The NFL isn’t known for being a stable organization, especially when it comes to its coaches and players, as those individuals are all too familiar with the league changing around them in a moment’s notice. So it goes without saying that each year typically brings a bevy of coaching changes, some expected and others not, opening the doors for plenty of speculation as the regular season gets closer to the finish line.

I opened up a discussion on which coaches are likely to be on the hot seat a few weeks back, but given the amount of rumors flying around these days surrounding multiple teams and individual coaches, I thought it would be good to bring the subject back to the forefront and see how things have changed.

So far there are at least eight different teams that could potentially be on the hunt for a new head coach this off-season, and while several of those openings will be highly dependent on how well the current coach performs down the stretch, most of the positions are a virtual lock at this point to be available.

For now, I’ll be focusing on the teams I think are most certain of having a new head coach next season. As the regular season comes to a close, I’ll add in more names when they become available.

1. Washington Redskins | Jim Zorn

To be honest, Zorn probably has a better chance of being struck by lightning while standing on the sidelines then he does of keeping his job next season. The Redskins have been one of the decade’s most universally disappointing teams, with millions of dollars spent on pricey free agent acquisitions and nothing to show for it.

A lot of that instability has come from team owner Dan Snyder, as he’s constantly trying to land the next big name player or coach. In the end though, the responsibility for winning and losing each week falls squarely on the shoulders of the head coach, which is why Zorn is guaranteed of a one way ticket out of town in a few weeks.

Given Snyder’s propensity for trying to go big with his head coaching hires, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pull out all the stops to lure one of the marquee names out there, like Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, or possibly even Jon Gruden. Shanahan would be the most likely of those three to be interested in the position, as Cowher and Gruden have both made it clear they’ve got other fish to fry, but you can never be completely sure, especially with the kind of money Snyder will likely throw out there to get his guy in the fold. Keep an eye on former Ravens head coach Brian Billick as well… he has plenty of connections in the area and could be a solid hire for the Redskins.

2. Buffalo Bills | Perry Fewell

The Bills have already dumped their head coach this season, firing Dick Jauron half way through the year for his pathetic performance with a reasonably talented team. Fewell is well liked within the organization and seems to have his players working much harder each week to win, so it’s definitely possible that he sticks around after the season is complete, especially if Buffalo can’t find another coach they like to come in and run the show.

The hard part though lies with the location and current roster composition, as Buffalo certainly isn’t the most desirable spot to be, especially in the dead of winter, but that could be overcome if the team had a stable situation at key positions. Unfortunately, their biggest issues seem to be at both quarterback and offensive tackle, which will make for a longer rebuilding process unless the team goes out and gets legitimate players to fill those spots this off-season.

Mike Shanahan has already spent close to seven hours in discussion with the front office, but seems to have moved on for the time being, waiting to see what opportunities will be available before making a decision. The rest of the big names out there have all said no thank you to the Bills, so while Buffalo could call an audible and go after a rising assistant like Leslie Frazier (Vikings) or Brian Schottenheimer (Jets), at this point it’s looking more and more likely that Fewell will be the best option in the future.

(more…)