5 Assistants Who Could Become NFL Coaches In 2015

We are 5 days away from the day referred to as Black Monday. When coaches on the hot seat are let go and the next crop of hot assistant coaches get their crack at the big time to see if they have what it takes to be the next Belichick or McCarthy.

Expect Chicago, Atlanta, NY Jets, San Francisco, and possibly NY Giants and Carolina to be looking for a new head coach. Here are the top 5 hot assistants I expect to have head coaching jobs in 2015.  

Todd Bowles - Arizona Cardinals Defensive Coordinator

It is time for Bowles to finally get his shot at being head coach, which he so richly deserves. This season after losing Darryl Washington, Karlos Dansby, and Darnell Dockett he still has one of the top defenses in the league. He has proven to be fearless as a defensive coordinator and loves to blitz, and often opposing offenses can’t stop it. He has been a NFL assistant since 2001 with stops with the Jets, Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, and lastly the Cardinals since 2013. He acted as interim head coach while in Miami after Tony Sparano was fired compiling a 2-1 record, so he has some brief head coaching experience. You can bet he will bring that fearless passion to any coaching job he gets.

Best Fit: Atlanta - If the rumors are true, Mike Smith is out. They already have a solid offensive nucleus in place with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Devonta Freeman. Now they just need to revamp the defense and Atlanta could become a powerhouse again.

Darrell Bevell - Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator

Bevell is another coach who has paid his dues and is ready for a head coaching gig. Bevell was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings when Brett Favre put up the best statistical line of his career. He has turned Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson into a legitimate dual threat quarterback and adjusted his schemes to fit Wilson’s unique style. Even with the departure of WR Golden Tate and Percy Harvin many thought the offense would suffer. It hasn’t. Now that he’s won his ring and has another year of valuable experience under his belt, look for teams to come knocking on Bevell’s door.

Best Fit: New York Jets – The Jets have truly lacked offensive identity for years now, and that has to change with the offenses within their division getting a lot better. The defense has tons of playmakers thanks to Rex Ryan, and now it’s time for an offensive guru like Bevell to lead the offense out of mediocrity.

Pep Hamilton - Indianapolis Colts Offensive Coordinator

If you were going to ask anybody what quarterback they would start their franchise with the near unanimous pick would be Andrew Luck.  Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has guided Andrew Luck through college and most of his NFL career to date. Luck and the offense's numbers reflect Hamilton’s tutelage where in most categories they rank in the top 5. Aside from his stop at Stanford as OC 2010-2012, Hamilton has been a fixture in the NFL for 10 years. He has shown that with a good quarterback his system can work in the college or NFL ranks.

Best Fit: San Francisco – The pieces are in place for Hamilton to replace Jim Harbaugh. The defense can be somewhat dominant at times, and the offense just needs some tinkering. If Colin Kaepernick is not a lost cause, you can bet Hamilton can fix him and the offense and get the 49ers the 6th Super Bowl ring which has alluded them recently when they have been on the brink.  

Dan Quinn - Seattle Seahawks Defensive Coordinator

The man who runs the Legion of Boom defense only become the coordinator of the Seattle defense last year, but took them on a dominant Super Bowl run. The defense this year hasn’t let up this year putting up insane numbers holding opponents to less than a touchdown and under 175 yards for almost a month now.  A defense line genius he has had stops with the Jets, Dolphins, and Florida Gators before his second stint with the Seahawks.

Best Fit: Chicago – With his gritty, tough, but lovable demeanor this is just what Jay Cutler needs to refind his focus, and fix what is one of the worst defenses in the league. In the Windy City with names like Butkus, Dent, and Urlacher the defense is the pride and joy of Bears fans. If he gets the job, expect Quinn to bring the nasty back to Chicago.

Adam Gase - Denver Broncos Offensive Coordinator

Over the past two years no offense in the league has been as productive as Denver has since Gase has been the offensive coordinator there. It also helps when you have Peyton Manning as your quarterback, but someone has to call the plays into Manning, and Gase has been downright elite in that capacity. At only the young age of 36, he has been in the league only 10 years and has brief stops at Detroit and San Francisco before joining Denver in 2009.

Best Fit: Giants – How cool would it be to coach both Manning brothers and with elite offensive weapons at his disposal. This should be a top head coaching job to get if Tom Couglin is either fired, resigns, or retires. Gase could be at this job for a long time if he gets it, but It wouldn’t surprise me either that Gase stays in Denver until Peyton Manning retires.