Now that the Vikings and Packers are both without coaches, they are facing a lot of off-season competition. Five other teams are also searching for a head coach.
On KFAN Radio you can probably guess what fans were talking about Monday.
"I like Mike Tice," says one caller.
Much harder to predict is who they'll be talking about a few weeks from now.
"I think as the week goes on, people will start to prognosticate who they think will be the coach," says KFAN's Paul Allen, of the P.A. and Dubay Show.
Right now sports analysts are tossing around about a dozen names for various head coaching positions.
"The names on which I'm focusing are Brad Childress, Gregg Williams and Jim Fassel," Allen says.
Fassel is an offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens, but he used to be head coach of the New York Giants, which used to be the favorite team of Vikings' owner Zygi Wilf.
Another candidate is Gregg Williams, currently an assistant head coach for the Washington Redskins.
And then there's Brad Childress, offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers reportedly like him and the Vikings reportedly want to interview his boss, Eagles' vice president of player personnel Tom Heckert.
"I know those two have a good relationship, so I would not be surprised if they hired Heckert, if he brought Childress with him," Allen says.
Wilf would not comment on whether the Vikings are talking with Heckert.
Wilf says the team will consider internal candidates. And many think Vikings defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell could become a head coach somewhere in the league.
Other potential candidates for NFL head coaching jobs are:
Four more coaches were fired Monday, which means seven NFL teams are now in the hunt for a coach. Of course, all those fired coaches are also coaching candidates now.
"I do think the Vikings will act quickly because there are many openings and a few candidates out there who, in the estimation of people who work in the NFL, really make a difference," Allen says.
Wilf knows that and expects to make a hire by month's end.
"We wanna be out there making sure that the person we want, we get," Wilf says.
First, the Vikings plan to hire a general mananger of sorts to oversee personnel decisions. Allen says former Vikings player Scott Studwell is one candidate for that position.
By Joe Fryer, KARE 11 News.
(Copyright 2006 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)|
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