Black Monday is in full swing as several head coaches have been fired following the conclusion of the 2013 regular season. There are now vacancies at Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, Cleveland Brown, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions. With the empty spots, several of the league's top assistants will get attention to make a jump to a head coaching spot. Josh McDaniels appears to be at the top of the list, must to the dismay of quarterback Tom Brady.
The New England Patriots offensive coordinator has a fair amount of success to his name. He came onto the team back in 2001 and played a role in their impressive run of dominance. He was promoted to offensive coordinator before making the jump to head coach with the Denver Broncos. That stint can be summed up into two words, Tim Tebow. His tenure lasted 28 games and he reunited with the Patriots in 2011 following the departure of Bill O'Brien. Now being considered once again for a head coaching job, Brady hopes he stays.
"Josh is the best offensive coach I could ever imagine," Brady said, via MassLive.com. "He's so prepared, he's so confident in what he does. He figures out a way each week to get us in the best position as players to win. I have so much respect for him and what he does for me, what he does for our team. He's just a great coach. He's got a lot of poise. He's got a lot of disciple. I hope he doesn't go anywhere, I'd love for him to coach me the rest of my life. But that's just the way it is, he's one of my best friends and I love having him."
According the NFL.com media insider Albert Breer, McDaniels is the heavy favorite to replace Rob Chudzinski after the Browns fired the coach on Sunday night. The Browns were reportedly interested in the coordinator last season considering he has roots to Ohio, but McDaniels had no interest in departing the Patriots.
"I'm happy here. My family is happy here," McDaniels said last season. "We're excited about what's ahead of us here in the playoffs, and to talk about any other opportunities at this point is, to me, irrelevant, because I'm totally focused on this season and what this season holds."
Breer notes that McDaniels main concern over the Browns position is security and stability. The coach has four children and nothing is secure about Cleveland. Chudzinski was given just one season with the team before getting cut. CEO Joe Banner told reports the team would not interview any coach they spoke with last season. Also on the team's radar is Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase.