RustyBourneHorse
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Let's be honest. Asking for permission to interview coaches during the playoffs is tampering. I know technically there's a rule where they can't actually start interviewing until the Conference Championships, but suppose a team is actually in the conference championship? Or suppose a coach on one of those teams retires after winning the SB? How's that fair to the team that won it all and might have a replacement in mind should the coach retire? Suppose, hypothetically, that the Cowboys win the Super Bowl, and Mike McCarthy decides to ride off into the sunset afterwards. Shouldn't the Cowboys have the ability to pick their choice of coaches without it being awkward because a team already hired their choice? But then, how would the league fix this problem? Coaching Window!
The NFL already has a window for when trades and free agency can take place. A coaching window should also be implemented. The way I would do it is, right after the Super Bowl, teams can begin requesting interviews for coaches. This includes the SB teams, should their coaches opt to retire. Then, a week after the SB, teams can begin hiring coaches. More specifically, I'd say from the start of training camp until the SB, the coaching window (excluding interim coaches who must be readily available anyway) is closed. Afterwards, the window reopens for all teams. This gives all teams, including the SB teams, the chance to decide what direction they want to go for their coaching staff.
I'd also put the Senior Bowl two weeks after coaching window opens. This gives teams two weeks to find a suitable coach in time for the Senior Bowl. Then, each subsequent week after the Senior Bowl, the remaining windows (including trading and FA) open until the Combine. That way, the teams that somehow didn't replace their coach prior to the Senior Bowl have a chance into the draft process should have their coach in place. The offseason is long. Surely, between February and April, an NFL team can find their coach. Heck, they probably know during the playoffs who they want. So, the coaching window really shouldn't impact those teams, and it doesn't become a distraction for the teams that are in the playoffs. Any tampering while the coaching window is closed (excluding the interim coaches, who I think have to be available for hire anyway) will be treated as tampering.
By doing this, all teams have their choice of coaches, and the playoff teams don't have the distraction of a coach being interviewed. Thus, the teams that were good enough to make the playoffs are able to focus on the playoffs, and it's a more reasonable way for teams to hire coaches.
The NFL already has a window for when trades and free agency can take place. A coaching window should also be implemented. The way I would do it is, right after the Super Bowl, teams can begin requesting interviews for coaches. This includes the SB teams, should their coaches opt to retire. Then, a week after the SB, teams can begin hiring coaches. More specifically, I'd say from the start of training camp until the SB, the coaching window (excluding interim coaches who must be readily available anyway) is closed. Afterwards, the window reopens for all teams. This gives all teams, including the SB teams, the chance to decide what direction they want to go for their coaching staff.
I'd also put the Senior Bowl two weeks after coaching window opens. This gives teams two weeks to find a suitable coach in time for the Senior Bowl. Then, each subsequent week after the Senior Bowl, the remaining windows (including trading and FA) open until the Combine. That way, the teams that somehow didn't replace their coach prior to the Senior Bowl have a chance into the draft process should have their coach in place. The offseason is long. Surely, between February and April, an NFL team can find their coach. Heck, they probably know during the playoffs who they want. So, the coaching window really shouldn't impact those teams, and it doesn't become a distraction for the teams that are in the playoffs. Any tampering while the coaching window is closed (excluding the interim coaches, who I think have to be available for hire anyway) will be treated as tampering.
By doing this, all teams have their choice of coaches, and the playoff teams don't have the distraction of a coach being interviewed. Thus, the teams that were good enough to make the playoffs are able to focus on the playoffs, and it's a more reasonable way for teams to hire coaches.
