If you are the owner of a franchise, and your franchise has been awful, and you're looking for an offensive-minded head coach to help groom your young quarterback, what are you supposed to do?
Do you:
a) Promote your uninspiring tight ends coach turned interim head coach?
b) Hire your former quarterback coach that left when you fired Andy Reid to hire a college head coach?
c) Hire said college head coach that was fired after three seasons of not building quality relationships with those in the building, just one season after firing a head coach that struggled to build relationships?
d) Hire the best offensive coordinator in the league, who has prior head coaching experiences that humbled him and educated him on how to be a better head coach moving forward?
e) Wait, scratch that, don't even bother to interview with coach from answer D.
7 coach openings. 7 go offense. None interview coordinator of top-scoring offense in football since he’s run it ('12), Josh McDaniels.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) January 17, 2016
You're telling me that Josh McDaniels couldn't even land an interview? That teams couldn't wait the extra couple of weeks for the Patriots to finish their season to even interview the best coordinator in the league?
Continuity, a willingness to adapt, and an aptitude for innovation are required to sit atop the league.
The Buccaneers and Giants promoted their offensive coordinators for continuity. The 49ers hired a coach known for his innovation. The Browns hired Hue Jackson, who has been waiting years for his chance. The Dolphins were never going to get McDaniels.
The Eagles were afraid of McDaniels because every single issue about his tenure in Denver applied to Chip Kelly's exit.
And the Titans...well, technically promoting their tight ends coach to be head coach is some sort of continuity. They've acknowledged that they're keeping their quarterback coach through the coaching change for the sake of Marcus Mariota.
But, man, if McDaniels can't get in the door for any of these jobs, what can he do? Will he have to wait for Jim Caldwell to be fired by the Lions? Or Gus Bradley by the Jaguars? Maybe the Chargers or the Rams to cut their coaches? Perhaps the Cowboys will move away from Jason Garrett?
Overlooking McDaniels is a loss for the rest of the league, and a major gain for the Patriots.