By: Brandon, Erick, & Social Mike | Jan 10, 2019

If you’re anything like us, once your team got eliminated from postseason contention, you tuned out any NFL news that wasn’t playoff related. We should have known better as it comes to find out the NFL coaching carousel is always entertaining, and always moving … sometimes faster than we all thought. So far, we’ve had eight coaches get the boot (that’s ¼ of the league) and none were bigger than the Packers letting go of Mike McCarthy (literally, and figuratively). McCarthy has informed all teams that he is out of the 2019 coaching carousel, and he hopes to coach in 2020. The Bengals finally are free of Marvin Lewis, the Browns can go into an off-season without Hue Jackson, and the Cardinals shocked us all. The off-season has been busy, and the carousel never seems to stop. Let’s look at what’s went down:

Green Bay Packers

Maybe it was time for McCarthy to go, maybe not, but I will tell you this … Packer fans cannot be ecstatic about this hire. LaFleur is a young and talented OC coming from the Titans, but it also took it 14 games to figure out “give the ball to Derrick Henry”. LaFleur comes in with expectations to get the Packers back to the playoffs, and while it might do so, it will probably be due to Aaron Rodgers than LaFleur. — Brandon

Note: There is no relation from Matt LaFleur to Peter LaFleur, leader of the Average Joe’s dodgeball team (which can be seen on ESPN8: The Ocho).

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Denver Broncos

When I saw that Vic Fangio was finally a head coach, it was on a former players Instagram. The player was so excited for Fangio that he was posting about it. And he wasn’t alone. That’s the kind of effect that Vic Fangio can have on your team, and he can also coach. Fangio is known for his defense, and he comes to a team that is desperate need of a defensive leader to mesh with superstar LB Von Miller. Fangio helped guide the Bears to the #1 defense in points allowed and takeaways and hopes to bring that same style of aggressive defense back to Denver. — Brandon

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Miami Dolphins

Adam Gase is out as HC of the Miami Dolphins and is now headed to the big apple, while the Dolphins continue the search for their next HC. The word around South Beach of the next potential man in charge is Kris Richard who has done a hell of a job this year with the Dallas defense, and this makes perfect sense for a team whose strength was on the defensive side of the ball. With that being said Ryan Tannehill’s time in Miami is likely over, meaning Richards or whoever comes in to lead the Dolphins will be doing so with either a FA singing QB or a rookie QB to kick off the 2019 season. Another name thrown out there is Brian Flores LB coach of NE Patriots, again another defensive minded coach to pair with the young talented defense of the Dolphins makes too much sense.​ — Social Mike​

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New York Jets

Adam Gase is quite the interesting coach. One one hand, he helped Peyton Manning set passing records and has been called “the greatest offensive coach I’ve ever had” by the long-necked QB. On the other hand, he has been mediocre in three years with Miami. The Dolphins have been a trainwreck for years now, so maybe that’s not all on their former coach. Gase will partner up with Sam Darnold, the franchise QB in NY. Their futures will be linked from here on out, or until the Jets fire Gase. All jokes aside, I am looking forward to seeing Darnold’s development under Gase. The Jets have a decent defense, so I actually like this hire. — Brandon

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Tampa Bay Bucs

I like Bruce Arians as a head coach, he seems very chill.  However I think the Bucs didn’t hire him to be chill, they hired him to get on Jameis Winston’s ass. I am of the opinion that Jameis has to go, but the Bucs owners don’t seem to agree at all. They have gone all in on Jameis and hired the coach they think can turn him around.  Things don’t seem to look to great for the Bucs at the moment, but they didn’t look great in Arizona before Bruce Arians showed up. I was surprised Bruce Arians was interested in the job, I didn’t see this job as an attractive destination for a coach on the level of Bruce Arians. The fact that he took the job actually makes me sort of think that things might not be as bad as I thought in Tampa Bay, and Bruce might have a chance. Like all of the coaches hired, no one knows how things will go, but for me unless Bruce Arians is allowed to move on from Jameis, things just won’t turn around for the Bucs.  ​— Erick

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Cleveland Browns

I can’t say I thought Freddie Kitchens was the man for the job, mainly because he doesn’t have any head coaching experience at all. He was never even a coordinator until this year, and that that took the head coach and coordinator to be fired. On the positive side of things his best skill is, he is NOT Hue Jackson. The first positive thoughts I had about the hire really didn’t have anything to do with Freddie. I mainly like the fact that Hue Jackson, Todd Haley and Gregg Williams are gone.  I will say that Baker Mayfield seems to like him, and that is the “other” best thing he has going for him. I’m also gonna go out on a limb, and say he can’t do worse than the previous coach, and that’s definitely a good thing.  No matter how Freddie Kitchens ended up in this position, or if he even deserves the job. He gets to coach an exciting young QB, and things seemed to turn around a bit towards the end for the Browns, so good on him. Will the move work? Who knows, but it might just be the Hail Mary pass the Browns need to turn things around.  ​— Erick

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Arizona Cardinals

The Cards cut bait on Wilks after one season going 3-13 and in comes Kliff Kingsbury. He ultimately made the choice to go with the UCLA QB Josh Rosen as oppose to roll with the USC QB Sam Darnold, as rumors had it the Jets were also very interested if not probably more interested than Arizona was in bringing Kliff in as their next HC. Although many don’t like the hire I do, I think both personalities will mesh well when you pair a young QB with a young HC the results should be positive. It also helps that Kliff has had a good track record of coaching young Qb’s (Keemun, Manziel, Mayfield, Mahomeboi)​ — Social Mike

Note: Rumor also has it that Kingsbury is also open to trading away the UCLA product as the Cards hold the #1 pick in the draft. Those rumors of trading Rosen lasted about as long as his USC tenure did.​

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Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals finally fire Marvin Lewis or have “chosen not to renew his contract” .. whatever the case is, he’s finally gone. He can take his 0-7 playoff record him. Now, the Bengals are left to find a head coach that can bring this franchise back to the postseason. Right now, rumors are that it could be Hue Jackson (yes, HUE FUCKING JACKSON … 3-36 HUE JACKSON!) … but reports came out yesterday that Rams QB Coach Zac Taylor, 35, has the job if he wants it. Seems the Bengals are going with the trend of the young, smart OC. — Brandon

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Final Thought

In what seems to be a trend that we all don’t want to admit, there are not many African-American coaches in the NFL. Teams seem willing to either recycle fired white coaches or take a chance on an unproven white coach. The NFL exhibits white-privilege, and the Black coaches don’t get much of a chance to succeed. Granted, some of the coaches dig their own grave and I can’t argue that, but when there is an opening … chances are it will go to a white dude. There are two teams left without coaches so we will see if they go with the trend or go against the grain.

— Brandon

Thanks for reading!

Our NFL crew (consists of Brandon Rosenthal, Erick Garcia, & Social Mike) has been covering the NFL since 2016.