NFL's Top 10 Assistant Coaches Who Are Next in Line for Head Coaching Jobs

In the NFL, having a good head coach and surrounding staff is essential to success more than any other sport. By the end of the 2012 season, many assistant coaches will have established themselves, or re-established themselves, as legitimate candidates for a few head coaching positions that are sure to open up.

Through seven weeks, we have already seen that process start to take form. Every team that finds themselves rebuilding, or heading in a new direction, wants to discover the next great head coach that can take their franchise all the way.

With that said, here are the top 10 current NFL assistant coaches in line for head coaching jobs.

10. Dom Capers

Green Bay's defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, has been a head coach on two occasions before. In both cases, he took over the leadership of expansion teams, with both the Panthers and Texans. Not an easy task, to say the least. Despite that, in the case of the Panthers, he took them to a 12-4 record in just his second season.

In Capers' first two years with the Packers, they ranked 2nd and 5th in total defense, while ranking 1st and 6th in takeaways. In 2011, they fell all the way to the bottom of the league to 32nd in total defense, but once again led the NFL in the takeaway department.

Dom Capers hasn't been a head coach since 2005 in Houston, but interest in him seems to be sparking again. Prior to John Fox's hiring following the 2010 season, the Broncos were said to have interest in Capers as well. The same thing was the case in Oakland this past offseason, where Capers was one of several candidates being mentioned throughout the process.

If the Packers' defense plays well down the stretch in 2012, especially considering their current injuries, expect Capers' chances of finding another head coaching job to increase significantly.

9. Dave Toub

Dave Toub, the special teams coordinator of the Chicago Bears, is an interesting candidate for teams searching for their next leader come this offseason. It is not too often that we see a special teams coordinator under consideration for head coaching jobs, but that does not make them any less qualified.

Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh spent seven years as Philadelphia's special teams coordinator, followed by one year coaching defensive backs before being awarded the Ravens' top job. 

Toub's units in Chicago have always been strong, garnering him much attention for his abilities. Following last season, the Miami Dolphins brought him in for an interview for their head coaching vacancy.

Interest in his services could continue this offseason, giving him a good chance of landing a head coaching gig fairly soon.

8. Mike Zimmer

Mike Zimmer, in his fifth season as the Bengals' defensive coordinator, is likely on the verge of earning himself a head coaching job somewhere in the NFL. Zimmer was considered to be a candidate for the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts jobs at the conclusion of last season.

The Bengals' defenses have previously had significant struggles. Under Zimmer, they have performed quite well with top ten finishes in total defense in both 2009 and 2011. Zimmer's defenses also played a huge factor in earning trips to the postseason.

He has garnered a reputation for being popular among his players, and such respect would translate well to leading a team of his own. If this isn't the year for Mike Zimmer to find a head coaching job, it could certainly be very soon after. 

7. Rob Ryan

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has long awaited his opportunity as a head coach, and it could now come sooner rather than later. With Dallas' defense currently ranked seventh in yards allowed per game, his unit is playing well.

"

"My chance will come," Ryan said. "It only took my dad 25 years to get a (head coaching) chance and, hell, he's better than me and (Jets coach and twin brother) Rex put together."
Via NFL.com

"

If the Cowboys can secure a playoff birth in 2012, it will likely be on the back of their defense, whose struggles have plagued them for the past few years. If that is indeed the case, expect interest around the league in Rob Ryan to grow quickly. Playoffs or not, he will still be an interesting candidate. 

6. Hue Jackson

Hue Jackson may not be an assistant that many are thinking of as a possible head coaching candidate in the offseason to come. If they aren't, they should be.

Yes, he has already been a head coach, but Jackson's time leading the Raiders lasted just one year. He saw his team fall one game short of the postseason, and he was fired upon the arrival of the new GM Reggie McKenzie. The new regime wanted to start fresh, and it did so by bringing in a coach that McKenzie could pick himself.

What Jackson was able to do in his time in Oakland, specifically with the offense, should earn him another job. He is a young, energetic coach that has no doubt learned from his experience in his previous opportunity.

While fans may have forgotten about him as a possibility as he is now serving as an assistant with the Bengals' defensive backs and special teams. However, he has a good chance of becoming a head coach again very soon.   

5. Winston Moss

Winston Moss, the current inside linebackers and assistant head coach for the Green Bay Packers, could follow in the footsteps of former Packers offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin, and convert the team's success into opportunities elsewhere.

Impressed by his leadership qualities from their time together in New Orleans, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy named Moss his assistant head coach in 2007. Now, well into his fifth year at the position, he certainly knows what it takes to successfully lead a team.

Following the 2011 season, Moss seemed to be the top head coaching candidate in Oakland, before they eventually went with Dennis Allen instead. Expect Winston Moss to be linked to several openings again this offseason, as it is only a matter of time before he takes the next step in his climb of the NFL coaching ladder. 

4. Rob Chudzinski

Rob Chudzinski's work in Carolina last season has garnered him a lot of attention around the NFL. Despite the lockout and a rookie QB in Cam Newton, the offense rose to the 7th ranked unit in the league, as well as finishing 5th in scoring.

A team in search of a new head coach quite often ends up holding a top ten draft pick, and the addition of a young quarterback is common. Chudzinski's ability to work well in bringing along Cam Newton as a rookie makes him that much better of a candidate for that kind of team.

Panthers TE Greg Olsen sums up Chudzinski like this:

"

“There’s usually two kinds of guys. The grinder, who guts his way through because he just outworks everyone. And then there’s just the smart guy, who just naturally has a mind for putting things together and anticipating defenses and tendencies,” Olsen said. “Chud is the combination of both.”
Via Charlotte Observer

"

Chudzinski interviewed for the Rams' head coaching position last offseason, and can expect several more opportunities to come his way in the very near future.

3. Todd Bowles

Part of the Bill Parcells coaching tree, Todd Bowles has established himself as a legitimate head coaching candidate over the past few seasons. In 2011, coaching the secondary with the Miami Dolphins, he was appointed the interim head coach upon the firing of Tony Sparano. 

At season's end, he got a chance to interview for the then-vacant Raiders head coaching job, as well as the same job in Miami. When neither of those worked out, he took a job coaching the Eagles' secondary, recently having been promoted to defensive coordinator.

If Bowles can spark some kind of midseason improvement for the Eagles' defense, expect him to become all the more of a hot commodity by the time some teams are looking for their new head man in January.  

2. Jay Gruden

Jay Gruden, the younger brother of Jon, has seen his coaching career take off. After just one year as the Bengals' offensive coordinator in 2011, he was approached for head coaching interviews. Choosing to stay in Cincinnati for at least one more season, he decided to pass up interviews with both the Rams and Jaguars.

If the Bengals' offense, and Andy Dalton in particular, continues to perform, Gruden's chances of becoming a head coach will continue to increase. For Gruden, it will come down to whether he believes himself ready to seize that opportunity. If he is, it could come as soon as this offseason.

1. Perry Fewell

Following the 2010 season, Perry Fewell interviewed for four different head coaching jobs. When those did not work out, he took the defensive coordinator job with the New York Giants and eventually went on to win a Super Bowl ring.

He did not interview following the 2011 season, but that was likely due to the fact that most teams had filled their head coaching vacancies prior to the conclusion of the Giants' season.

Expected to be a prime head coaching candidate this offseason, another Giants playoff run and solid defensive play down the stretch would only further that notion. Next season, there is a very good chance that we could see Perry Fewell leading his own NFL team.