Expectations for rookie head coaches in the NFL can vary so much based on circumstances.  Some are just expected to repair the damage by previous regimes, hoping to win a few more games the previous year.  Others are tasked with finishing what another good coach couldn’t by winning a Super Bowl.  There are a host of promising new coaches taking over teams in 2016, but it’s difficult to determine which of them has the best chance to be a success moving forward.
So in an NFL predictions piece, the Mocks crew was asked to present their input on the subject.
Eric Robinson:
Soar: Hue Jackson in Cleveland. It may take a while and I hope the front office gives Hue a comfortable window. However, we all know that he was clipped in Oakland even though he produced an 8-8 record. Hue has the mindset to win and Cleveland needs to be patient and let him work.
Sink: Mike Mularkey in Tennessee. I like the drafting of Mariota, the trade for Murray, the pieces on defense with Casey, Morgan, and Orakpo. I just don’t like the coach that was picked to coach these important players. Only one winning season in his career (9-7 in 2004 w/Buffalo) and an 18-39 coaching record. Better offensive coordinator than head coach.
Matthew Holowiak:
Soar: The most successful will be Ben McAdoo. He was already on staff the last two years and revamped the offense. The defense is in good hands with an experienced and established defensive coordinator. The GM has shown success in the past, this team is built for immediate success and he’s the man to lead them.
Sink: The biggest bust will easily be chip Kelly in San Francisco. How he got a job so fast is incredible, because he is going to implode another franchise. I know he doesn’t have the same control he did in Philly, but it won’t stop the inevitable. That team needs a lot of work and there is no telling what is going to be put together there.
Brady Lunt:
Soar: I think it may take some time, but I see Cleveland finally starting to have success behind Hue Jackson. He is a well-respected coach and has the offensive mind to get the Browns’ offense going and maximize the talents of the pieces he has.
Sink: As for the biggest bust, I’d have to say Mike McCoy in San Diego. After having one of the worst records in franchise history in 2015 and only two victories the last two seasons over teams with winning records, the Chargers opted to keep McCoy around rather than target elsewhere. It’s a risk that could come back to haunt them after 2016.
Erik Lambert:
Soar: Don Shula said one of the keys to lasting a long time as a head coach in the NFL is being able to win early.  To that end, it’s fair to believe Doug Pederson has the best opportunity.  He’s a disciple of Andy Reid, among the best of a generation, and an experienced coach who has waited patiently for his chance.  He inherits a team that has a lot of young talent already in place, a GM who runs an able front office and sits in a division that is among the weakest in the league.  If anybody has the chance to win right away and keep his job, it’s him.
Sink: It’s hard not to feel like Chip Kelly joining the San Francisco 49ers feels like a last desperate attempt on his part to stay in the NFL.  He already proved in Philadelphia he couldn’t handle the personalities that might be necessary to forge a winning team.  To top it off, the one he inherits now doesn’t have near the talent the Eagles roster did.  San Francisco has a number of holes across their roster and to top it off he may have to break in a rookie quarterback with Colin Kaepernick all but gone.  The odds are not stacked in his favor.
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