1
• Harold Goodwin: 9/1
• Vance Joseph: 10/1

Lynn is doing his rounds, hearing offers from three other teams, but it’s hard to tell how serious the parties were about those interviews. Lynn already has the support of the players in Buffalo; hearing pitches from other teams gives him even more leverage while also satisfying those clubs’ need to abide the “Rooney Rule.”

Should Lynn somehow get passed over, bringing back a former player like Frank Reich could be another way to get the fan base reinvigorated.

Odds to coach the Denver Broncos

• Vance Joseph: 5/4
• Kyle Shanahan: 4/3
• Dave Toub: 8/1

The Broncos have only lined up three interviews so far, and reports indicate that Joseph is the frontrunner. Denver’s been the top defense in the league over the last few seasons, so hiring the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator would keep a certain level of continuity to their style of play. But a lot of fans at Mile High wouldn’t mind seeing Mike Shanahan’s son take over on the sidelines.

Odds to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars

• Josh McDaniels: 7/3
• Kyle Shanahan: 3/1
• Doug Marrone: 5/1
• Mike Smith: 8/1
• Harold Goodwin: 9/1
• Tom Coughlin: 20/1

The Jaguars made it known they would like their head coach to have some previous experience at the helm, and like many teams who get burned by a defensive-minded coach, will zag toward an offensive-minded leader post-Gus Bradley.

For once, Jacksonville actually looks like an attractive job. With their collection of young talent and ownership’s willingness to spend big money, the Jaguars should be able to attract one of the best names on the market.

Odds to coach the Los Angeles Rams

• Josh McDaniels: 2/1
• Kyle Shanahan: 5/2
• Sean McVay: 6/1
• Harold Goodwin: 9/1
• Teryl Austin: 14/1
• Sean Payton: 50/1

After allowing mediocrity incarnate to hang around for the first season in Los Angeles, the Rams are looking to make a big splash in the volatile LA market with their next head coach. But with a deal for Sean Payton sounding unlikely, the Rams should compete with the other five teams for the most coveted assistants. McDaniels was a former coordinator for the Rams, and may want to be the one who returns the organization to respectability.

Odds to coach the San Diego Chargers

• Matt Patricia: 4/1
• Mike Smith: 4/1
• Sean McDermott: 5/1
• Vance Joseph: 6/1
• Dave Toub: 6/1
• Teryl Austin: 8/1

Outside of Toub, all of the candidates in the discussion for the San Diego job come from a defensive background. It makes sense; the team is sitting on a ton of young talent on the defensive side of the ball and bringing in someone who can help them take the next step should be the goal. Will Patricia be the next coach out of the Belichick tree to land a head coaching gig? Or will the Bolts opt for more experience with Smith?

Odds to coach the San Francisco 49ers

• Tom Cable: 5/2
• Sean McDermott: 3/1
• Sean McVay: 5/1
• Anthony Lynn: 12/1
• Vance Joseph: 14/1
• Josh McDaniels: 16/1
• Kyle Shanahan: 16/1

The Niners said their plan was to fill the hole at general manager first so the new guy could have a say in the coach hiring. But given how long a decision on the next GM could take, it’s possible San Francisco could miss out on the hottest names in the coaching market this year.

Photo Credit: Brook Ward (Flickr)[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/]