The one-against coaching carousel creates split priorities for assistant coaches

From time to time, arguments are made that the entire process of hiring new head coaches should be delayed until after the Super Bowl. And there’s a very good reason for that.

With coordinators of playoff teams among the top candidates for new jobs, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to discuss possible promotions and come up with the best possible plan to win the next game.

Some coaches have downplayed how preparing for a head coaching job interview takes away from the job they have. The reality is that every minute spent preparing to make a good impression on the owner (among other things by lining up new personnel) and the rest of the recruiting committee is one minute less that can be spent looking for tendencies in the next opponent and making sure that his own unit, offensive or defensive, smoothing over anything and everything.

Broncos coach Sean Payton spoke to reporters today about that dynamic as his team prepares to face the Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

“The big challenge this time of year is when you’re playing in these games, minimizing distractions,” Payton said. “The league is always looking at the windows when to interview and when to do things like that. Being in that position, when I had the opportunity to interview for — when I got home, my wife didn’t ask what the game plan was. She asked, ‘How are the schools in this next town?’ There’s that balance and I think the league has looked carefully at the windows to do that and that’s understandable.”

Payton won’t have to deal with coaches like defensive coordinator Vance Joseph being interviewed unless the Broncos upset the Bills. If that happens, Joseph will talk to the Jets during a week that presents the challenge of coming up with a strategy to get into the Arrowhead and slay the dragon that is the Kansas City Chiefs.

So yes, the best solution is to postpone everything. Create zero distractions until the confetti falls. Until that happens, head coaches of playoff teams will have to consider the possibility of one or two coordinators spinning one plate too many at a time when the full focus should be on the task at hand – not preparing for the interview. they spend it, and then at home they are bombarded with questions not about the upcoming playoff game but about the possibility of moving to a new city with a new title and a new zero on the annual salary.