QUINIX Sport News: NFL coaching updates, playoff news: Focus shifts to Lions’ Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn in hiring cycle

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is staying with the Longhorns long-term. Sarkisian agreed to a contract extension that keeps him in Texas through 2031, per multiple reports.

The 50-year-old head coach has reportedly been fielding interest from NFL teams, but opted to uphold his commitment to Texas instead of join the pros. The seven-year deal adds a year to his previous contract extension, which he signed last February and which gave him $10.6 million a year.

The new extension reportedly includes a raise to an already lucrative deal, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Sarkisian was already the third-highest paid coach in the sport, behind Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Georgia’s Kirby Smart.

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The Chicago Bears recently took a shot and inquired with the Pittsburgh Steelers about the availability of head coach Mike Tomlin only to be turned down, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Seeking a new head coach, the Bears have spoken to over a dozen candidates since the end of the regular season, and general manager Ryan Poles backed up his words earlier this month in trying something different in finding the team’s next leader. During his end-of-season press conference discussing the head-coaching search, he said, “We’ll look at all avenues to get the best coach here.”

According to Schefter, the Bears weren’t the only team to call on Tomlin. Another club reached out to the Steelers and were turned down as Tomlin reportedly has a no-trade clause in his contract.

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On Jan. 17, 2006, the Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones lost.

They didn’t lose a playoff game; their Bill Parcells-coached team had won just nine games that season and failed to advance to the playoffs.

Instead, the Cowboys lost their assistant head coach and passing game coordinator when the New Orleans Saints reached a deal to hire Sean Payton as head coach.

At the moment, Dallas still had a Hall of Fame head coach in Parcells in the building. Letting a masterful offensive mind out the door was disappointing but not devastating. But as the years elapsed, and Payton developed the Saints into one of the winningest teams in football and a Super Bowl champion, Jones never forgot the one that got away.

Keep that in mind when assessing the Cowboys’ search for their next head coach.

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Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury wants to focus on his team’s divisional playoff matchup versus the Lions on Saturday. As a result, any team that wants to interview him for a head coaching vacancy will have to wait.

The Bears and Saints have requested permission to interview Kingsbury. And the Jaguars may also make a request, according to Pro Football Talk.

However, Kingsbury is still being paid by the Cardinals, who fired him after the 2023 season with four years remaining on his contract. So jumping to another head coaching job isn’t urgent from a financial standpoint.

Moore is in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, and has familiarity with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys after playing there for three seasons and then serving as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2018-2022.

Moore has been requested to be interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.

The Texans are currently preparing for Saturday’s Divisional Round game against the Kansas City Chiefs, so Slowik’s interview will be done virtually.

The Jets have already spoke to Aaron Glenn, Matt Nagy, Rex Ryan, Ron Rivera, and Steve Spagnuolo, among others so far in their search for a new head coach.

The Jaguars announced late on Wednesday night that they have completed an interview with Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen for their top job.

Coen spent this past season with the Bucs, and was the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2022. He held the same position at Kentucky in both 2021 and 2023.

The Bears’ interview with Mike McCarthy is officially over. McCarthy flew to the Chicagoland area meet the Bears on Wednesday, just two days after he split with the Dallas Cowboys. It was the team’s second in-person interview.

Diontae Johnson has been claimed on waivers by the Baltimore Ravens one day after he parted ways with the Houston Texans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Johnson joined the Texans on Dec. 26 after being waived by the Ravens. He played one regular season game and one playoff game for Houston, recording three receptions for 24 yards in those two games.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t work out,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. “We are onto the Chiefs.”

Why would the Ravens bring Johnson back, especially if he’s ineligible to play again this season? Johnson cannot technically join Baltimore until after the Super Bowl and since he’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason he can potentially earn the Ravens an extra draft pick in 2026 if he signs with another team through the NFL’s compensatory pick formula.

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