What has Doug Marrone been up to? This time last season his career was on the upswing. He had moved his way up from Syracuse coach to become a head coach in the NFL, and after leading the Buffalo Bills to their first winning season since 2004 he left the Bills for bigger and better things.
Apparently, “bigger and better things” includes coaching the offensive line of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Falcons, Bears, Broncos, 49ers, Raiders, and Jets all worked with new head coaches this season, but Doug Marrone wasn’t one of them. Marrone took the job with the Jags, and after a year is looking to get back to head coaching. There’s plenty of spots to be filled, and here’s a look at some of the jobs Marrone has been linked to.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are already familiar Marrone, as he served as the Saints’ offensive coordinator from 2006-2008, and NBC Sports’s Mike Florio reported Monday that the Saints will target Marrone if Sean Payton leaves. Targeting isn’t the same as hiring, though, and prior experience doesn’t guarantee a job by any means. Remember that Marrone couldn’t get the Jets’ job last year after coaching their offensive line from 2002-2005.
If Payton stays with the Saints there’s rumored to be major restructuring, and Marrone could be a part of those plans as well if he doesn’t get a try¬†somewhere else.
New York Giants
The Giants have connections with Marrone, too. The Giants‚Äô Ryan Nassib and Justin Pugh played for Marrone with the Orange, and Tom Coughlin is a Syracuse grad, although he’s a Syracuse grad who gave Giants‚Äô owner John Mara one of the coldest shoulders I‚Äôve ever seen after his last press conference Tuesday.
Marrone is a New Yorker. He grew up in the Bronx, played for “New York’s College Team” and hasn’t been a head coach outside the state. Giants’ fans know Marrone, and at the very least it would be a pick on the safer side.
Miami Dolphins
The Dophins’ short list is anything but short, in fact it’s so long that Marrone isn’t even the only coach the Dolphins are meeting with Wednesday. Miami will also talk to Bills’ running backs coach Anthony Lynn today, and they’re also looking into Mike Shanahan, Bears’ OC Adam Gase, Bengals’ OC Hue Jackson and more.
The Eagles and Browns have also been connected to and will interview Marrone.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
