Musing on Coaches

A lot of people talk about Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson and 49ers Defensive Coordinator Steve Wilks when head coaching changes are discussed. The Lions have another guy Washington should be interested in: Quarterbacks Coach Mark Brunell.

Brunell played QB for Offensive Geniuses Mike Holmgren, Joe Gibbs, and Sean Payton. He played for two hard-coachers, Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin. He was the starting QB for that 2005 Gibbs 2.0 Redskin squad that went 10-6 and beat the Bill Parcells coached Dallas Cowboys twice, the first time being a gem of a game where Brunell rifled two late TD passes to Redskin legend Santana Moss.

So Brunell has history in Washington. He is working with a hot coaching staff. The Lions are having a good year and are influential around the NFL. So Brunell will be familiar with what is winning in the contemporary NFL.

Although Brunell is in his fifties, he was coaching at the High School Level until his hiring in Detroit. So relating to today's youth should not be a problem.

The Lions, 49ers, and Dolphins are looking like teams that will be birthing new Head Coaches in 2024.

If Washington can't interest Steve Wilks, perhaps they can persuade 49er Passing Game Coordinator Klint Kubiak to come in to interview. Kubiak is a coach's son and that demographic has been successful as of late. His alliance with Kyle Shanahan in Frisco strengthens the Shanahan-Kubiak coaching tree. Mike Shanahan, one of the NFL ancients, won two Super Bowls. His son Kyle has been to a Super Bowl as Head Coach and is threatening to add a return engagement THIS year. 

Gary Kubiak, Klint's dad, won a Super Bowl in Denver. Kubiak was Shanahan's (then the offensive coordinator) back-up QB in Denver in 1991. He came in for John Elway and played a great game (113.9 rating) in the AFC Championship Game. You read that right: Gary Kubiak could very well have started Super Bowl XXVI against our beloved Washington Redskins. The Broncos narrowly lost that AFC Championship game to the Bills, 10-7.

One could imagine a Shanahan like two-for deal bringing the 62 year old Kubiak out of retirement to coach with his Son. We've done that before in Washington. This time Kubiak the younger would be the Head Coach to my mind. 

The Dolphins' Frank Smith is being touted as a Head Coach possibility. He has a Joe Gibbs type resume. And if you are into numerology, Smith was born the year Gibbs became Head Coach in Washington.

He's technically part of the Shanahan coaching tree as he's offensive coordinator for Mike McDaniel, one of the Shanahan sleepover kids who coached on Mike Shanahan's Washington squads.