As you may already know, the New England Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, has signed a five-year extension with the Patriots just months after spurning the Indianapolis Colts for their head-coaching job. McDaniels is set to be the highest-paid coordinator in NFL history and is expected to make over $4 million a year. All in all, this is good news for the Patriots, but could it mean that Bill Belichick’s days as head coach are now numbered?
There has been a lot of speculation about whether the 66-year-old Belichick wants to coach into his 70s or not, and let’s face it, he’s not getting any younger. So, could McDaniels potentially be Belichick’s predecessor, and take over the Patriots’ head coaching job? Well if he is, then it appears he has Belichick’s trust.
“I think he’s a top offensive coordinator in the league. He’s done a great job for me for a long time in a lot of different roles,” Belichick told ESPN. So, it is easy to tell that Belichick trusts McDaniels as a coordinator, but should he trust him to take over as head coach if or when Belichick leaves? McDaniels’ track record as a head coach should concern fans for the future.
What if McDaniels becomes head coach?
McDaniels was head coach for the Denver Broncos in 2009 and 2010, and it is fair to say that he looked a little shaky after posting 11 wins and 17 losses between the two years. McDaniels was fired after week 13 in 2010. McDaniels was not the first assistant coach under Belichick to have a rough go around at head coaching in the NFL; in fact, the list is quite long.
So how have Belichick’s assistant coaches fared as NFL head coaches?
Al Groh (9-7 NYJ 2000)
Groh is the only coach that worked under Belichick to have a winning record as an NFL head coach. However, he only coached one season for the New York Jets, and then moved on to coach college football in Virginia.
Bill O’Brien (31-33 HOU 2014)
O’Brien was an assistant coach for the Patriots from 2007-2011 before he took a head coach job at Penn State from 2012-2013, then eventually taking over the Houston Texans head coaching spot. Despite the losing record, one could argue that O’Brien has had the most success of all Belichick’s assistants.
Eric Mangini (23-25 NYJ 2006) (10-22 CLE 2009)
Mangini worked under Belichick in Cleveland and in New England as a defensive coordinator. Mangini showed times of excellence and times of mediocrity as a head coach in the NFL; there were times where he was even referred to as “The Mangenius.” However, despite the cool nickname, Mangini really didn’t have a great head coaching career in the NFL.
Nick Saban (15-17 MIA 2005)
If you were wondering why the great Nick Saban has yet to come back to the NFL and be a head coach, maybe it’s because his first stint in the NFL didn’t go so well. Saban was the defensive coordinator for Bill Belichick in Cleveland from 1991-1994. Saban has clearly found himself success in college football and is unlikely to return to the NFL, and for good reason.
Romeo Crennel (24-40 CLE 2005) (4-15 KC 2011)
Crennel, who is now a defensive coordinator under Bill O’Brien, was the Patriots defensive coordinator from 2001-2004. Crennel was unsuccessful in two separate head coaching stints, and it seems he has found a comfort zone as a defensive coordinator.
Jim Schwartz (29-51 DET 2009)
Schwartz never really coached under Belichick, but he was a scout under Belichick in Cleveland from 1993-1995. Schwartz was “blessed” with the opportunity to coach the Lions one year after they had gone 0-16, so it’s fair to say that the talent he was working with was not great. Nevertheless, 29 wins and 51 losses is the opposite of a successful coaching stint.
As a Patriots fan, you should naturally be scared to death at the thought of Belichick retiring, or leaving the Patriots. If the Patriots answer at head coach is McDaniels, then it is entirely possible that dark times are ahead for the Patriots. Let’s just hope that if Belichick does have one foot out the door, he is passing all his great coaching wisdom to McDaniels, or else this great dynasty we have become accustomed to could be going away very soon.