COLUMN: NFL coaching carousel

     Once again, the annual NFL coaching carousel is alive and ticking. Several teams are still searching for the guy to take their team to the Super Bowl. For the most part, a few of those teams seem to be the same ones that every couple of years, struggle to find the right guy.

     Today, which is Monday as I write this, the Cowboys announced the hiring of former Packer coach Mike McCarthy. Earlier in the week a name that popped up was current Vikings head coach, Mike Zimmer.

     Hiring McCarthy doesn’t surprise me. He has a good resume and a Super Bowl win to his name. Former Packer players have mentioned the game has passed him by. Now most NFL teams are looking for a coach that is into the new wave of football, analytical thinking.

     I read last week that McCarthy spent this past year studying up on analytics. I find that amusing. Not that people are being more analytical in the way they put their teams together but that no one talked to McCarthy all of last year. Now that he has read up on the new wave of coaching, he must be hirable.

One of my other teams that I cheer for, the Cleveland Browns, are once again in the hunt for a coach and general manager. Here is a team that is so messed up at the top level and has been for years.

     This time around, they are going to hire a coach first and follow that up with a GM, another new idea running around the NFL. The Browns interviewed McCarthy as well. I thought he would be a good fit there.

     The Washington Redskins hired Ron Rivera. Rivera was just fired by the Carolina Panthers. The Redskins are another one of those teams that can’t seem to keep a sense of consistency going in the front office. They too hired a coach first and are looking for a new GM.

     The New York Giants and Carolina Panthers also need coaches. The big name being thrown out there for both teams is New England Patriot assistant coach, Josh McDaniels. In fact, McDaniels may be the hottest choice available right now.

     There are also quite a few coordinators that will be sought after including Ravens OC Greg Roman, 49ers DC Robert Saleh, Bills OC Brian Daboll and Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, just to name a few.

     All of those coaches have a common theme, they are coming from teams that are winning right now and have also embraced the analytical way of coaching. So, hope your team doesn’t do well because the have-nots are looking to the ones that do have in hopes of filling their coaching staffs.

     Bowl update: I’ve pulled ahead of Pete at 22-16, he sits at 21-17 with two games to go. We both picked LSU but have split on Miami of Ohio vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. If the Ragin’ Cajuns beat Miami (OH) our bet will end in a draw!