If - and it's a big if - Zac is let go at the end of the year, the Bengals will be searching for another head coach. Here's a list of names to choose from. Pick 5 guys you would want interviewed to be the new Bengals head coach. Once there's enough choices, we'll figure out the top 5 and then have a poll to pick who we would want as the new HC.

Eric Bieniemy (OC Chiefs)
Arthur Smith (OC Titans)
Greg Roman (OC Ravens)
Nick Sirianni (OC Colts)
Brian Schottenheimer (OC Seahawks)
Nick Sirianni (OC Colts)
Jay Gruden (OC Jags)
Brian Daboll (OC Bills)
Byron Leftwich (OC Bucs)
Joe Brady (OC Panthers)
Harold Goodwin (AHC Bucs)
Duce Staley (AHC Eagles)
Dan Campbell (AHC Saints)
Jim Caldwell (Former HC Lions, Colts)

Robert Saleh (DC 49ers
Matt Eberflus (DC Colts)
Dennis Allen (DC Saints)
Wink Martindale (DC Ravens)
Raheem Morris (IntHC Falcons)
Steve Spagnuolo (DC Chiefs)
Jack Del Rio (DC WFT)
Todd Bowles (DC Bucs)
Patrick Graham (DC Giants)
Brandon Staley (DC Rams)
Leslie Frazier (DC Bills)
Vance Joseph (DC Cards)
Andre Patterson (Co-DC Vikes)
Dan Quinn (Former HC Falcons)

Jim Harbaugh (HC Michigan)
Pat Fitzgerald (HC Northwestern)
Matt Campbell (HC Iowa St)

Gary Patterson HC at TCU.  He has had more success with less resources than almost any college coach I know of.  But I doubt he will ever leave.

James franklin is 2-5 at Penn Sate this year, but I doubt that he leaves.  That guy is a great coach.  He won 9 games in back-to-back seasons at freaking VANDERBILT in the SEC. That is the closest thing there is to coaching under Mike Brown in the NFL.

Fitzgerald also deserves a lot of credit for winning at Northwestern, but he loves that job.  He will never leave.

If Mike Brown is really into "redemption" then maybe Art Briles would be a candidate.

He won "Coach of the Year" in both Conference USA ('06) and the Big 12 ('13).

You didn't include Jim Harbaugh, but I'd include him. He may be interested to coach in AFC and same division as his brother.

For 4 more, I'd go...
- Matt Eberflus
- Robert Saleh
- Eric Bieniemy (again)
- Arthur Smith

Eric Bieniemy
Arthur Smith
Brian Daboll
Pete Carmichael Jr
Mike Zimmer (if he's fired)


- - - - - - -

(PS: You have Jay Gruden on your list twice.)

(12-08-2020, 04:31 PM)ochocincos Wrote: You didn't include Jim Harbaugh, but I'd include him. He may be interested to coach in AFC and same division as his brother.

For 4 more, I'd go...
- Matt Eberflus
- Robert Saleh
- Eric Bieniemy (again)
- Arthur Smith

I'll add him to the list because this is about who the board would want, but in real life I don't think he would ever be a candidate.

To be quite honest, I would prefer someone that has head coaching experience - whether that's in college along with NFL coaching experience as an assistant or as a former head coach.

With the lack of infrastructure here, it's a doomsday scenario for someone who doesn't have experience.m

(12-08-2020, 03:55 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: If - and it's a big if - Zac is let go at the end of the year, the Bengals will be searching for another head coach. Here's a list of names to choose from. Pick 5 guys you would want interviewed to be the new Bengals head coach. Once there's enough choices, we'll figure out the top 5 and then have a poll to pick who we would want as the new HC.

Eric Bieniemy (OC Chiefs)
Arthur Smith (OC Titans)
Greg Roman (OC Ravens)
Nick Sirianni (OC Colts)
Jay Gruden (OC Jags)
Brian Daboll (OC Bills)
Brian Schottenheimer (OC Seahawks)
Nick Sirianni (OC Colts)
Jay Gruden (OC Jags)
Brian Daboll (OC Bills)
Byron Leftwich (OC Bucs)
Joe Brady (OC Panthers)
Harold Goodwin (AHC Bucs)
Duce Staley (AHC Eagles)
Dan Campbell (AHC Saints)
Jim Caldwell (Former HC Lions, Colts)

Robert Saleh (DC 49ers
Matt Eberflus (DC Colts)
Dennis Allen (DC Saints)
Wink Martindale (DC Ravens)
Raheem Morris (IntHC Falcons)
Steve Spagnuolo (DC Chiefs)
Jack Del Rio (DC WFT)
Todd Bowles (DC Bucs)
Patrick Graham (DC Giants)
Brandon Staley (DC Rams)
Leslie Frazier (DC Bills)
Vance Joseph (DC Cards)
Andre Patterson (Co-DC Vikes)
Dan Quinn (Former HC Falcons)

Jim Harbaugh (HC Michigan)
Pat Fitzgerald (HC Northwestern)
Matt Campbell (HC Iowa St)

Out of this list... probably Quinn, as I think he'd be able to turn things and fill out a competent staff the fastest.

Most interesting would be Fitzgerald, but I don't think he'd leave, and who knows if he would translate at this level.

After that, Joseph, Del Rio, Gruden.

Eric Bienemy has never done anything but ride the coattails of greatness.

He was RB coach when the Vikings had Adrian Peterson.

Now he is OC with Patrick Mahommes and Andy Reid.

The two seasons eh was OC at Colorado ('11-'12) their offense sucked.

(12-08-2020, 04:34 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: I'll add him to the list because this is about who the board would want, but in real life I don't think he would ever be a candidate.

What makes you think they wouldn't ever hire him?

(12-08-2020, 04:39 PM)ochocincos Wrote: What makes you think they wouldn't ever hire him?

I just don't think his personality would ever work with the family. 

(12-08-2020, 04:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Eric Bienemy has never done anything but ride the coattails of greatness.

He was RB coach when the Vikings had Adrian Peterson.

Now he is OC with Patrick Mahommes and Andy Reid.

The two seasons eh was OC at Colorado ('11-'12) their offense sucked.

Hmm, these guys seem to feel differently:

“I’d say hire him, right now,” Reid said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN. “That’s what I’d tell you. I don’t want to lose him, but I mean if you’re asking me is he ready to be a head coach, yeah, he’s ready. He was ready last year…He’s in the quarterback room every day, and I think if you’d talk to Patrick [Mahomes] he’d tell you how much influence he’s had on him.’’

“You guys know how I feel about Eric,” Reid said as the year turned. “I think he’d be tremendous. There’s a team out there — I don’t know the team, but there’s a team out there — that could really use him. Being the leader of men that he is, you’re not going to find people better than that in that category. And he’s a sharp offensive mind on top of that. So I’m a big fan. Don’t want to lose him, but reality is, there’s a good chance that happens.

“This guy is a phenomenal coach is what they’re looking at,” Reid said. “And I think [all Chiefs players] would all stand on the table for him. … They’d all stand up and tell you what he’s all about. He’s a leader of men. And they all know he’s going to shoot you straight — honest, honest, honest. And then they also know and respect his mind. I give him, every weekend, I sit down, we put together this game plan sheet with 200-plus plays on it and he memorizes every play, every formation, just — boom — on recall like that. And every week, I go, ‘Listen, are you good with this?’ And he goes, ‘No problem. I’ve got it.’ But a lot of hard work goes into it. Plus, he’s a brilliant dude.”

“He’s helped me a ton,” Mahomes said. “He’s a special coach.”

“When you get a guy like EB, who puts in the time, who is a great leader of players and men and somebody that can really control and have a presence in any room he walks in, you understand why these other teams are looking at him to be their head coach. And so we obviously are focused on our goal right now, but we know, with who he is and how he operates, that he’ll have the opportunities to go places and continue to have success.”

“I think the biggest difference is the mentality,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said on the #PFTPM podcast in late September regarding the transition from Nagy to Bieniemy. “Coach Bieniemy brings a fierce, aggressive mentality to the offense. Kind of a gritty, punch-you-in-the-mouth-type of mindset, and I think that has rubbed off on everybody, from Pat [Mahomes] throwing the ball aggressively down field. The play calling is a little bit more aggressive and, sure enough, everybody getting the ball has been a north runner. There’s not too much running sideways. Everybody’s getting downhill trying to finish the plays in the end zone.”

James Franklin is not on the list, but he's an intriguing option as well. Like Fred mentioned, two 9 win seasons at Vandy in a row is nothing short of amazing. He then goes and gets PSU back on track.

(12-08-2020, 04:10 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Gary Patterson HC at TCU.  He has had more success with less resources than almost any college coach I know of.  But I doubt he will ever leave.

James franklin is 2-5 at Penn Sate this year, but I doubt that he leaves.  That guy is a great coach.  He won 9 games in back-to-back seasons at freaking VANDERBILT in the SEC. That is the closest thing there is to coaching under Mike Brown in the NFL.

Fitzgerald also deserves a lot of credit for winning at Northwestern, but he loves that job.  He will never leave.

Only place I see Fitzgerald leaving for is the hometown Bears, remember he turned down the Packers.

(12-08-2020, 03:55 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: If - and it's a big if - Zac is let go at the end of the year, the Bengals will be searching for another head coach. Here's a list of names to choose from. Pick 5 guys you would want interviewed to be the new Bengals head coach. Once there's enough choices, we'll figure out the top 5 and then have a poll to pick who we would want as the new HC.

Eric Bieniemy (OC Chiefs)
Arthur Smith (OC Titans)
Greg Roman (OC Ravens)
Nick Sirianni (OC Colts)
Brian Daboll (OC Bills)
Brian Schottenheimer (OC Seahawks)
Nick Sirianni (OC Colts)
Jay Gruden (OC Jags)
Brian Daboll (OC Bills)
Byron Leftwich (OC Bucs)
Joe Brady (OC Panthers)
Harold Goodwin (AHC Bucs)
Duce Staley (AHC Eagles)
Dan Campbell (AHC Saints)
Jim Caldwell (Former HC Lions, Colts)

Robert Saleh (DC 49ers
Matt Eberflus (DC Colts)
Dennis Allen (DC Saints)
Wink Martindale (DC Ravens)
Raheem Morris (IntHC Falcons)
Steve Spagnuolo (DC Chiefs)
Jack Del Rio (DC WFT)
Todd Bowles (DC Bucs)
Patrick Graham (DC Giants)
Brandon Staley (DC Rams)
Leslie Frazier (DC Bills)
Vance Joseph (DC Cards)
Andre Patterson (Co-DC Vikes)
Dan Quinn (Former HC Falcons)

Jim Harbaugh (HC Michigan)
Pat Fitzgerald (HC Northwestern)
Matt Campbell (HC Iowa St)

Joe Brady
Eric Bieniemy
Robert Saleh
Matt Eberflus
Jim Harbaugh

(12-08-2020, 04:39 PM)ochocincos Wrote: What makes you think they wouldn't ever hire him?

The Bengals generally hire coaches with a docile personality that go with the flow. Guys like Harbaugh and Zimmer don't fit that mix.

And I doubt Harbaugh would sit down every morning with Mike, Katie, Troy, and Duke and take their advice on what to do like Taylor supposedly does.

(12-08-2020, 05:41 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Bengals generally hire coaches with a docile personality that go with the flow. Guys like Harbaugh and Zimmer don't fit that mix.

And I doubt Harbaugh would sit down every morning with Mike, Katie, Troy, and Duke and take their advice on what to do like Taylor supposedly does.

Which is interesting because while I wasn't very old when Wyche was the HC, I recall clips of him being very vocal and fiery. You'd think the organization would want to get a HC like Wyche.

I would actually hire an older coach this time around.

I would hire Mike Shanahan as HC to a 3 year, with 2 year option, deal.

Hire Mike Martz as passing game coordinator.

Hire a young offensive coordinator, that you can train to be HC, when Mike Shanahan retires.

Hire Willie Anderson to coach offensive line.

Hire Jeff Fisher to coach defense.

Hire Kris Richard to DB coach.

(12-08-2020, 05:52 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Which is interesting because while I wasn't very old when Wyche was the HC, I recall clips of him being very vocal and fiery. You'd think the organization would want to get a HC like Wyche.

They had him and then Mike Brown fired him within 4 months of inheriting the team.

(12-08-2020, 05:52 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Which is interesting because while I wasn't very old when Wyche was the HC, I recall clips of him being very vocal and fiery. You'd think the organization would want to get a HC like Wyche.

Yeah, he was very fiery and a big personality...and Mike's first major decision after taking over was to fire him and hire the mild-mannered Dave Shula.

The crazy part about that is Sam was fired after going 3-13, yet after Shula went 3-13 in his 2nd season (2 less wins than his 1st year), he was given a 2 year extension.