From the Top: Coaches on the Hot Seat in 2009

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

As folks arrived in Dana Point, Calif., Sunday for the NFL owners' meetings, Peter King of Sports Illustrated observed:

"I think it's a strange sight, and definitely a changing-of-the-guard sight, to come to a league meeting and not see Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Herman Edwards...Changing-of-the-guard time, folks."

Oh, but for how long, Peter? All of those guys, plus Bill Cowher, are expected to be in play for NFL jobs again in 2010; and with such a bunch of power brokers expected to be available, many franchises figure to put their current coaches on short leashes in 2009.

As the owners' meetings continue, it's a perfect time to take a look at some of the coaches who might not be there next year, the guys who are sitting in the hot seats.

1. Tom Cable, Oakland

Raider coaches are always No. 1 on the hot seat. How could they not be? There have been five of them since 2002.

Al Davis is a black-and-silver-hair-trigger pistol who fires coaches at first twitch. He has no tolerance for losing, yet that's all his team has done since it lost to Gruden's Tampa Bay Bucs in the Super Bowl after the 2002 season.

If Cable can get the Raiders to 8-8, he might buy himself another season. Otherwise, it's better than 50-50 that Davis finds someone else to yell at.

One of Davis' problems is he still thinks he knows football, so he hires coaches he can bully and control.

The irony is: If he hired a strong, veteran coach like one of the giants mentioned above, the Raiders would win again. Of course, there's no chance any of those guys—especially former Raiders Shanahan and Gruden—would coach for Davis when they will get much better offers elsewhere.

2. Wade Phillips, Dallas

If the Cowboys miss the playoffs again, Phillips is gone. Owner Jerry Jones has not said it, but he doesn't need to. Like a lot of people, Jones thinks Dallas has too much talent to not make the playoffs.

But would Jones go after one of the big shots? And would they want to work for such a hands-on (some say "meddling") owner?

Gruden or Edwards might, but the Big Three—Holmgren, Cowher, and Shanahan—would not. Holmgren and Shanahan want to run their own operations again, and Cowher reportedly wants his own people (i.e., Kevin Colbert, general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers) running the show with him.

3. Jim Zorn, Washington

The surprise pick to coach the Redskins in 2008, Zorn needs to up his coaching game big time or he'll probably get big-timed.

Owner Daniel Snyder loves coaching legends, as his short-lived affairs with Steve Spurrier and Joe Gibbs illustrated. Snyder broke form by hiring a little-known coach who wasn't really ready, and he might be itching to go big again next year if Zorn fails again.

If he's willing to demote or fire de facto GM Vinny Cerrato, Snyder might be able to get Shanahan or Holmgren. Imagine a Shanahan-Clinton Portis reunion.

If Zorn doesn't get Washington to the playoffs this year, it could happen.

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