2018 NFL Head Coach Carousel: College Names Who Could Jump

Most of the time when the NFL head coach carousel starts spinning, it almost always remains focused on assistants at the pro level.

Rarely do teams look outside those parameters for fear of getting too cute and passing on a proven method of operation. Yet from time to time an organization will go against the grain and seek out their solution at the college level. A good head coach is a good head coach, right? Well not always. College and the NFL are two different beasts. At the same time there have been plenty of examples where college success has translated to the pros.

Bill Walsh and Jimmy Johnson are two shining examples. Looking towards 2018 there are a host of quality names who could make a fruitful jump to the big show. Which ones stand how the most?

Jim Harbaugh (Michigan)

This is the most obvious one. Harbaugh was a success during most of his tenure in San Francisco, reaching three NFC championship games and a Super Bowl. No doubt other teams will be interested in giving him another chance after things ended poorly out there. Harbaugh is rumored to be interested in getting back to the NFL but unlikely to leave Michigan until he’s gotten that program back to elite status. His window won’t be open forever though.

David Shaw (Stanford)

Here’s a man who has accomplished so much despite dealing with certain difficulties other great college coaches don’t. Despite a limited talent pool to choose from, Shaw has kept Stanford a contender in the Pac-12 his entire run since 2011. He has a Rose Bowl victory under his belt and a reputation for developing quarterbacks. Those qualities are certain to continue garnering NFL interest. Perhaps the timing will be right this January.

Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)

What the younger generation of coaches who is building a fan following with each passing year. Fitzgerald has done an admirable job turning Northwestern football from afterthought to legitimate power. They aren’t on the level of the biggest schools but they’ve leveled up considerably since Fitz took over in 2006. Amazingly enough he’s still only 43-years old. At some point one has to think he’ll be interested in a new challenge.

Nick Saban (Alabama)

There is nothing left for Saban to accomplish in college football. He’s won five national championships between two different schools and ushered in one of the greatest dynasties of all-time. The one feather that has not donned his cap to this point is a Super Bowl championship. His run as an assistant in Houston and Cleveland and a head coach in Miami all failed to produced the desired results. If it’s ever going to happen, it better be soon. He’s 66-years old.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: AFC Desperately Tries to Balance QB Power

Dabo Swinney (Clemson)

Swinney has turned Clemson into a national power, even beating the mighty Saban in the national championship game. He understands how to cultivate both sides of the ball what with Deshaun Watson dominating in 2016 and now the Tigers defense dominating in 2017. The man has never coached at the NFL level in his life, so that raises questions about whether he’s interested. Nonetheless his accomplishments speak for themselves.