I'm going to keep Pete as head coach for mine, as I'm on record preferring that he stay and the assistants get wiped. Yes, I know it's controversial, but that's how I feel about it. I'd like to give everything a good wipe and have another 2018/2019 type of run (but hopefully better.) We DID very nearly make the NFCCG in 2019, and probably would've if we got a little luckier and kept some RBs healthy.
For realisms sake, I will keep the candidates to those who we'll likely have a shot at (as in, they aren't entrenched on another staff with great job security).
This is a great opportunity to research and learn more about a lot of teams and staffs around the league, too. These hypotheticals are awesome for inspiring the itch to search for knowledge.
Anyway, without further ado:
Head Coach: Pete Carroll
Offensive Coordinator: Dave Canales
Quarterbacks: Pep Hamilton
Running Backs: Duce Staley
Receivers: Bobby Engram
Tight Ends: Brennan Carroll
OL: Scott Peters
Defensive Coordinator: Robert Saleh
DL: Todd Wash
LB: Ken Norton Jr.
Cornerbacks/Safeties (either separate or as a single DB coach): Marquand Manuel, Al Harris
Special Teams Coordinator: Larry Izzo
OPTIONAL SPECIALISTS:
Pass Rush Specialist - Darryl Tapp
Assistant DL - BT Jordan
Defensive Passing Coordinator - Karl Scott (retained)
Run Game Coordinator - Brennan Carroll
Pass Game Coordinator - Pep Hamilton
Offensive Assistant/Game Management - Nate Carroll
Saleh is controversial since he may not get fired, but I think Aaron Rodgers may very well work to push him out and install an offensive-based HC. If so, bring him home to Seattle for a rehab coaching stint, where he was on staff in his earlier days. Gus Bradley took him to Jacksonville with him, and rest is history. If he's retained in NY, I'd push for Chris Shula as DC. I'd want experience, but Shula is an exception. That royal bloodline is powerful and he's rocked it in LA under Raheem Morris as DC, who has background as a Kiffin disciple. Morris is also close friends with Dan Quinn. Shula's likely a synergistic fit based on that.
Yes, I kept the Carroll boys. Nate's just there to float around and assist, but Brennan rocks. Killing it at Arizona as the OC but they're gonna cut athletics bigtime, so good chance to come home.
Pep is the steady hand there to assist Dave in implementing the passing attack and coach up the QBs, especially a good idea if we grab a rookie QB.
Izzo retained, he's good.
KNJ is a stud LB coach. Wonder if he'd accept coming back.
Scott Peters is Bill Callahan's protege in Cleveland. Good call to bring him in IMO.
Here's a template to copy/paste for your own answers. Add as needed.
Head Coach:
Offensive Coordinator:
Quarterbacks:
Running Backs:
Receivers:
Tight Ends:
OL:
Defensive Coordinator:
DL:
LB:
Cornerbacks/Safeties (either separate or as a single DB coach):
Special Teams Coordinator:
OPTIONAL SPECIALISTS:
Aight I lied, I'm redoing this with Saleh reported to be trending safe, Canales probably safe (or in line for a HC job) with Bowles winning, and a new coordinator candidate.
Head Coach: Pete Carroll
Offensive Coordinator: Aaron Kromer
Quarterbacks/Pass Game Coordinator: Byron Leftwich
Running Backs: Duce Staley
Receivers: Bobby Engram
Tight Ends/Assistant HC: Mike Shula
OL: Scott Peters
Defensive Coordinator: Chris Shula
DL: Todd Wash
LB: Ken Norton Jr.
Cornerbacks/Safeties (either separate or as a single DB coach): Marquand Manuel, Al Harris
Special Teams Coordinator: Larry Izzo
OPTIONAL SPECIALISTS:
Assistant Quarterbacks - Kerry Joseph (retained)
Assistant Secondary - Deshawn Shead (retained)
Defensive Assistant - Neiko Thorpe (retained)
Pass Rush Specialist - Darryl Tapp
Assistant DL - Jeff Zgonina
Defensive Passing Coordinator - Karl Scott (retained)
Offensive Assistant/Game Management Assistant - Nate Carroll
Kromer is a top-5 offensive line coach in the NFL with prior success as an offensive coordinator. He, without fail, churns out studs up front. He's the type of guy we need to hammer fundamentals and clean up the offense. Hand him the playsheet.
Pair him with a good pass game coordinator. Byron Leftwich is taking a year off and this'd be a good re-entry for him. He can handle the quarterback coaching duties, as well.
Mike Shula comes in to coach the tight ends. He gets the assistant head coach label as well, as an experienced head coach himself. More proven NFL lineage and experience on the staff is the goal.
Duce and Bobby are stud positional coaches. Both are on staffs that'll get wiped at years end - Duce on the Panthers, Bobby on the Commanders. (EDIT: Duce was on Panthers staff earlier this year.) Duce has floated around as a generally successful assistant and Bobby Engram has experience as a college offensive coordinator - and we know that he knows the finer points of playing WR in this league.
Scott Peters is Bill Callahan's current protege. Aaron Kromer got his start that way. Scott gets a promotion as a full OL coach and continues under the tutelage of a guy from the same tree of OL Coach Royalty.
Defensively, Chris Shula gets the nod, joining the staff on the same year as his uncle Mike. Chris obviously grew up immersed in football and received an upbringing in football. He's succeeding under Raheem Morris, who himself is a bit of a Kiffin disciple. I'd prefer to lean towards experience, but Chris is a rising coach and it might be attractive to ascend to a DC role.
We pair him with experience. Todd Wash is a great DL coach, having coached our DL under Dan Quinn. He was the defensive coordinator of the Sacksonville era Jaguars. He's on the Panthers right now who are presumably wiping their staff this offseason.
Ken Norton Jr. is a stud linebacker coach. If we can convince him to come back in that role for another ride, we should jump at the opportunity. Retread or not, the man knows how to coach that position to great effect.
Marquand Manuel would be a stud get, but unlikely at this point. If he would like to join, that's massive. If not, I'd try to hire Al Harris as the overall DB coach from Dallas and have Karl Scott retained as the passing game coordinator. Karl is a fantastic young coach brought up by Saban.
Adding Darryl Tapp as the pass rush specialist to dial in some pressure along with Jeff Zgonina from Washington as an assistant. Zgonina is an experienced DL coach who has coached under Shanahan and Rivera, but his success in that overall role has been spotty. Still likely worth adding as an assistant for experience alone. Neiko and Shead stay on staff as LOB-adjacent guys.
No reason to fire Izzo. The special teams are the most competently coached unit on the team, and his units consistently rank highly just as Brian Schneiders (now with San Fran) did.
I didn't include a strength/conditioning coach, but get Ivan Lewis the hell outta here.