shloboe boe
There’s more than just the NFC North title and No. 1 seed at stake Sunday night when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings.
There’s also the timing of when coveted assistants from the Lions and Vikings staffs can interview for head coaching jobs. Coaches from the winning team will be cleared to interview three days after the game, while coaches from the losing team must wait until at least three days after next weekend’s wild-card games conclude.
Lions offensive co-ordinator, Ben Johnson, Lions defensive co-ordinator Aaron Glenn and Vikings defensive co-ordinator Brian Flores are considered three of the top head coaching candidates in the upcoming hiring cycle across league circles.
The NFL’s head coach interview rules allow the winner of Sunday night’s game to get a quicker chance at doing a virtual interview with another organisation.
In the past, some, if not the majority, of head coaching openings usually were filled by or shortly after the divisional round. But now, the NFL is not even allowing in-person interviews until after that round is completed.
Assistant coaches on Sunday night’s winning team, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, can begin doing virtual head coach interviews as soon as Wednesday and conclude them before the end of next weekend’s wild-card games.
Editor’s Picks
“You couldn’t write a better scenario: Lions-Vikings best matchups, keys to victory, more
1dKevin Seifert and Eric Woodyard
Keys to victory for nine teams facing must-win Week 18 matchups: Pivotal players and scheme advantages
1dMatt Bowen
Clinching scenarios for NFL Week 18: NFC North, AFC North, NFC South titles up for grabs
1dESPN staff
Assistant coaches on Sunday night’s losing team, the NFC’s No. 5 seed, can begin doing virtual head coaching interviews three days after their wild-card game and conclude them before the end of the divisional playoff games.
Only virtual interviews are allowed before the conclusion of the divisional round on Jan. 19. In-person interviews can begin Jan. 20, after the divisional round for coaches whose seasons have concluded.
No second interviews will be allowed until Jan. 27, the bye week, for Super Bowl coaches and they must be concluded by Feb. 2.
Non-playoff coaches can interview for head coaching jobs three days after their regular season ends. The league has gone out of its way to ensure that teams abide by the Rooney Rule and each coach supposedly gets a fair chance during the interview process. But the process, in the eyes of some across the league, remains flawed, no matter how much effort has been put into fixing it.
As one source familiar with the interview and hiring process said this weekend: “It’s clunky. In what world do you have to wait this long to hire somebody?”
Despite entertaining multiple head coaching jobs in recent years, Johnson has remained with the Lions (14-2), who enter Sunday night leading the league in scoring (33.3 PPG) and ranking second in total offense (410.5 YPG).
Johnson said last month that he is committed to focusing on the Lions’ pursuit of a championship but admitted “there’s a fire there” when asked about his interest in becoming a head coach.
Glenn is completing his fourth season as Detroit’s defensive co-ordinator. Despite long-term injuries to several key defensive players, including star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions enter Sunday tied for eighth in the league with 24 takeaways.
Flores, who is finishing his second season with the Vikings (14-2), told “The Adam Schefter Podcast” in November that he “would love” to be a head coach in the NFL again. Flores went 24-25 in three seasons as head coach of the Miami Dolphins before being fired after the 2021 season.
Under Flores, the Vikings are tied for the league lead with 31 takeaways, are tied for third in the NFL with 47 sacks and boast the NFL’s fourth-best scoring defence, allowing just 18.8 points per game.
Three teams — the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets — have fired their head coach this season and will be seeking replacements starting this month.
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
