Top 10 potential NFL head coaching candidates

Just looking at a basic estimation based off what we have seen thus far during the NFL season, there could be as many as eight head coaching openings when the year comes to a conclusion.

This wouldn't necessarily be more than we have seen in previous years. There are a total of eight first-year head coaches around the league this year. Back in 2014, seven head coaches made their debuts with their current teams. In fact, all but 11 current head coaches around the NFL were hired following the 2011 season.

Needless to say, there are going to be some pretty darn good jobs open up in January. Here is a list of the top-10 potential NFL head coaching candidates, both currently at the college and professional ranks.

1. Hue Jackson, offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals

I penned an article over at Forbes earlier this month on the five-best candidates to replace Steve Sarkisian as the head coach of the USC football team. To the surprise of many, Jackson topped that list.

There is definitely a group of insiders out there who believe Jackson wasn't given a fair shake in his only season as the Oakland Raiders head coach back in 2011 and deserves another opportunity. After all, he did lead the team to eight wins — tied for the most in Oakland since its Super Bowl campaign back in 2002.

Now the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, Jackson has done a tremendous job turning around a talented unit that had struggled with consistency in the past. He has Andy Dalton playing at an elite level, finally found a way to incorporate a talented running back tandem and continues to show everyone why he is an innovative offensive mind.

If Chuck Pagano does move on from the Indianapolis Colts following the season, Jackson would be the obvious choice to take over that squad. Just imagine Andrew Luck working in Jackson's offense. That would be a sight to behold.

2. Sean McDermott, defensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers

Since taking over a previously pedestrian Panthers defense, McDermott has turned it around big time. After an initial campaign in 2011 that saw Carolina finish 28th in total defense, that side of the ball has performed exceptionally well.

Carolina has ranked in the top 10 in total defense each of the past two years and is currently allowing the second-fewest points in the NFL this year. Not only has McDermott done wonders to turn Luke Kuechly into one of the league's top defenders, he has Josh Norman playing lights out football at cornerback. The previous success is most definitely here for McDermott to get some head coaching play this upcoming offseason.

3. Art Briles, head coach, Baylor

There are some out there who believe Briles' version of the spread offense — something he implemented in the high school ranks before modernizing under Mike Leach at Texas Tech — won't translate to the NFL level. That's a foolish argument based on a preset narrative. Simply because Robert Griffin III has struggled in the pros, it doesn't mean Briles' offense won't translate.

Heck, Briles has headed multiple variations of the spread since his high school coaching days in the 1980s. He can work through the kinks to make it successful in the NFL.

Outside of his success at Baylor (46 wins since the start of the 2011 season), Briles does a tremendous job of pushing the envelope on offense — something we just don't see on a large scale around the NFL today. If he's able to go to a team that has a quarterback able to run his offense at an expert level, it could very well be the next great offense in the professional ranks.

It's not out of the question that Briles could team up with RG3 in D.C. We already know that Jay Gruden is not on firm ground in Washington. We also know that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder isn't afraid to make the eye-opening coaching hire. Add in Snyder's love affair for Griffin, and this actually makes a bit too much sense.

4. David Shaw, head coach, Stanford

Taking up the difficult task of replacing Jim Harbaugh back in 2011, Shaw has kept the Cardinal among the true powerhouses out on the West Coast. He led the program to 11-plus wins in each of his first three seasons, earning a major bowl bid each time. Stanford also finished in the top 10 of the coaches poll each year. After struggling to an eight-win campaign last season, Shaw has Stanford thinking playoff in 2015.

It's this type of consistent success that has Shaw among the hottest coaching commodities in the land. And while he seems content at Stanford, there is no reason to believe he would pass up a shot in the NFL if the right opportunity were to present itself.

What separates Shaw from most of the other college candidates here is that he has extensive experience at the NFL level. From 1997-2005, Shaw served as an offensive assistant for multiple NFL teams, including a stint as the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach in 2001. What makes that so interesting is that he immediately preceded Harbaugh in that role, helping Rich Gannon put up one of four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.

5. Gus Malzahn, head coach, Auburn

Since his days as the head coach of Shiloh Christian High School in Arkansas, Malzahn's trajectory has led him to the top of the college football ranks. After serving as the offensive coordinator for Auburn during the Cam Newton era, Malzahn earned his first head coaching job at Arkansas State, a state where he had already made his name known as a dynamic offensive mind.

After a one-year stint at Arkansas State, Malzahn became Auburn's head coach in 2013. In two-plus seasons with the program, he boasts a 24-9 record.

Malzahn's credentials go much further than that. He earned the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach while helping lead Auburn to the national title in 2010. His performance also helped Cam Newton become the No. 1 overall pick the draft the following spring.

Much like some of the coaches listed above, it's all about bringing that edge on the offensive side of the ball. Dating back to his high school days, this is exactly what the 49-year-old Malzahn has done.

6. Matt Patricia, defensive coordinator, New England Patriots

There's been a lot of talk about Pete Carroll sending his past two defensive coordinators in Seattle to head coaching jobs elsewhere. But Bill Belichick was the first defensive-minded head coach to start a rather extensive coaching tree in the modern era.

From Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini to Jim Schwartz, some of the guys called on to help Bill win his four Super Bowls have received head coaching jobs in the NFL. And while none of these guys were successful in that capacity, it's not going to force teams to look in another direction, especially given the Patriots' success under Patricia.

The 41-year-old coach has been with the Patriots for the past 12 years, first starting out as an offensive assistant back in 2004. That came on the heels of him serving as nothing more than a graduate assistant at Syracuse. Needless to say, Belichick is the one man that had faith in Patricia initially. That has to count for something.

New England's defensive coordinator since 2012, Patricia led that unit to a top 10 ranking in points allowed in his first three seasons. Some of this has to do with a dominating offense, but it's readily apparent that Patricia is a coach on the rise. Whether it's this offseason or some time in the future, he's going to find himself leading a NFL team here soon. It's just a matter of when.

7. Kevin Sumlin, head coach, Texas A&M

Sumlin is an interesting person in this conversation. He hasn't had a whole bunch of success as the head coach in College Station. Even with elite-level talent, the former assistant under Bob Stoops hasn't led the Aggies to a major bowl bid since riding the amazing play of one Johnny Manziel back in 2012.

Still, there's something to be said about coaching pedigree when looking to make the jump from college ball to the NFL. In addition to acting as one of Stoops top offensive assistants for five seasons, Sumlin has served as an assistant under the likes of Dennis Erickson, Mike Price and Joe Tiller. Heck, he was one of the primary reasons Drew Brees had success with the Boilermakers.

A master of the spread offense with Stoops, and before that Purdue's Joe Tiller, Sumlin would bring an innovative mind to the NFL ranks — something a ton of teams are lacking out there. In fact, who would be opposed to Ryan Tannehill performing in a Sumlin-led offense?

8. Pep Hamilton, offensive coordinator, Indianapolis Colts

Hamilton is another interesting character. You talk to people close to the Colts, fans and writers alike, one common theme pops up — he's a tremendous offensive mind with some notable flaws. The one common denominator is an inability to focus on the run as a central part of the offense.

Though, his work with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford for three years leads me to believe Indianapolis' lack of talent at running back was the major issue prior to this year.

Outside of this, Hamilton's resume is extensive. He was an offensive assistant under Herm Edwards with the Jets early last decade before acting as Alex Smith's quarterbacks coach in San Francisco in 2006.

The interest is real here. Both the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders interviewed Hamilton for their vacant jobs this past offseason. Those close to the situation believe it's just a matter of time before he lands a head coaching job in the NFL.

9. Brian Kelly, head coach, Notre Dame

Prior to Kelly's arrival back in 2010, three coaches attempted to return the Irish to the prominence they saw during the Lou Holtz era. All three failed miserably. In a college football landscape that hasn't been friendly to Notre Dame football, Kelly has turned that around big time.

He's finished with eight-plus wins in each of his first five seasons with the team. He also has the Irish at 6-1 this season and in contention for a playoff spot. That comes just a few short years after Kelly led Notre Dame to a title game appearance after a perfect regular season.

There's a lot to look at here. Kelly has received some criticism for his handling of players, but his ability to get the most out of the quarterback position stands out. From Everett Golson to Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer, he's turned some talented players into exceptional quarterbacks. In fact, Golson is starting for a top-10 ranked Florida State team after losing out to Zaire for the starting job in South Bend during the spring. Think about that for a second.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Kelly has been linked to pro jobs. He has 25 years of head coaching experience, has been successful at every stop and runs an offense that can translate well to the NFL level. The issue here is that Kelly likely wouldn't leave South Bend for just any job. He has the ability to pick and choose what situation would be worth departing the prestigious school for.

10. Tom Clements, offensive coordinator, Green Bay Packers

There is little doubt that Mike McCarthy has faith in Clements. This season, McCarthy handed off play-calling duties to Clements and named him the team's associate head coach. And while the Packers haven't had the same potent offense as we saw last year, they still rank fifth in the NFL in scoring.

Prior to arriving in Green Bay as the quarterbacks coach in 2006, Clements served in that role with the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and Notre Dame in college. He has 24 years of assistant coaching experience at both the college and professional ranks.

The interesting thing here is that Clements came to Green Bay one year after Rodgers' arrival. There is obviously a direct correlation between the quarterback's success and how well he has worked with Clements. This hasn't gone unnoticed around the NFL.

Check out Vincent's other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter @VincentFrankNFL