Seahawks Next Head Coach

[hoxgmp]

Hi all - Happy 2024 to everyone!

We are at an exciting time with the Seahawks once again. A Seahawks legend was let go even though he stuck to his philosophy and kept "competing" till the very end.

If I had to take a guess, I think the next Seahawks HC will be Dan Quinn.

Dan Quinn was the DC when we won SB 48. The defense played fast then, and the defensive line stopped the run and put pressure on the QB, which we are having a hard time doing these days.

Dan Quinn is known to the organization, works well with John Schneider and, even with the current players that we have on defense, Dan can take the defense to a much higher level than what Pete Carroll was able to do. Dan can also keep Shane Waldren to run the offense, just so there is continuity with the program.

What do you guys think?

[Aseahawkfan]

I would take Quinn. He builds the defense from the front to back. He's young. He'll let the OC do what he wants to make fans like Northawk and Riverdog happy. He'll work well with Schneider.

Main concern is can he develop a QB or attract an OC that can develop a QB.

Other than that, if we can't get Harbaugh, Quinn would be a solid choice.

Seems Jody surprised us with this move. Maybe she'll surprise us and lure Jim Harbaugh here. Though I think that is unlikely as I can't see Harbaugh and Schneider getting along too well. Harbaugh is a control freak like Pete and probably will want some contractual concessions including choice of GM to make it work. I think Pete agreed to step aside as friendly as he did to give JS his shot at being the GM with all the power this time. I think that likely leans towards us grabbing Quinn if he wants it.

[curmudgeon]

Everyone still want Quinn?? ………

[jshawaii22]

NO to Dan Quinn. Today was just the atomic bomb dropped on all those that even think he would make a good HC. We don't need a 'defensive' PC disciple who isn't as good as the talking heads think. We need an offensive coach or Harbaugh.

As of Friday the Seahawks are the only team without a coach to not conduct any, as in zero, interviews so far. Interesting. With the Rooney rule, we should have conducted at least 2 interviews by now, no matter what plan is in place.

[NorthHawk]

The Cowboys are having a Seahawkian WC playoff result. It's like us playing the 49ers or Rams these last couple of years.

Even before this game, I would rather have someone who is completely different from what we had, so if Defense then McDonald from the Ravens, and if Offense then Brian Callahan or maybe the Texans OC Bobby Slowik.

[Aseahawkfan]

In Quinn's defense, Dak did give the opponent 14 points.

[RiverDog]

It didn't change my perspective. I'm still firmly in the young OC crowd for our next HC.

[NorthHawk]

Really bright OCs are hard to come by so maybe it's a good strategy to try to find one that has HC qualities so they can't be picked off by other teams looking for a new coach.
DCs aren't in demand as much for the HC position lately and I think that's just the NFL and the cycle it's in along with the rule changes that give such an advantage to the Offense.

[RiverDog]

Really bright OCs are hard to come by so maybe it's a good strategy to try to find one that has HC qualities so they can't be picked off by other teams looking for a new coach.
DCs aren't in demand as much for the HC position lately and I think that's just the NFL and the cycle it's in along with the rule changes that give such an advantage to the Offense.

Maybe I'm a bit biased, but IMO the Seahawks are likely one of the more desirable franchises for a potential head coach. Both Holmgren and Pete were the top coaches on the market when we hired them. We have an owner who is hands off but has deep pockets, the fan base is awesome and travels well, the stadium offers one of the best home field advantages in the league, and the GM is generally well respected. Plus, having Pete Carroll in the building as an advisor might be a huge plus. I know that I wouldn't mind having him around.

There's at least three young OC's out there, all in their 30's, who are viable HC candidates: The Lions' OC Ben Johnson, the Eagles OC Brian Johnson, and the Bengals OC Brian Callahan. And that's not mentioning Eric Bienemy, who for some reason hasn't been able to land a job. I'll be disappointed if we can't get one of those three guys.

[trents]

I would take Quinn. He builds the defense from the front to back. He's young. He'll let the OC do what he wants to make fans like Northawk and Riverdog happy. He'll work well with Schneider.

Main concern is can he develop a QB or attract an OC that can develop a QB.

Other than that, if we can't get Harbaugh, Quinn would be a solid choice.

Seems Jody surprised us with this move. Maybe she'll surprise us and lure Jim Harbaugh here. Though I think that is unlikely as I can't see Harbaugh and Schneider getting along too well. Harbaugh is a control freak like Pete and probably will want some contractual concessions including choice of GM to make it work. I think Pete agreed to step aside as friendly as he did to give JS his shot at being the GM with all the power this time. I think that likely leans towards us grabbing Quinn if he wants it.

I would not say he is young. He's 53! Not ancient but not young. And didn't he battle cancer a few years ago? Hodgkins lymphoma? Or, am I confusing him with someone else?

What about Eric Biennime? It's a name that has often been touted as deserving a head coaching gig.

[NorthHawk]

There seems to be a big expectation (at least in the media and comments I read) that Quinn should be the next HC.
I wonder if this blowout by the Packers (the score didn't in my mind reflect the dominance of the Packers) in a must win game now gives Schneider some room to temper those expectations and not feel like the fan base will come down on him.
It might not even be a consideration on his part, but I don't know how he couldn't be aware of it but he might have more freedom to select an Offensive OC.

[NorthHawk]

Seahawk interviews from PFT:

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that they have requested an interview with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. They are the second team to show interest in Kafka this cycle and he has already interviewed with the Titans.

The Seahawks have also requested interviews with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith on Monday. They announced that Pete Carroll would not return as the team’s head coach last Wednesday.

[Aseahawkfan]

I would not say he is young. He's 53! Not ancient but not young. And didn't he battle cancer a few years ago? Hodgkins lymphoma? Or, am I confusing him with someone else?

What about Eric Biennime? It's a name that has often been touted as deserving a head coaching gig.

I do not recall Quinn dealing with cancer, but I don't keep careful track of him.

Don't know Eric well.

For me the best guy is Harbaugh, but there is obviously a huge line for him. He chose a great time to go back to the NFL. Teams are lining up to get him.

Hopefully Schneider has some ideas. Schneider has always preached head coach and QB are the two most important elements of a team. So I'm thinking he will work very hard to bring in a great head coach.

My idea is winning the Harbaugh sweepstakes. So far that guy doesn't fail when he's given time. I want as sure a chance of winning as possible.

[RiverDog]

What about Eric Biennime? It's a name that has often been touted as deserving a head coaching gig.

I don't know what the deal is with Bienemy. On the surface, he looks eminently qualified. But he's had interviews with multiple teams and has never gotten a job. Is there something in his past that has come up on a background search? Does he have a people problem, not a good motivator? Or does he just not interview well?

His move to the Commanders was supposed to get him out of the shadow of Andy Reid, which was one of the reasons that was being speculated as to why he wasn't getting any HC opportunities. But I don't hear his name being mentioned anywhere, and we've had 8 HC openings. Seems strange.

[Stream Hawk]

I don't know what the deal is with Bienemy. On the surface, he looks eminently qualified. But he's had interviews with multiple teams and has never gotten a job. Is there something in his past that has come up on a background search? Does he have a people problem, not a good motivator? Or does he just not interview well?

His move to the Commanders was supposed to get him out of the shadow of Andy Reid, which was one of the reasons that was being speculated as to why he wasn't getting any HC opportunities. But I don't hear his name being mentioned anywhere, and we've had 8 HC openings. Seems strange.

I’d be OK with Bieniemy. Look how much worse KC’s offense did this year without him. I know Pat’s receivers sucked, but they were the same last year. KC just looked out of sync for most of the season. We have to interview someone of color per the Rooney rule, so he should at least get an int. But he did do some domestic violent type of thing in his past. I can’t member specifics, but that possibly is keeping him from getting head coaching jobs. He’s also considered kind of an asshole; although it might be nice to have less of a players coach.

I am still hoping for an offensive genius. Scheme specific to actually utilize the generational talents of DK and JSN. Slowik, Ben Johnson, Mike Lefleur, and possibly Bieniemy are my targets. Like Asea said I expect John to be taking this search extremely serious and he wants to land the correct guy. I don’t, however, think it should be Harbaugh. Hairball has way too much baggage and probably wouldn’t stick around very long. He also wouldn’t work work Schneider very wall. But if it were to happen, I would be open as he has been successful for the most part.

[Agent 86]

="NorthHawk"

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that they have requested an interview with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. They are the second team to show interest in Kafka this cycle and he has already interviewed with the Titans.

The Seahawks have also requested interviews with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith on Monday. They announced that Pete Carroll would not return as the team’s head coach last Wednesday.

I thought Rapoport reported last week they also requested one with Ravens DC Mike Macdonald, but i see now it was just a report they expected to. I don't see his name on this list. Neither is Lions OC Ben Johnson. I wonder if them still being in playoffs plays any factor in it, maybe it hasn't been disclosed yet? I was hoping for one of them to at least be part of the interview process. Hopefully they are still in the mix.

Then again, I really know nothing about any of these guys save for Quinn and Morris who had previous HC jobs.

[Oly]

Good to see you again, hoxgmp! I remember you from back in the PI forums 20 years ago and I'm glad that you're popping in here. This is the only Hawks forum I still visit.

I'm with RiverDog in wanting to see some young, innovative offensive coach. The rules are so unbalanced in favor of the offense that it feels like the days of "defense wins championships" are over. Which is a shame, because I like watching a dominant D over a dominant O, but I've made my peace with being an old cranky man. If the Hawks are going to be dominant again, it seems that we need to draft fast, physical defenders who are bloodthirsty. Let's get some dogs back in that defense. But I don't think the gap between being a bloodthirsty innovative defense and a bloodthirsty simple defense is that big. Simple vs. innovative is much more important on offense, however. So prioritize that with the HC and fix the defense through drafting.

[RiverDog]

I don't know what the deal is with Bienemy. On the surface, he looks eminently qualified. But he's had interviews with multiple teams and has never gotten a job. Is there something in his past that has come up on a background search? Does he have a people problem, not a good motivator? Or does he just not interview well?

His move to the Commanders was supposed to get him out of the shadow of Andy Reid, which was one of the reasons that was being speculated as to why he wasn't getting any HC opportunities. But I don't hear his name being mentioned anywhere, and we've had 8 HC openings. Seems strange.

I’d be OK with Bieniemy. Look how much worse KC’s offense did this year without him. I know Pat’s receivers sucked, but they were the same last year. KC just looked out of sync for most of the season. We have to interview someone of color per the Rooney rule, so he should at least get an int. But he did do some domestic violent type of thing in his past. I can’t member specifics, but that possibly is keeping him from getting head coaching jobs. He’s also considered kind of an asshole; although it might be nice to have less of a players coach.

I am still hoping for an offensive genius. Scheme specific to actually utilize the generational talents of DK and JSN. Slowik, Ben Johnson, Mike Lefleur, and possibly Bieniemy are my targets. Like Asea said I expect John to be taking this search extremely serious and he wants to land the correct guy. I don’t, however, think it should be Harbaugh. Hairball has way too much baggage and probably wouldn’t stick around very long. He also wouldn’t work work Schneider very wall. But if it were to happen, I would be open as he has been successful for the most part.

Regarding Bienemy's domestic violence thing, it happened over 30 years ago when he was in his early 20's. He had a very checkered past. I doubt that's what is holding him back. Bienemy is no spring chicken. He's 54 years old.

As far as satisfying the Rooney Rule, the Hawks have already requested to talk to Raheem Morris, the DC of the Rams. There's also a very well qualified OC in Brian Johnson of the Eagles, one of the OC's I mentioned that we should kick the tires on.

Agreed about Hairball. Way too much of a risk. I'm not sure if he'd come here anyway. He's going to want more control than JS is willing to give a new HC.

[Aseahawkfan]

Regarding Bienemy's domestic violence thing, it happened over 30 years ago when he was in his early 20's. He had a very checkered past. I doubt that's what is holding him back. Bienemy is no spring chicken. He's 54 years old.

As far as satisfying the Rooney Rule, the Hawks have already requested to talk to Raheem Morris, the DC of the Rams. There's also a very well qualified OC in Brian Johnson of the Eagles, one of the OC's I mentioned that we should kick the tires on.

Agreed about Hairball. Way too much of a risk. I'm not sure if he'd come here anyway. He's going to want more control than JS is willing to give a new HC.

Harbaugh is the least risky of the coaches based on results. Not sure how you as a former manager and person who is older considers Jim Harbaugh risky. He's the least risky of the coaches. He's already proven he can take a team to a Super Bowl and compete. His team put up a way better fight against Seattle's Super Bowl winning team by taking us to the wire so Sherm could make that final play against Crabtree, then the Super Bowl was an absolute crushing against a record setting offense. The real Super Bowl was the NFC conference championship of Seattle versus San Francisco and Jim Harbaugh took our best team with our record setting defense to the last play the game. Over 4 years as HC of the 49ers, he went to two conference championships, 3 out of 4 years playoffs, and only misses one year with severe injuries on the team. Then goes to Michigan and takes them to a National Championship win after beating Alabama against the best college coach of the past 20 years. This is after taking Stanford back to competition again and developing the best QB prospect since Elway in Andrew Luck, a 1st round 1st overall pick. In your mind, this is our riskiest option? Heh.

But you want some unproven coordinator who may just spin our wheels for the 4 or 5 years and get nothing done versus a guy that has done nothing but show he can compete fast at the very highest levels against the very best in college and the NFL.

Just say you don't like the guy and you'd rather lose or take a shot on some unproven guy that has done nearly nothing and may spin our wheels until you're gone from the world than have the very best option we can possibly get. Just say it and be done with it.

No one out there right now is a safer and more competitive option than Jim Harbaugh. There is zero reason to believe otherwise given his resume.

[RiverDog]

After last night's Eagles-Bucs game where the Eagles got crushed 32-9 by a very pedestrian Tampa Bay team, there's a chance that Nick Sirianni might be on the hot seat, too. At one point, the defending NFC champs were 10-1 and cruising to their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in as many years but ended up losing 5 of their last 6 and one and done in an embarrassing playoff loss.

The Eagles players are less than enthusiastic about Sirianni, an indication that he may have lost the team:

Jalen Hurts is often a tough read, but he revealed plenty by what he didn’t say when given the opportunity to endorse Nick Sirianni.

Asked if he wanted the Eagles coach back, Hurts said, “I didn’t know he was going anywhere.”

Told that there has been rampant speculation that Sirianni’s job was in jeopardy, Hurts said, “I didn’t know that.”

And then when asked whether he had confidence in him to fix the Eagles’ late season free fall — that landed with a thud at Raymond James Stadium — the quarterback said, “I have a ton of confidence in everyone in this building.”

But when your $255 million franchise quarterback can’t summon the words to defend his coach, it seems a foregone conclusion that Sirianni won’t be back for a fourth season — just one year after he nearly guided the Eagles to a second Super Bowl title.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... r-AA1n33M3

[NorthHawk]

And now something might be going on in Pittsburgh with Tomlin abruptly walking out of the press conference when asked about his contract status.

[RiverDog]

And now something might be going on in Pittsburgh with Tomlin abruptly walking out of the press conference when asked about his contract status.

Plus, there's Dallas and Mike McCarthy. That's three more potential openings.

[Aseahawkfan]

I watched John Schneider's press conference. He has the reins now. Definitely not getting any of the coaches you only hire if you want to give them a great degree of control.

I'm definitely expecting Quinn or an OC or DC looking for their first head coaching job. I guess we'll see what a first time head coach can do.

[trents]

J. Jones has now said that McCarthy is coming back next year so he's off the board.

[RiverDog]

I read an interesting article about Dan Quinn's defenses that may give us some pause for concern if he's to be our next head coach. Here's a few snippits from it:

Hiring Dan Quinn as head coach for the Seahawks may not be ideal since he has struggled against the offensive schemes of the Rams and 49ers.

Shanahan's knowledge of Quinn's defensive rules poses a potential threat to the Seahawks' defense.

Quinn's defense in Dallas performed well overall, but they struggled against teams that utilized presnap motion, a staple of the Shanahan coaching tree.

Unfortunately, not long after Quinn’s name turned into a talking point, the Green Bay Packers annihilated his defense for 48 points and six touchdowns in a big playoff upset.

Those offensive fireworks came against Matt LaFleur, a branch of the Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay coaching tree. This raises the question whether Quinn is the best candidate for the Seahawks after all, considering they have to go through the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers twice a year in the NFC West.

Presnap motion killed the Cowboys all year

A huge part of the Shanahan offensive tree involves presnap motion. It clues the quarterback to what type of defense he’s facing on that particular snap and muddies the water for defensive players trying to read out the play. Former quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky broke down how teams used simple motion to great effect against Dallas all season.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/da ... 4b80&ei=16

[Spohawk5092]

well and then of course his Cowpukes has their asses handed to them on a silver platter courtesy of Green Bay as well, oooops.

[RiverDog]

I'm hearing a lot of rumblings about Mike Vrabel, that they could make an announcement as early as today.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicts Mike Vrabel as Seahawks’ next head coach

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2024/1/18/24 ... head-coach

[NorthHawk]

I would hope not this soon. There are a lot of other candidates that deserve to be interviewed and maybe one of them would really impress.
Casting a wide net is only good if you look at each one and not zero in on a single candidate early.

[RiverDog]

I would hope not this soon. There are a lot of other candidates that deserve to be interviewed and maybe one of them would really impress.
Casting a wide net is only good if you look at each one and not zero in on a single candidate early.

The thing on Vrabel is that he's expected to get several offers as he's viewed as one of the top candidates, so it could be a snooze, you lose proposition.

Like Quinn, Vrabel is a known quantity and shouldn't require a formal face-to-face interview.

[c_hawkbob]

Vrabel is my top choice, I hope it happens very soon! It was pretty much a shock down here that he was let go after what he's done for the Titans (I live a 2 hour drive from Nashville).

[Agent 86]

I'm hearing a lot of rumblings about Mike Vrabel, that they could make an announcement as early as today.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano predicts Mike Vrabel as Seahawks’ next head coach

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2024/1/18/24 ... head-coach

Since he was fired by the Titans, the Seahawks wouldn't need to formally request an interview with him, so makes sense that his name hasn't come out on that public list. There could be some others who aren't tied to any teams that Schneider has reached out to.

The interesting thing on Vrabel that I think I read somewhere was he apparently asked ownership for more control last year. He was denied and it didn't sit well with him. Then at a Patriots event, he said something along the lines of the Patriots know how to run things and it's not like that everywhere. That didn't sit well with the owner of the Titans. So if he looking for more control on personnel decisions, Seattle isn't the place to come to. This needs to be Schneiders show and vision now, which is why I think he goes with a younger coordinator with no previous head coaching experience, but one that fits what his vision is.

Edit, link below to the story I was referring to:

https://www.si.com/nfl/titans/news/report-poor-communication-misunderstanding-led-to-titans-firing-mike-vrabel#:~:text=NASHVILLE%20%E2%80%94%20The%20firing%20of%20Tennessee,untenable%2C%20the%20Athletic%20reported%20Thursday.

[NorthHawk]

[quote][/quote]The thing on Vrabel is that he's expected to get several offers as he's viewed as one of the top candidates, so it could be a snooze, you lose proposition.

Like Quinn, Vrabel is a known quantity and shouldn't require a formal face-to-face interview.

Seattle is said to be one of if not the best destination for a prospective HC this year, so maybe check out the interest from Johnson or Slowik before pulling the trigger.
I haven't read that he's had many interviews, so I'm not sure the demand has been there for Vrabel.

[RiverDog]

I haven't read that he's had many interviews, so I'm not sure the demand has been there for Vrabel.

As Agent 86 pointed out, Vrabel was fired, so teams do not have to formally request an interview with him like they do with the OC's and DC's that are still employed, so yeah, we're going to hear a lot more about guys like Quinn, Johnson, et al. than we will Vrabel.

[NorthHawk]

But teams normally let it known who they interview as it’s part of the NFL way of maintaining interest in its product.

[NorthHawk]

Vrabel is meeting with the Chargers, and the Falcons and Seahawks are said to be interested according to PFT.

[Aseahawkfan]

I'd be happy with Vrabel. He's from Bill's tree for the most part. He learned under Bill B how to get things done. Tough guy coach who likes linebackers and D-line, so building a quality front seven would be important to him.

Vrabel would need a good O-coordinator. I imagine he won't make fans like Northhawk or Riverdog too happy as he is not from the fancy passing tree, but more from the Pete tree of hardnose ball control offense with a strong defense tree.

[NorthHawk]

His Offenses haven’t been that staid, and I don’t mind the choice but I think we should look at the others before making a decision. I would rather have an Offensive HC with a young QB coming in the next couple of years so that any real good OC
isn’t poached by HC needy teams. Losing continuity during the development process can hurt the development of that QB so an Offensive HC would presumably be here for a number of years.
A hard nose HC doesn’t preclude a modern Offense.

[RiverDog]

His Offenses haven’t been that staid, and I don’t mind the choice but I think we should look at the others before making a decision. I would rather have an Offensive HC with a young QB coming in the next couple of years so that any real good OC
isn’t poached by HC needy teams. Losing continuity during the development process can hurt the development of that QB so an Offensive HC would presumably be here for a number of years.
A hard nose HC doesn’t preclude a modern Offense.

Well, he's being interviewed by the Chargers, the Falcons have expressed interest, and the Commanders are rumored to be stalking him, too. If we want him, we'd better get off our duffs and make him an offer.

[RiverDog]

After reading this article, I've become convinced that Vrabel is the guy we'll hire:

In the meantime, we’ve heard about eight interview requests for assistants from throughout the league by the Seahawks, and another rumored to be likely. All nine of those reports involve current offensive or defensive coordinators, which makes sense given that the Seahawks need to request permission to interview anyone currently employed by an NFL team.

As a former player with, as Breer noted, “pelts on the wall,” Vrabel fits into a category that includes Detroit’s Dan Campbell and Houston’s DeMeco Ryans, both head coaches who are semi-recent ex-players that seem to understand how to reach the modern athlete, and are having tremendous success with traditionally moribund franchises.

Vrabel’s teams play hard and don’t quit. He has experience leading a franchise. He has learned from Bill Belichick but wasn’t among the many failed coaches from the Belichick tree – important because many of those hoodie wannabes tried the same top-down dictatorial approach that worked for their mentor but didn’t have the ability to pull it off. And according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Vrabel has a strong relationship with Schneider, an imperative for sustained success.

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1771780/ ... 9KYGIaTPyw

That last sentence I've underlined is what clinched it for me. With the exception of Dan Quinn, you can't say that about any of the other names that have been batted around.

I'd still prefer one of the top OC's, but I'd be more than happy with Vrabel.

[4XPIPS]

After reading this article, I've become convinced that Vrabel is the guy we'll hire:

In the meantime, we’ve heard about eight interview requests for assistants from throughout the league by the Seahawks, and another rumored to be likely. All nine of those reports involve current offensive or defensive coordinators, which makes sense given that the Seahawks need to request permission to interview anyone currently employed by an NFL team.

As a former player with, as Breer noted, “pelts on the wall,” Vrabel fits into a category that includes Detroit’s Dan Campbell and Houston’s DeMeco Ryans, both head coaches who are semi-recent ex-players that seem to understand how to reach the modern athlete, and are having tremendous success with traditionally moribund franchises.

Vrabel’s teams play hard and don’t quit. He has experience leading a franchise. He has learned from Bill Belichick but wasn’t among the many failed coaches from the Belichick tree – important because many of those hoodie wannabes tried the same top-down dictatorial approach that worked for their mentor but didn’t have the ability to pull it off. And according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Vrabel has a strong relationship with Schneider, an imperative for sustained success.

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1771780/ ... 9KYGIaTPyw

That last sentence I've underlined is what clinched it for me. With the exception of Dan Quinn, you can't say that about any of the other names that have been batted around.

I'd still prefer one of the top OC's, but I'd be more than happy with Vrabel.

I would pass on Vrabel. Was he a good coach? It's hard to say if he was bad or great, but he was given plenty of time to develop a successful team and he sort of fell in that "above league average type of results"

I don't hate the guy, but most first time coaches are done with in the first 3 years, and most likely won't sniff another HC job for quite sometime. However, Vrabel did have success and was playoff bound, but couldn't elevate his team to the next level and was given ample time to do so. The Titans did stay relatively young over the time he coached, so it wasn't like he meddling with aging veterans and they aged out. I think the body of work he put out warrants enough for him to be a head coach again, and if he comes here and we get the same results where we are a bubble team that makes the playoffs here or there, well we might as well have kept Pete as our HC. Never fully developed a solid QB, but would it be an upgrade from Pete? I think the results would be the same.