Potential XFL Head Coaches for 2022- Help Me Toss Some Names In A Hat Here

[Rangersking669]

These are my top choices I can think of based on some quick research for each market, however I'd love your thoughts on any other options as I'm not a football guy by any means.

Coaches the XFL ought to bring back

Dallas- Bob Stoops- There's no way the league doesn't want him back, his name carries too much weight. We know he's interested in coming back, he's said so in various articles. Gotta bring him back if you can. Please get this man a quarterback who can stay healthy and also throw the ball more than 7 yards and he'll actually have a fun team.

Houston- June Jones- We know he wants back in. He ran the most exciting team in the XFL in 2020. This is a no brainer.

St. Louis- Johnathan Hayes- He embedded himself deep in the community and built a really successful team, if lacking some offensive punch at times, although it's not his fault he lost his spread offense OC to TCU. Perhaps he'd have had a better offense with Meacham or somebody similar running the show?

Los Angeles- Winston Moss- Once he got Josh Johnson back, they simply became a different team. Everything clicked. It takes good coaching to get out of the embarrassing rut they had in week 1. Also, Moss has the right personality to fit the LA market.

Coaches the XFL should not bring back and/or probably won't come back

New York- Kevin Gilbride- Gilbride failed to bring in Perez until all other options were exhausted despite running an offensive scheme that plays to his advantages. It shouldn't have taken that long. There are so many coaches out there who can do well in this role and not have held onto terrible veterans like a security blanket.

Seattle- Jim Zorn- It's embarrassing how long it took him to have to the simple realization that B.J Daniels was clearly the best Dragons QB. Daniels outplayed Silvers in pre season, was tipped to start, and was the more athletic option. And yet, Zorn chose Silvers. He just doesn't fit the right coaching mindset of the culture this league is attempting to foster.

Tampa Bay- Marc Trestman- Once he finally handed the offense over to his coordinator Jaime Elizondo in week 3, they turned their team around. However, his treatment of Quinton Flowers was questionable, to say the least. Also, it seems unlikely he will return, as he's indicated he is uncertain whether he'd like to come back to the league.

DC- Pep Hamilton- Pep has sealed at least 3 more seasons in the NFL after how well he helped Justin Herbert transition to the big leagues. He's not coming back.


New Guys to Bring In

Tampa Bay- Steve Spurrier- This one is just too obvious. He brings high powered offense wherever he goes and a winning culture in every environment. On top of that, he has a pretty charismatic personality that plays well for a spring league, even if he's gotten a bit older. Spurrier has indicated he'd love to get involved if the league were to resume. Why not get the Old Ball Coach in another spring league?

Seattle- Kris Richard(taken, NO Saints, NFL)- Credit to Anthony Miller on this one. He was the DC of one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2015 and 2016 for the Seahawks before his defense suffered injuries in 2017. Due to strategy disagreements, he was fired by Pete Carroll. Keep in mind, in both 2015 and 2016, they lost to Super Bowl participants in the playoffs. He also was the DB coach on the Super Bowl 48 winning and 49 losing Seahawks. Furthermore, he also played for the Seahawks for a few seasons. After heading to Dallas, Richard ended up in a tough spot and lost his job with the Jason Garrett firing. It's tough to blame a talented young coach not lasting long for a terrible organization. Now, he is only receiving position coach offers in the NFL, and has chosen to sit out for the time being. This is the perfect time for the XFL to swoop in and collect a new young coaching talent who had one or two bad breaks.

DC- Brian Billick- Credit to Mickey J Wind on this one. Billick has been an offensive guru at multiple times over the course of the NFL's history while also captaining a dominant defensive team to a Super Bowl. He's getting up there in age and might want a low key job to do for shorter periods of time in retirement and with lesser stakes like Bob Stoops or Steve Spurrier. He has ties to the market with a Super Bowl win for the Ravens and multiple successful seasons coached there as the head man, proving he can lead a team. Why not give the XFL a shot if you're him, and why not sign a guy like him if you're the XFL?

NY- Eric Mangini- Credit to Mickey again. Mangini kinda made lemonade out of lemons for 2/3 of his years with the Jets, making the playoffs with the Jets starting Chad Pennington at QB due to his stout defense, while also winning multiple Super Bowls with the Patriots as a DB coach. He has a pretty solid name within the New York market and if not for Favre getting injured in 2008, he could have had a solid playoff run with them again. He actually has a successful head coaching resume, unlike Kevin Gilbride, as I'm throwing out those Browns years. No HC could save the Browns in those days. He's been out of the NFL for quite some time, and could use the XFL to dip his feet back in and have some fun while getting a decent check before going back to his analyst job during portions of the NFL season.

Guys I left out- any former NFL HC/OC who has been in the NFL and college football very recently and is getting very up there in age. I just don't see these guys turning to the XFL quite yet and also, the XFL probably wants to save some of those names for expansion teams in markets suited to them. Jim Caldwell has very little ties to any current XFL market. Same for Lovie Smith. It just makes more sense to save these guys for markets better tied to them. Expect Smith to immediately get tabbed for the Chicago job if the XFL gets around to it in time. I'm not so sure what market Caldwell would end up in on the other hand, as Detroit isn't ideal for the XFL.

So, what are your thoughts on these options? And any other ideas?

[Tank55]

I know he has some haters around here, but Rick Neuheisel did a good job in the AAF.

As a Defenders fan, I think Jim Zorn should coach the Guardians.

I don't think coaching the Ravens really qualifies as a connection to D.C. If Ralph Friedgen still has enough gas in the tank, he's someone with local connections. Or even Norv Turner; I actually bet he'd do a great job in the XFL. I'll keep lobbying for Paul Johnson.

I do think 2020 demonstrated that the local connections thing is pretty overrated. Remember everyone insisting that Isaac Bruce needed to the coach of the BattleHawks?

[Rangersking669]

I know he has some haters around here, but Rick Neuheisel did a good job in the AAF.

As a Defenders fan, I think Jim Zorn should coach the Guardians.

I don't think coaching the Ravens really qualifies as a connection to D.C. If Ralph Friedgen still has enough gas in the tank, he's someone with local connections. Or even Norv Turner; I actually bet he'd do a great job in the XFL. I'll keep lobbying for Paul Johnson.

I do think 2020 demonstrated that the local connections thing is pretty overrated. Remember everyone insisting that Isaac Bruce needed to the coach of the BattleHawks?

Isaac Bruce was also a weird hypetrain but at least Johnathan Hayes played for a team in the area with KC not being too far. Like, just a shred of familiarity with a team nearby helps. Same goes for Billick in DC especially given his track record of success

[GDAWG]

Brian Billick is happy to be an analyst on NFL Network. Unless it's Gruden, usually coaches who haven't coached since the 2000's that have gone into broadcasting usually don't come back. Jon Gruden is the rare exception.

[MGB01]

Seattle- Kris Richard- Credit to Anthony Miller on this one. He was the DC of one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2015 and 2016 for the Seahawks before his defense suffered injuries in 2017. Due to strategy disagreements, he was fired by Pete Carroll. Keep in mind, in both 2015 and 2016, they lost to Super Bowl participants in the playoffs. He also was the DB coach on the Super Bowl 48 winning and 49 losing Seahawks. Furthermore, he also played for the Seahawks for a few seasons. After heading to Dallas, Richard ended up in a tough spot and lost his job with the Jason Garrett firing. It's tough to blame a talented young coach not lasting long for a terrible organization. Now, he is only receiving position coach offers in the NFL, and has chosen to sit out for the time being. This is the perfect time for the XFL to swoop in and collect a new young coaching talent who had one or two bad breaks.

Apparently I haven't been the only one beating the drum for Richard, I think Richard could be the next Jim Mora, my second all-time favorite coach behind Chuck Knox. Like Mora, a former Hawks assistant (although father and son both were, I'm obviously referring to the former).

Now granted you might have some ridiculous 'copycat' charging from certain media circles considering Richard and Robert Saleh were on the same Hawks staff in 2013 and eight years later Saleh is a head coach. But really, we're only talking about the low fruit. Besides, everything Dragons was perfect..........with the exception of Zorn (Dragon Ball Z and Coach Z references aside), hoo boy.

You're (one is) either serious about this or you're not.

[GDAWG]

Jim Caldwell has been linked to a return to the NFL

[Rangersking669]

Jim Caldwell has been linked to a return to the NFL

The only "link" is that he was on the re imagination committee

[GDAWG]

Jim Caldwell has been linked to a return to the NFL

The only "link" is that he was on the re imagination committee

Sure. He did recently interview for the Houston Texans though.

[Rangersking669]

Jim Caldwell has been linked to a return to the NFL

The only "link" is that he was on the re imagination committee

Sure. He did recently interview for the Houston Texans though.

Oh wow. I thought you said XFL and now I feel bad. Happy he might finally be an NFL coach again though Eric Bienemy deserves a job

[MGB01]

Jim Caldwell has been linked to a return to the NFL

The only "link" is that he was on the re imagination committee

He's talking NFL wise but those were likely only placeholder interviews until Eric Bieniemy or Leslie Frazier became available.