Comments (...)(MCT) — CHICAGO — The Broncos’ loss in the divisional playoff round may have been the Bears’ gain.
If Bears general manager Phil Emery is intent on bringing in Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy for a second interview for the Bears coaching job, he will have a chance to do so this week because the Broncos no longer are playing.
The same holds true for Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements, as his team also was eliminated from the playoffs Saturday.
McCoy and Clements were two of 13 known candidates for the job. By Sunday, each of them will have been interviewed once. Emery could be close to choosing finalists and moving to the second stage of the interview process.
Emery was scheduled to interview Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell on Saturday in Atlanta. He also is expected to interview Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians on Sunday.
The number of candidates is not out of line with that of at least two other teams. The Browns acknowledged talking with “nine or 10” prospects before settling on Rob Chudzinski. And the Eagles already have nine known candidates.
One of the Eagles’ candidates, and perhaps their leading candidate, was Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly. Now that Kelly has decided to remain at Notre Dame, the Eagles may be competing with the Bears for one of the mutual candidates between the teams.
Both teams have interviewed or are interviewing Arians, McCoy and Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong.
If Emery wants to hire a coach whose team still is playing, the process will take more than one week, and could take until after the Super Bowl. Otherwise, he could name a head coach as soon as this week.
NFL rules state that an assistant whose team is alive in the playoffs who previously has interviewed for a head coaching job is off limits for a second interview until after the conference championship games. If that assistant is in the Super Bowl, he can have a second interview prior to the Sunday before the Super Bowl.
His team would have to OK it, and he would have to set up at a time and place that is acceptable to his current employer.
Meanwhile, former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz interviewed with the Raiders for their opening, according to the Bay Area News Group. Martz worked as a game analyst for Fox last year.
Former Bears quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, now the offensive coordinator for Stanford, was scheduled to interview with the Jets for their offensive coordinator position.
