Latest NFL coaching rumors: Another candidate withdraws from Browns' search
Candidates for the Browns' vacancy are dropping left and right. (David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
What's the latest news surrounding the 2014 NFL coaching carousel? Find updates about all the latest coaching rumors below.
Jan. 14
Browns
• Fox Sports: "Cardinals DC Todd Bowles has told the Browns to withdraw his name from their list of HC candidates, source tells FOX Sports 1."
• Denver Post: "According to two NFL sources, the Browns are waiting on first-year Denver offensive coordinator [Adam Gase] to become available for an interview before they hire a head coach. The Cleveland Plain Dealer also reported Monday that Gase could be the Browns' top target."
Lions
• ESPN: (UPDATE: The Lions have hired Jim Caldwell as coach.) "With [Ken] Whisenhunt out of the mix, the Lions are focusing more closely on Jim Caldwell as a leading candidate for their vacancy. … The Lions also have had a former Paterno player, ex-Titans coach Mike Munchak, high on their list. Sources said they were 'pleasantly surprised' with Munchak's plan, presence and leadership."
Vikings
• ESPN: "Bengals DC Mike Zimmer is in Minnesota today for a second interview for the Vikings HC job."
•ProFootballTalk.com: "Per a league source, the Vikings still have no timetable for filling the job. The team is taking a methodical approach, considering multiple qualified candidates."
Jan. 13
Titans
• Tennessean: (UPDATE: Ken Whisenhunt has been hired as next coach of the Titans.) "The Lions have long been considered the favorite to land Chargers OC Ken Whisenhunt, but hearing the Titans very interested." Whisenhunt's Chargers were eliminated from the playoffs Sunday night.
• ProFootballTalk: "With the team reportedly interested in Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Titans can’t talk to him until the Seattle season has ended. … The Titans can’t [interview him], because they didn’t interview Quinn during the bye week -- because they didn’t fire Munchak until the bye week had nearly ended."
Browns
• Cleveland Plain Dealer: "A national report that former Browns coach Rob Chudzinski has been talking the team down to its current head coaching candidates is false, a league source told cleveland.com. The source said Chudzinski has not talked to any of the Browns candidates." NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that several candidates had called the one-and-done Cleveland coach to gain insight on the vacancy.
• Fox Sports: "Source tells FOXSports that Mike Munchak is interviewing today for Browns head coaching job."
Jan. 12
Browns
• NFL.com: "[Rob] Chudzinski, incidentally, is an issue for the Browns. Ian Rapoport was told that candidates have been calling the one-and-done coach, asking what exactly went down in C-Town this season. 'He's been honest with them,' Rapoport said. 'When you talk to people involved in these interviews, it doesn't sound like Banner, Lombardi and Haslam have all been on the same page.'"
Lions
• ESPN: "While Ken Whisenhunt is odds-on favorite to pick his next team as HC, Mike Munchak 'surprised' Lions with strong interview. Don't ignore."
Vikings
• ESPN: "Bengals DC Mike Zimmer is expected to have his 2nd interview with the Vikings early next week." The Vikings interviewed 49ers assistants Greg Roman and Jim Tomsula Saturday.
Titans
• NFL.com: "Titans have 1 interview left on the docket: Seahawks DC Dan Quinn, a top candidate. I’m told they’re inclined to wait. Could be a while."
Jan. 11
Browns
• CBS Sports: "The Cleveland Browns have not given up hope on landing Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase as their next head coach … Browns officials [also] remain very intrigued by Auburn's Gus Malzahn, a source said, and have not given up on landing him as well."
• Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Thursday during a radio interview in Columbus that he'd be interested in an NFL job. but it's not likely to be with the Browns. Nothing's changed since last week when a league source told cleveland.com that a report on Akron's ESPN 1350 that Tressel would interview with the Browns was false."
Lions
• CBS Sports: "The Lions were the first team to interview him [Ken Whisenhunt] (he also met with the Titans and Browns, according to sources), and league sources said Whisenhunt remains very interested in that opening and the offensive pieces already in place."
Titans
• Tennessee interviewed Chargers OC Ken Whisenhunt for their coaching vacancy on Friday night, according to the team's official Twitterfeed. Whisenhunt will help coach the Chargers against the Broncos on Sunday.
Vikings
• CBS Sports: "The Vikings ... had good meetings with Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, sources said, and they could end up the three finalist for that job."
• ESPN: "San Francisco OC Greg Roman will interview today [Saturday] for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching job."
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