When you can interview coaches who are in the playoffs: A guide

[Toast88]

Figured I’d get the jump on this.

So when can the Bears interview head coaching candidates who are in the playoffs?

The simplest way is wait for them to lose. A loss by the assistant coach’s team frees them up for an upward interview.


What if they haven’t lost yet? Then what?

There are still several circumstances under which you can interview a coach if their team is still in the playoffs:

-If that team has a first-round bye, you can interview them this week right now. That means something to you guys who are fans of Frank Reich and John DeFilippo

-If that team wins in the Wild Card round: Matt Nagy fans, that means the Bears can interview Matt Nagy next week, no matter if the Chiefs win or lose next weekend. Although if the Chiefs win, the Bears would need permission from the Chiefs to interview Nagy, and it would have to be next week. Typically, this is granted,’though.

-If that team makes it to the Super Bowl, you can interview a coach that “bye” week of the Super Bowl, with permission.


You can’t interview a coach after his team wins the Divisional Round. If you want to interview that guy, either get him beforehand next week (if he’s on a Wild Card round team) or get to him this week (if his team has a first round bye).


Note that dithering and indecisiveness will hurt you. The Falcons got the inside track on Dan Quinn because they interviewed him the week the season ended because the Seahawks had a first-round bye.


Good luck. And let’s hope the Bears know all this. Kidding! Kidding! Kind of.....

 

[Aesopian]

Thanks, for this I was wondering how playoffs effected the coaching search.

Will the Bears be targeting anyone that is not in the playoff this year?

 

[D.Hester23]

Thanks, for this I was wondering how playoffs effected the coaching search.

Will the Bears be targeting anyone that is not in the playoff this year?

Affected*

 

[Toast88]

I’m sure some of the more plugged in folks around here could tell you.

Aside from the pie-in-the-sky guys like Jon Gruden and Jim Harbaugh, virtually everyone else who’s been mentioned as a possibility is a coach on a playoff team (Carmichael - Saints; Lafleur - Rams; DeFelippo and Reich - Eagles; Nagy - Chiefs).

Unless the Bears pull something ultra vanilla like hire Jeff Fisher or Jack Del Rio, I can’t think of any other head coach targets not on playoff teams. I’m sure we’re forgetting some people, as Pace’s list is bound to include some folks we’ve seldom talked about.

 

[Myk]

Bears know to wait until after the Super Bowl so all their options are open...except all the options that were hired while the Bears were waiting for all their options.

 

[Navy Orange Ninja]

So, It sounds like Bears can interview most of my top candidates (Shurmur, Nagy, Toub, Defilippo, Reich) in the next week. Let's hope that Pace or Sweaty Ted are burning up the phones.

 

[Aesopian]

Darrell Bevell and Jim Bob Cooter could be brought in but I don't know if I'd be happy.

 

[TL1961]

I’m sure some of the more plugged in folks around here could tell you.

Aside from the pie-in-the-sky guys like Jon Gruden and Jim Harbaugh, virtually everyone else who’s been mentioned as a possibility is a coach on a playoff team (Carmichael - Saints; Lafleur - Rams; DeFelippo and Reich - Eagles; Nagy - Chiefs).

Unless the Bears pull something ultra vanilla like hire Jeff Fisher or Jack Del Rio, I can’t think of any other head coach targets not on playoff teams. I’m sure we’re forgetting some people, as Pace’s list is bound to include some folks we’ve seldom talked about.

Any team hiring Jeff Fisher should have its charter revoked.

Same might go for Del Rio.