Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When the regular season ends, many will point to Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as a top NFL Coach of the Year candidate. With good reason too, as the Browns have snagged a playoff spot despite starting what will be five different quarterbacks after Week 18.
But what about Jim Schwartz? Coordinators don’t win coach of the year, but with the work the former Detroit Lions head coach has done this season, maybe he should receive consideration for a promotion. Only, it won’t happen in Cleveland, with Stefanski entrenched as the top dog after potentially winning two Coach of the Year awards in just four seasons at the helm.
While Schwartz says he’s “really happy” in Cleveland, he also admitted that he would welcome another NFL head coaching opportunity if it came along.
“Well, first of all, I’m really happy here,” Schwartz said Thursday. “I love this organization. I love the city of Cleveland. That was such a great atmosphere — 31 years in the NFL, that was one of my top-five atmospheres that Thursday night (Playoff clinching victory against the New York Jets). But I’d say this: In any job that you do, you always aspire to the top of that profession. And I’m no different there.”
Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on head coaching interest
As Schwartz mentioned, he’s enjoying his time in Cleveland, but who wouldn’t turn down a bigger opportunity again? His time with the Lions didn’t go particularly well (29-51), but he’s done well building some of the best defenses in the NFL during his 20 years as a defensive coordinator. If recency bias comes into play, then Schwartz, who has Cleveland ranking as the NFL’s 11th-best scoring defense this season, should receive a few head coaching interviews this offseason, even if he may not be at the top of anyone’s list right now.
But which teams could be a good fit for the former Titans, Lions, Bills, and Eagles coach? Here are just a few that may work.
He may not look like it or act like it, but Pete Carroll is the NFL’s oldest active head coach. It’s hard to imagine the former USC leader doing anything other than coaching, but eventually, there will come a day when the longtime legend calls it quits. And we might not get much of a warning. Yet, the Seahawks probably will.
There’s been no indication Carroll is ready to hang up his headset, and we’re certainly not trying to push him out either. Yet, as mentioned, his coaching reign will eventually come to an end.
What if Coach Carroll is ready to move on this season? Or, bear with me, what if he’s looking to stay on for another year or so, before handing the duties over to an assistant, in this case, Jim Schwartz. Sure, Schwartz wants to be an NFL head coach again, but perhaps he’d entertain a scenario where he’s ‘in line’ to become the coach as soon as Carroll says he’s done.
The thing is, despite having a defensive background, Carroll’s Seahawks have slipped to the back of the pack each of the past two seasons. This year, Seattle ranks 24th in the NFL, allowing 23.9 points per game. Without an elite QB on the roster, this makes life difficult for the Seahawks. Yet, Schwartz has proven more than capable in the past, and if he and Carroll could co-exist, melding both of their minds together, who knows what type of fun schemes they could come up with?
Crazier things have happened, and we sure would be intrigued, but chances are, they would have to pick one or the other, not both, as Carroll prefers to run a lot of zone coverages, and Schwartz likes his aggressive man coverages.
I know, I know, the Chargers already tried hiring a defensive specialist to control one side of the ball while their franchise QB handles the other. Yet, just because Brandon Staley wasn’t the right fit, it doesn’t mean that other top defensive minds can’t still make this work.
No matter what, the Chargers need to get more out of their elite defensive players, and Schwartz has shown he’s plenty capable. In Cleveland, he lets Myles Garrett wreck games, whereas you can’t tell me Joey Bosa doesn’t have the potential to have nearly the same impact. The same goes for defensive chess piece Derwin James.
If interviewed, I’d ask Schwartz what his plan is to get the most out of the highly-paid Chargers defenders. If his plan sounds foolproof, it would be hard to ignore the intrigue of a quick turnaround without having to do a roster teardown.
New franchise owners are expected to let Ron Rivera go after the season, leading to a large coaching search for the Washington Commanders. There’s been no indication of where management will lean, whether it’s a young hotshot seeking his first chance or an experienced vet eager to prove others wrong.
One idea that could appeal is hiring a local Maryland native like Schwartz, who was born just outside of Baltimore in Halethorpe and later attended college at Georgetown. Chances are, if Schwartz is welcoming head coaching opportunities, he’d leap at a chance to coach the Commanders too.
Oddly enough, despite working for six different NFL organizations, including Baltimore, Schwartz has never been employed by Washington. Realistically, he’s probably not at the very top of anyone’s wish list before the head coaching interview process begins, but it’s fair to say Schwartz is one the more qualified candidates available. So, why not Washington?