NFL Coaching Carousel: Jim Harbaugh Will Start The Dominoes
By Erik Lambert
Three weeks remain until the NFL playoffs. It also is how much longer several head coaches will have their jobs. A number of positions will open up at that point and new names begin their effort to build their own legacies. Which teams are likeliest to cut bait and where could they look next?
San Francisco 49ers
Current HC: Jim Harbaugh
Doubts have all but rested on this one. Jim Harbaugh is in his final month as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Where it all went wrong is unclear, but what is clear is he’ll probably be the coach that’s in the highest demand during the off-season. So he will be the one who sets the pace. Once he’s off the board, other teams will work fast to get their guys locked up.
Next Man Up?
All whispers out of San Francisco are that the 49ers will promote from within to replace Harbaugh. They have two very good coordinators in Vic Fangio and Greg Roman but keep an eye on defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, who is popular with the players and management.
Oakland Raiders
Current HC: Tony Sparano
Give the man credit. He walked into an unenviable situation but Tony Sparano has made the most of it by preventing the Oakland Raiders from going 0-16. He’s notched two big victories against two pretty good teams but in all honest the organization wants a new staff for their young roster and Sparano isn’t part of that.
Next Man Up?
Every indication is that the Raiders will make a heavy push at the first opportunity to get Harbaugh away from the 49ers. Most experts believe they will be successful. If they aren’t, then it’s anybody’s guess.