NFL Coaching Rumors: Latest Rumblings on Rex Ryan, Mike Smith and More

The 2014 NFL regular season has officially come to a close, and while 12 of the league's teams are heading into postseason action, the rest are already looking forward to 2015—a few will be doing so without their current head coaches at the helm.

Get ready for Black Monday.

This is the day most dreaded by coaches of losing franchises, as many are fired within 24 hours of the regular season's conclusion. Due to several underachieving teams this year, we should certainly be expecting several coaches to get the ax.

So, who will it be this time around? Based on the latest rumors to circulate around the Web, we can begin to speculate.

Rex Ryan

Ryan's tenure with the New York Jets began with a bang, as the team reached the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons (2009 and 2010). Unfortunately, the team hasn't been able to duplicate that success since, failing to achieve a winning record or make the playoffs over the last four years.

This season, the Jets finished in the gutter of the AFC East with a 4-12 record, and according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, that could cost the coach his job:

Ryan is a defensive specialist, and he did make numerous improvements in that area during his time in New York; however, he has routinely failed to put together a viable offense. Selecting quarterback Mark Sanchez in the first round of the 2009 draft didn't work out for the coach, and replacing him with Geno Smith only saw the offense continue to struggle.

If the Jets do make a move here, don't be surprised if they look for an offensive-minded coach to take the reins.

Mike Smith

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The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of talent—especially on the offensive side of the ball—and Smith turned this team around quickly in 2008 by drafting quarterback Matt Ryan. That led to five consecutive winning seasons, two AFC South titles and one trip to the NFC Championship Game. Then everything fell apart.

Atlanta was plagued by injuries over the past two seasons, leading to a 4-12 record in 2013 and a 6-10 record in 2014. With a chance to clinch the division in Week 17, the Falcons were trounced by the Carolina Panthers 34-3, as Smith's poor decisions and lackluster game management reared their ugly heads.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the team appears ready to make a change: "It's not a good sign for current Falcons coach Mike Smith that the franchise has retained a firm to help find a new head coach."

NFL Network's Albert Breer described the coach's tense postgame press conference:

If the team moves on from Smith, expect this to be one of the most coveted jobs on the market, as Atlanta doesn't need much of an overhaul to become a contender. As for the coach, he will likely find a gig on a new team's regime looking for a defensive coordinator.

Jim Harbaugh

One team didn't wait until Black Monday to make a change at the head coaching position, as the San Francisco 49ers and Jim Harbaugh mutually parted ways, according to Taylor Price of 49ers.com: "The San Francisco 49ers and the franchise's 18th coach mutually agreed to part ways on Sunday following the team's 20-17 home victory over the Arizona Cardinals."

This didn't come as a surprise to anyone. There has been ongoing speculation Harbaugh would be leaving the Bay Area, and rumors have already popped up regarding his next potential endeavor.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted that a deal with the Michigan Wolverines may be inevitable:

Although, the Oakland Raiders have been in need of a head coach since firing Dennis Allen earlier this season, and Rapoport tweeted his take on their situation:

Certainly, heading to Michigan would be enticing due to his previous success in the college ranks while at Stanford; however, he is familiar with the Raiders organization, having spent two seasons there as a quarterbacks coach.

He's been a hot commodity already, and much of that can be attributed to his recent success in San Francisco, as he led the team to two NFC Championships Game and a Super Bowl in his first three seasons before finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs in 2014.