With Black Monday in the rearview, there are now five head coach jobs open in the NFL with one or two more possibly still to come.
Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith is sure to be a candidate for a number of these positions, and on Monday he got his first request to interview with the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina fired Frank Reich just 11 games into his first season, and they were led by special teams coordinator Chris Tabor for the remainder of the year. Since David Tepper bought the team back in 2018, the Panthers have fired three full-time head coaches, so it may not be a super attractive opening for a coach.
However, Smith, who has coached for the Dolphins (two seasons), Los Angeles Chargers (one), Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (three), Chicago Bears (three) and New Orleans Saints (five) since joining the NFL coaching fraternity in 2010, would have the opportunity to work with 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young.
That, in itself, may be enough to entice Smith into taking his first-ever head-coaching gig in an unstable situation.
Carolina has also requested to interview Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales.