Eight NFL head coaches were fired this offseason. As I type this thread, six of those eight spots have been filled. This thread will be used to grade those hires.
Cleveland Browns: Rob Chudzinski- Chudzinski has been a very good offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers the last couple of years. He also is a Cleveland native and was the o coordinator for the Browns in 2007 when they had a top ten offense. He has never been a head coach at any level but he has a great offensive mind and was a solid hire. I was going to give the hire a B- but considering some of the other names they were interviewing, I don't think Cudsinski was their first choice so that drops the grade. Grade: C+
Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly- Kelly has never coached in the NFL in any capacity and he will have to make some tweaks to his offense, but that doesn't mean he is going to fail. Kelly is a boom or bust hire. He has a great offensive mind and elements of his offensive system are having great success in the NFL. If he can adapt his total offense to the NFL style and if he can lead a team of professionals on both sides of the ball then this has a chance to be one of, if not the best hire of the offseason. Grade: B+
Chicago Bears: Marc Trestman- Trestman has a great offensive mind and he knows the NFL game. He coached in the NFL in some capacity for 17 years between 1985 and 2004. 10 of those 17 years he spent as an offensive coordinator and twice the offenses he led finished first in the league in total offense. He also was a quarterback coach for 14 of his 17 years in the NFL and worked with the likes of Bernie Kosar, Steve Young, Jake Plummer, and Rich Gannon. After leaving the NFL he went back to the college ranks for a couple years and then the CFL. In 5 years as Montreal's head coach he went 59-31 and won two Grey Cups. It's been almost 10 years since he coached in the NFL in any capacity but he is regarded as a quarterback/offensive guru and while it's a risk, I like the hire by the Bears. Grade: B+
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid- The Kansas City job was not seen as the most attractive one but they were able to get the top candidate available. Andy Reid has a proven track record. In 14 seasons as the Eagles head coach he went 130-93-1, went to the postseason 9 times, went to 5 NFC Championship games, and went to a Super Bowl. He is a tremendous coach and he is taking over a team that already has a good, young defense and is really just a quarterback away from possibly competing for a playoff spot. I know that sounds weird to say of a 2-14 team but this roster has a lot of talent. Grade: A+
Buffalo Bills: Doug Marrone- Marrone was the Saints first offensive coordinator under Sean Payton from 2006-2008 and helped that offense lead the NFL in total offense twice and finish fourth the other year. In 2009 he took over a Syracuse team that hadn't had a winning season since 2001 and led them to an 8-5 record in two of his four seasons there including two bowl wins. He was one of the more unheralded candidates but I like the hire for Buffalo. Grade: B
San Diego Chargers: Mike McCoy- The former Broncos offensive coordinator has, throughout his career, helped the likes of Jake Delhomme, Kyle Orton, and Tim Tebow look good (or at least in Tebow's case helped him to win games). Now he comes to a San Diego team with a talented young defense already in place and an offense that is in need of a new look. Phillip Rivers has gone from a top 5 qb to a middle of the road starter over the last couple years. McCoy will be able to get the best out of Rivers and have him looking more like the top 5 talent he once was. Grade: A.
Cardinals/Jaguars- These are the two teams who have yet to hire a head coach and I will grade them once they make a hire.
Cleveland Browns: Rob Chudzinski- Chudzinski has been a very good offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers the last couple of years. He also is a Cleveland native and was the o coordinator for the Browns in 2007 when they had a top ten offense. He has never been a head coach at any level but he has a great offensive mind and was a solid hire. I was going to give the hire a B- but considering some of the other names they were interviewing, I don't think Cudsinski was their first choice so that drops the grade. Grade: C+
Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly- Kelly has never coached in the NFL in any capacity and he will have to make some tweaks to his offense, but that doesn't mean he is going to fail. Kelly is a boom or bust hire. He has a great offensive mind and elements of his offensive system are having great success in the NFL. If he can adapt his total offense to the NFL style and if he can lead a team of professionals on both sides of the ball then this has a chance to be one of, if not the best hire of the offseason. Grade: B+
Chicago Bears: Marc Trestman- Trestman has a great offensive mind and he knows the NFL game. He coached in the NFL in some capacity for 17 years between 1985 and 2004. 10 of those 17 years he spent as an offensive coordinator and twice the offenses he led finished first in the league in total offense. He also was a quarterback coach for 14 of his 17 years in the NFL and worked with the likes of Bernie Kosar, Steve Young, Jake Plummer, and Rich Gannon. After leaving the NFL he went back to the college ranks for a couple years and then the CFL. In 5 years as Montreal's head coach he went 59-31 and won two Grey Cups. It's been almost 10 years since he coached in the NFL in any capacity but he is regarded as a quarterback/offensive guru and while it's a risk, I like the hire by the Bears. Grade: B+
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid- The Kansas City job was not seen as the most attractive one but they were able to get the top candidate available. Andy Reid has a proven track record. In 14 seasons as the Eagles head coach he went 130-93-1, went to the postseason 9 times, went to 5 NFC Championship games, and went to a Super Bowl. He is a tremendous coach and he is taking over a team that already has a good, young defense and is really just a quarterback away from possibly competing for a playoff spot. I know that sounds weird to say of a 2-14 team but this roster has a lot of talent. Grade: A+
Buffalo Bills: Doug Marrone- Marrone was the Saints first offensive coordinator under Sean Payton from 2006-2008 and helped that offense lead the NFL in total offense twice and finish fourth the other year. In 2009 he took over a Syracuse team that hadn't had a winning season since 2001 and led them to an 8-5 record in two of his four seasons there including two bowl wins. He was one of the more unheralded candidates but I like the hire for Buffalo. Grade: B
San Diego Chargers: Mike McCoy- The former Broncos offensive coordinator has, throughout his career, helped the likes of Jake Delhomme, Kyle Orton, and Tim Tebow look good (or at least in Tebow's case helped him to win games). Now he comes to a San Diego team with a talented young defense already in place and an offense that is in need of a new look. Phillip Rivers has gone from a top 5 qb to a middle of the road starter over the last couple years. McCoy will be able to get the best out of Rivers and have him looking more like the top 5 talent he once was. Grade: A.
Cardinals/Jaguars- These are the two teams who have yet to hire a head coach and I will grade them once they make a hire.