11:21 p.m.: Black Monday lived up to its billing as five head coaches got the ax on this fateful day. In addition to Gary Kubiak, who was relieved of his coaching duties earlier in December, Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions, Greg Schiano of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Leslie Frazier of the Minnesota Vikings, Rob Chudzinski of the Cleveland Browns and Mike Shanahan of the Washington Redskins were all fired on Monday.
That’s all of the head coaching madness we have to report for now, but be sure to check back on NESN.com for any further developments.
5:15 p.m.: While Lovie Smith has emerged as Tampa Bay’s top choice to replace Greg Schiano, it appears they are also interested in former Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak.
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Kubiak was fired earlier this month after dropping 11 straight games.
4:20 p.m.: The Buccaneers have their eyes set on former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith.
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Just hours after firing Greg Schiano, the Bucs seem set on bringing some familiar faces back to the organization. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Tampa Bay would like to reunite Smith, former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo and former Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell, among others. The trio all spent time together with the Bucs during the late 1990s.
4:10 p.m.: It appears that Josh McDaniels will indeed meet with the Cleveland Browns about their head coaching position, according to Cleveland.com.
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Cabot did not specify how “soon” the meeting would take place, but we speculate that it would probably take place before the Patriots’ divisional-round playoff game on Jan. 11.
3:30 p.m.: Not to brag or anything, but Lions president Tom Lewand believes Detroit is the most desirable destination for prospective NFL head coaches.
“I think this will be one of the most if not the single most attractive coaching opportunities in the National Football League,” Lewand said, via ProFootballTalk shortly after announcing the firing of head coach Jim Schwartz. “That starts with our ownership. I think it also continues with the talented people we have in this organization.”
The Lions have some talented people on the field, as well. Wideout Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush are both legitimate weapons for quarterback Matt Stafford, and Ndamukong Suh spearheads the Lions’ extremely talented — if somewhat undisciplined — defensive front.
3:12 p.m.: The Minnesota Vikings do not want a long, dragged out search for their new head coach.
After relieving Leslie Frazier of his duties earlier today, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said he hopes to have his new bench boss in place before the Senior Bowl, which takes place on Saturday, Jan. 25.
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2:55 p.m.: Could Bob Stoops leave Oklahoma for the NFL? Ian Rapoport thinks it’s a possibility.
“Another name to watch, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops,” Rapoport told Rich Eisen on the NFL Network. “He also has expressed some interest in joining the NFL.”
Stoops, who has never coached at the professional level, has compiled a 159-39 records with nine BCS appearances during his 15 seasons with the Sooners. Oklahoma will take on two-time defending national champion Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday.
2:28 p.m.: For fans anxious to know the fate of Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak, don’t hold your breath. Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Titans aren’t likely to make a decision by the end of Monday.
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As far as the Oakland Raiders go, NFL Media columnist Mike Silver reported Sunday that head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Reggie McKenzie are likely to return to the team for 2014.
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2:09 p.m.: Tom Coughlin is officially sticking around as head coach of the New York Giants. The G-Men finished third in the NFC East with a record of 7-9, but team president John Mara told reporters Monday that Coughlin’s time in New York isn’t up.
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Coughlin re-iterated that he does want to remain at the helm of the Giants.
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1:30 p.m.: Rob Chudzinski was as surprised as the rest of us when he was fired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday following the team’s loss to the Steelers.
Chudzinski released a statement Monday saying he was “shocked and disappointed” to have his dream job taken away from him after just one year, according to Aaron Wilson of National Football Post.
“I was shocked and disappointed to hear the news that I was fired,” Chudzinski said. “I am a Cleveland Brown to the core, and always will be. It was an honor to lead our players and coaches, and I appreciate their dedication and sacrifice. I was more excited than ever for this team, as I know we were building a great foundation for future success. While clearly I would have liked to see the long-term vision through to the end, I am very grateful to Jimmy Haslam and the Haslam family for letting me live my dream.”
1:10 p.m.: Apparently the Cleveland Browns love burning money. Here’s some math from Darren Rovell.
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1:05 p.m.: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will reportedly consider former Bears head coach Lovie Smith to replace recently fired Greg Schiano, according to Adam Schefter.
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Smith began his professional coaching career as a linebacker coach for the Bucs in 1996. He worked with Tony Dungy building a dominant defense in Tampa Bay before becoming defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams and eventually head coach of the Chicago Bears before being fired after the 2012 season.
Smith has spent the last season out of football, but interviewed with the Houston Texans earlier in the month to replace former head coach Gary Kubiak.
12:31 p.m.: It looks like other members of the Detroit Lions organization are safe in their jobs. Questions surfaced about whether general manager Martin Mayhew would be on his way out with head coach Jim Schwartz, but NFL.com’s Albert Breer reports that Mayhew’s job is safe. The same thing goes for team president Tom Lewand.
12:09 p.m.: NFL head coaches are dropping like flies today. The Detroit Lions have fired head coach Jim Schwartz, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Lions started the 2013 campaign off hot, but dropped six of their last seven and missed the playoffs for the 13th time in the last 14 years. Schwartz was 29-52 over five full years with the Lions.
11:51 a.m.: In somewhat of a surprising twist, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik.
Buccaneers Co-Chairman Bryan Glazer released this statement on the team’s website:
“The results over the past two years have not lived up to our standards and we believe the time has come to find a new direction. Mark has been a valued member of our organization for two decades and we respect the passion he showed for the Buccaneers during his time here. We thank Greg for his hard work and effort the past two seasons, but we feel these moves are necessary in order to achieve our goals.”
Schiano was 10-22 during his tenure with the Buccaneers, leading the team to a dismal 4-12 record during the 2013 season.
11:25 a.m.: While some coaches are on the way out on Black Monday, that means jobs are opening up. The Browns and Vikings have reportedly inquired about Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase after firing head coaches Rob Chudzinski and Leslie Frazier, respectively.
Gase is in his fifth year with the Broncos and his first at offensive coordinator for the team. He’s currently the the NFL’s fourth-youngest OC at age 34, and spent the past two seasons as Denver’s quarterbacks coach following two years coaching the wide receivers.
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10:53 a.m: One of the biggest storylines heading toward the postseason was whether New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan would keep his job. After reportedly telling his players that he would be getting canned at the end of the season, Ryan’s course reversed when Jets owner Woody Johnson announced after Sunday’s 20-7 win over the Miami Dolphins that Ryan would return as the head coach for the 2014 season.
After leading the team to an 8-8 finish, Ryan was no doubt happy about the announcement. His players shared a similar joy, though, and the announcement in the locker room was caught on camera and posted on newyorkjets.com. The team’s reaction was almost better than Ryan’s.
Check out the video here.
10:25 a.m.: Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz will know his fate soon enough. Lions ownership is currently meeting with the coach, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
10:00 a.m.: Redskins owner Daniel Snyder released a statement via the team Twitter account Monday addressing Mike Shanahan’s firing.
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As for the future of the Redskins, some names are already trickling through the grapevine.
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9:49 a.m.: Despite the team’s third straight 8-8 finish, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett’s job is safe. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones remains committed to Garrett, according to ESPN.com.
The Cowboys haven’t made a playoff appearance in four years, but Jones reiterated Sunday night that Garrett will remain in the top spot.
“I said that a month ago,” Jones said “I stand by what I said a month ago.”
Jones remained mum on his commitment to other members of the Cowboys coaching staff.
9:32 a.m.: The Redskins have fired head coach Mike Shanahan and his staff, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Shanahan led the ‘Skins to a 3-13 record this season, and publicly fought with team owner Dan Snyder about the coach’s decision to bench quarterback Robert Griffin III. He leaves the organization with a 24-40 record.
9:24 a.m.: The Cleveland Browns’ decision to fire head coach Rob Chudzinski on Sunday night may not have been as hasty as it seemed. The move may have blindsided the media, fans and players, but according to ESPNCleveland.com, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner made the decision before Sunday’s 20-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sources point to a lack of accountability on Chudzinski’s side as part of the reason he was fired after just one season.
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9:16 a.m.: Things are heating up in Washington, D.C. Jeff Darlington reports that both Mike Shanahan and Dan Snyder are on the premises at Redskins Park. This is the scene.
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9:07 a.m. The Minnesota Vikings have fired head coach Leslie Frazier, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Frazier led the Vikings to a 5-10-1 this season and was just 21-32-1 in three-plus seasons with the Vikings, taking them to the playoffs only once in his tenure.
8 a.m. ET: The NFL playoff picture is set after Sunday’s round of games, but now comes a darker day: Black Monday. While teams celebrate clinching playoff berths and prepare for the postseason, some NFL coaches are preparing to pack their bags following the 2013 season.
The Cleveland Browns didn’t even wait until Monday to relieve head coach Rob Chudzinski of his duties after just one season. Other coaches are in the hot seat, too. Jim Schwartz, Mike Shanahan and Leslie Frazier can expect to learn their fate on Black Monday.
There have also been reports that changes of “some significance” will be coming to the Miami Dolphins. After the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying fiasco, one can assume some of those changes will involve the coaching staff.
We’ll keep you updated on any rumors and reports throughout the day, so stay here to piece together the NFL coaching puzzle.
