Chip Kelly’s time as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles came to a sudden end following another disappointing season but that doesn’t mean that they and other NFL teams won’t actively pursue a coach from the college ranks to fill their vacant head coach positions this offseason. The majority of teams actively looking for coaches will undoubtedly do their research on the best college coaches to see if they can find a fit and there are already a small group of the top coaches at the college level that are being heavily recruited to make the jump to the NFL right now. Here is a look at the four college coaches being heavily pursued by NFL teams right now.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M Aggies
Sumlin was pursued by a number of NFL teams last summer and opted not to make a move, but there is reason to believe his attitude has changed following another disappointing season at Texas A&M. The Aggies opened the year with five straight wins but they followed that up by dropping five of their final eight games to close out the season including a disappointing loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl. It only got worse in the offseason when both Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen announced they would leave the program. Then the Aggies Athletic Director departed too. Everything that has happened at Texas A&M over the last two years has reportedly led to Sumlin reconsidering his position as head coach and it’s easy to see why he would be concerned about his job security. There are reports suggesting that he is “trying hard” to make the jump to the NFL with a number of teams potentially interested led by the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. We’ll see what comes of it but he’s the most likely college coach to leave for the NFL.
Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide
Pretty much every NFL team that does not have a head coach right now would be interested in hiring Saban – except for the Miami Dolphins, of course – and while he has repeatedly talked about how happy he is at Alabama and his desire to stay with the Crimson Tide, that doesn’t mean they won’t stop pursuing him. Saban has done a masterful job building a perennial contender at Alabama and while he will more than likely stay at Alabama that doesn’t mean NFL teams aren’t willing to throw a boatload of cash at him in order to try to lure him away from the college game.
Jim Mora, UCLA Bruins
Mora is another college coach that has reportedly received some interest from NFL teams. While he shot down rumors of a potential move to the Indianapolis Colts before they extended Chuck Pagano, there is a good chance that the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles would be interested in his services. Mora is coming off a disappointing year at UCLA but he has done an excellent job turning the Bruins around since he arrived. Given that things haven’t gone as expected this season, it is possible that Mora decides to leave before things go sour at UCLA. Another similar season would definitely land him on the hot season, so bouncing now could be a move of foresight if he felt his team won’t improve much. There is no doubt he has been among the most heavily pursued college coaches.
Jimbo Fisher, Florida State Seminoles
Fisher was approached last year at this time by a couple of NFL teams that inquired about his interest in making the jump from Florida State and while he shut them down at the time he did admit that he would “never say never” when it came to eventually making the move. There is no doubt the teams that contacted him last year will take another shot at him this offseason and while he has repeated his desire to stay with the Seminoles at least for the near future it wouldn’t be a shock to see him make the jump to the NFL at some point.
