Our final thoughts on the 2022 NFL coaching cycle
Our final thoughts on the 2022 NFL coaching cycle
All nine head coach openings have now been filled. What's the biggest concern for each of the final new coaches?
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Two days after the Super Bowl, the last of the new head coach announcements became official. Former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell was introduced as the head coach of the Vikings, the ninth and final hiring of this coaching cycle.
For the second year in a row, only two minorities were hired — Lovie Smith, who is one of just two Black head coaches in the NFL, and Mike McDaniel, who is biracial. Brian Flores, unsurprisingly, did not land a new gig. His lawsuit, which could have major ramifications for the league and at least one owner, is now expected to include the Texans.
A couple weeks ago, I looked at the four coaches who had been introduced at that point and the biggest question each had to answer. I promised a Part 2 whenever all the positions were filled, and I’d like to make good on that. So let’s take a closer look at the five other men who will be leading new teams in 2022.
Houston Texans: Lovie Smith
Previous job: Texans defensive coordinator
No. 1 question: How long of a leash does he even have?
The Texans had made it pretty obvious, with their leaks to the press, that they wanted to hire Josh McCown, the retired journeyman quarterback who played for almost every NFL team but who has never coached in an official capacity in the league or in college.
When Flores — a finalist for the Houston job — filed his lawsuit, the Texans changed their mind. Maybe it was a rare moment of self-awareness for their front office that this would be an extremely bad look, or maybe Roger Goodell, uh, politely reminded them that this is not the NBA, where former players with no coaching experience can get one of the most coveted jobs in the world. So instead of the novice (and white) McCown, they promoted Smith, one of the most experienced men in the league who had previously been the head coach for the Bucs and Bears.
The talent-poor Texans exceeded expectations under David Culley, who was fired after one year anyway. So why should we believe that Smith will have any rope? The team’s grifter in charge, Jack Easterby, thought by dumping Culley, he finally had the opportunity to hire his friend McCown. It’s possible McCown ends up on Smith’s staff, and then when the Texans are still bad, they’ll use that as an excuse to get rid of Smith and elevate McCown. But they’re probably going to do that in a year or two either way, as long as Easterby remains in Houston like the cockroach he is.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson
Previous job: Eagles head coach
No. 1 question: Can he bring some much-needed stability to the Jaguars?
The only team that could compete with the Texans for most dysfunctional coaching search is their AFC South rival in Jacksonville. After a loooong process, one that at first looked like it’d end with Byron Leftwich getting his first HC gig, the Jaguars landed on the first person who interviewed, Super Bowl winner Doug Pederson.
That’s not a bad outcome, even if the way they got there was … less than ideal. Pederson produced positive results from his quarterbacks in Philadelphia, including an MVP-caliber season from Carson Wentz, a Super Bowl win out of backup Nick Foles, and flashes from rookie Jalen Hurts when Wentz was struggling. It’s no wonder, then, that Trevor Lawrence is excited to play for Pederson, who knows what he’s doing unlike Lawrence’s last head coach.
The Jags were a disaster under Urban Meyer, and he’s to blame for a lot of their problems in 2021. But he didn’t turn this franchise into a mess; Jacksonville went 1-15 the season before and has had a winning record just once since 2008. The front office currently employs hapless GM Trent Baalke and could soon add former Vikings GM Rick Spielman, who wasn’t even on speaking terms with Mike Zimmer before both were let go.
Pederson already dealt with, and got fed up with, a problematic front office in Philadelphia. If the Jags’ brass simply lets him work, then Pederson can help Lawrence and the other promising young talent on the roster get on the right track. If not, then well, forget it, Jake. It’s Jacksonville.
Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel
Previous job: 49ers offensive coordinator
No. 1 question: Can he deliver on his promise to bring out the greatness in Tua?
Mike McDaniel has never been a head coach before, but he’s held numerous positions over the years — and has been preparing for this role since he was a kid hanging around at Broncos training camp. McDaniel is smart, innovative, and a little goofy, the perfect recipe for relating to his players.
Now, after spending most of his career working under Kyle Shanahan, it’s McDaniel’s turn to be in charge. And he’s tasked with pushing Tua Tagovailoa to that next step in his young career. McDaniel, who raved about Tagovailoa’s athleticism and accuracy, is up for the challenge:
Having a coach who makes him feel wanted rather than “I don’t not feel wanted” probably helps Tua’s mindset, too. McDaniel has the brains to tailor the offense around Tua’s skill set and put him in the best position to succeed. But we haven’t seen McDaniel develop a quarterback yet — and we haven’t seen Tua stay healthy yet either.
Minnesota Vikings: Kevin O’Connell
Previous job: Rams offensive coordinator
No. 1 question: Can he salvage the Kirk Cousins era in Minnesota?
The most Kirk Cousins fact is that he’s exactly .500 as a starting quarterback, with a 59-59-2 record in the NFL. Or maybe the most Kirk Cousins fact is that since joining the Vikings in 2018, they’ve had two winning seasons, two losing seasons, and made just one playoff trip.
That’s not what the team had in mind when it snagged him in free agency four years ago. With one more year left on his albatross of a contract, Cousins has one last chance to prove himself as more than just a mediocre quarterback who happily plays in the Pro Bowl as an alternate every year.
Luckily for Cousins, he’s familiar with his new coach — Kevin O’Connell was Washington’s QBs coach in 2017. O’Connell is fresh off a Super Bowl victory with a Rams team that also had a veteran quarterback (though Stafford is better than Cousins) and a couple of dangerous weapons mixed in with role players (similar to what he’ll have in Minnesota).
O’Connell’s area of expertise is the offense, but it’s the defense that will need to more dramatically improve if the Vikings are going to contend in 2022. The 36-year-old first-time head coach is filling out his defensive staff with experienced names, which should help ease his transition to being the boss. And if everything goes right, then maybe Cousins can even leave Minnesota with a winning record for his career.
New Orleans Saints: Dennis Allen
Previous job: Saints defensive coordinator
No. 1 question: Can he keep the Saints from imploding?
Sean Payton navigated the Saints through tough times, some of his own making (Bountygate) and others not (the team’s return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina). The past few years, he managed to keep the Saints competitive despite quarterback injuries and its continued residence in salary cap hell.
Allen deserves partial credit for the Saints’ success considering how much they were carried by his defense, which has finished in the top eight in DVOA for five straight seasons. He inherited a league-worst defense from Rob Ryan and in less than two years, they became one of the best units in the league.
Allen’s hand in the team’s turnaround, plus the continuity he’d bring, is probably why he had already secured the head coaching job even before the interviews began (as Brian Flores likely knows). His reward for the promotion is 1) having the worst salary cap situation in the league, 2) not having a real quarterback on the roster at the moment and 3) seeing one of his best players arrested on a battery charge. (The good news for Allen is that Michael Thomas is expected to return, though you can never be too sure the drama is over when it comes to a diva-ish WR.)
The last time Allen was a head coach came with the Raiders from 2012-14, and it was a debacle (he went 8-28 and was fired after Week 4 of the 2014 season). And the guy who he’s replacing in New Orleans will be a hard act to follow. But Allen knows this team and he’s seen firsthand how to get the most of them. Now we’ll see if he can work the same magic he used with the defense on the entire roster.