NFL coaching candidate pool deep in wake of Black Monday

Tom Pelissero | USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said he understood there might be some skepticism, and rightly so, after he fired his head coach Sunday for the second time in less than a year.

Four more teams followed suit Monday, with the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers joining the Browns and Houston Texans to create six job openings in a 32-team league.

What exactly are those teams looking for to upgrade from Leslie Frazier, Mike Shanahan, Jim Schwartz, Greg Schiano, Rob Chudzinski and Gary Kubiak, who was the first to get the ax earlier this month?

Specifics were scarce on so-called Black Monday, but the theme was the same everywhere: more wins, more consistency, more growth and development, whether over the course of several years or, in Chudzinski's case, one 16-game season with a franchise in its latest rebuilding phase.

"We understand the importance of continuity, but I think it's really important for you to hear this: we also understand the importance of getting it right," Haslam told news reporters in Cleveland.

"There'll be a lot of people who said we should've given this staff a second year, a second chance. That's a very fair and valid comment. In our estimation, it was best that we make a change (and) try to get it right so we could move forward and candidly, most importantly, give the fans here the kind of winner they deserve."

The volume of openings one day after the season ended – with more potentially to come before the week is out – shows how difficult it can be to accomplish that.

The following is a list of some of the candidates who figure to find themselves in the wide net cast by teams looking for head coaches in the days and weeks to come:

Second chances

Lovie Smith: He was out of football this year after nine seasons, an 81-63 record, three playoff trips and one Super Bowl appearance with the Bears. Smith, 55, has a strong defensive background and is steady as they come.

Ken Whisenhunt: He was 45-51 with a Super Bowl trip in six seasons in Arizona before getting fired after last season. Whisenhunt, 51, is now the offensive coordinator for the Chargers, who are playoff-bound thanks to Philip Rivers' rebound and development of young skill players.

Josh McDaniels: He took his first head coaching job before he was ready, at age 32 with the Broncos in 2009, and went 11-17 in less than two seasons. But McDaniels, now 37 and back for his second run as offensive coordinator of the Patriots, remains a respected football mind.

Jack Del Rio: He took the Jaguars to the playoffs twice in six-plus seasons before getting fired in 2011 with a 68-71 record. Del Rio, 50, has spent the past two seasons as the Broncos' defensive coordinator and steered the ship while John Fox recovered from heart surgery.

Tom Cable: He made progress in two-plus seasons as Raiders coach, going 17-27 overall and 8-8 in 2010 before getting fired by late owner Al Davis. Cable, 49, resurfaced in Seattle as offensive line/assistant head coach and has helped shape one of the NFL's top rushing attacks.

Up-and-comers

Darrell Bevell: He is respected for molding the Seahawks' offense around the skills of Russell Wilson, who has developed into one of the NFL's bright young stars. Bevell, 43, was a college quarterback himself and learned a lot from his days as a assistant working with Brett Favre.

Jay Gruden: He has the most unique background, with roots in arena football, and has shown it can translate in three years as Bengals offensive coordinator. Gruden, 46, had several interviews last year and figures to get calls again, with Andy Dalton breaking franchise passing records.

Adam Gase: He is in his fifth year as a Broncos assistant and first as offensive coordinator, replacing Chargers coach Mike McCoy. Gase, 35, is well-regarded but will have to overcome the perception Peyton Manning runs the show.

Dan Quinn: He came up as a defensive line coach and has kept the Seahawks' "D" on top in his first season as coordinator, replacing Jaguars coach Gus Bradley. Quinn, 43, has an aggressive approach players love and comes from a rising program.

Greg Roman: He followed Jim Harbaugh from Stanford and has shown innovation in the 49ers' run-first system. Roman, 41, has yet to get an interview for an NFL job, though. His unit's No. 24 ranking this season amidst Colin Kaepernick's inconsistent play may not help his cause.

Waiting for the chance

Mike Zimmer: He has spent 34 years as a college and pro assistant but arguably has done his best work as the Bengals' defensive coordinator since 2008. Zimmer, 57, has the demeanor and desire to be a head coach. He has interviewed for five NFL jobs in the past.

Vic Fangio: He came along with Harbaugh from Stanford, too, but was an NFL assistant for 25 years before that. Fangio, 55, took over a 49ers defense that ranked 13th in yards allowed in 2010 and has had them in the top five each year since.

Todd Bowles: He has been an NFL defensive assistant for 14 years, including a 2-1 stint as Dolphins interim coach in 2011, and coordinated the NFL's top run defense this season. Bowles, 50, also has credibility as an ex-player, winning a Super Bowl with the Redskins.

Mike Priefer: He has spent 20 years as a college and pro special teams coach, including the past three seasons with the Vikings. Priefer, 47, flew Navy helicopters for six years and has an intense, no-nonsense approach that could appeal to teams wanting to instill discipline.

From the college ranks

Bill O'Brien: He was on NFL teams' radars even before he left the Patriots after five years as an offensive assistant to take over scandal-ridden Penn State, where he's 15-9. O'Brien, 44, has interviewed for the Texans' job and figures to keep getting calls until he signs a deal.

David Shaw: He has experience as an NFL quarterbacks and receivers coach and is 34-6 since replacing Harbaugh at Stanford, which has made three straight BCS bowl games running his pro-style offense. Shaw, 41, says he isn't interested in the NFL, but the league is interested in him.

James Franklin: He has turned around an irrelevant Vanderbilt program that went 4-20 the two seasons before he arrived, reaching bowl games in each of his three seasons. Franklin, 41, has only one year of NFL experience but has a positive reputation among scouts.

Kevin Sumlin: He just agreed to a new contract through 2019, but NFL teams don't consider him off-limits. Sumlin, 49, has spent 26 years in college football, mostly as an offensive assistant. He is 54-23 over six seasons at Houston and Texas A&M.