[Wile_E_Coyote]

WAITING IN THE WINGS 1. Jim Fassel, Offensive Coordinator, Ravens - Fassel probably would have been a head coach this season if there had been more teams in the market for a change, but instead had to settle for the offensive coordinator slot with Baltimore. Fassel was 58-53-1 in seven seasons with the Giants, leading them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2000, and if he can breathe life into the Ravens' stagnant offense, Fassel's star will likely shine brighter. The coach's advancing age (56 when the season starts) could be a possible drawback for teams striving for more youthful enthusiasm.

2. Tim Lewis, Defensive Coordinator, Giants - Lewis lost out to Mike Nolan when the 49ers' job was vacant this past winter, but league insiders feel that it's only a matter of time before the 43-year-old coordinator is a head coach. Lewis' reputation was built in Pittsburgh between 2000 and 2003, when his defenses were consistently among the best in the league.

3. Gregg Williams, Assistant Head Coach/Defense, Redskins - Some felt that Williams received a raw deal in Buffalo, where he went 17-31 and was gone after three seasons. After presiding over perhaps the league's top defense in Washington last year, the 47-year-old Williams figures to get another shot sooner rather than later.

4. Pete Carroll, Head Coach, USC - Carroll has continually claimed that he has no interest in returning to the NFL, but if he wins another national title with the Trojans and receives an intriguing enough offer, who knows? The 54- year-old Carroll had just one losing season in four as an NFL head coach (that coming with the Jets in 1994), and led New England to back-to-back playoff appearances in 1997 and 1998.

5. Cam Cameron, Offensive Coordinator, Chargers - Cameron's scheme was lauded during San Diego's resurgence in 2004, and if the Chargers continue to generate offensive fireworks, the coordinator could get a long look. The 44- year-old Cameron has experience as a head coach, having gone 18-37 in five seasons at Indiana between 1997 and 2001.

6. Greg Knapp, Offensive Coordinator, Falcons - Terrell Owens' opinion of him not withstanding, Knapp has built a reputation as one of the top offensive minds in the game. After turning Jeff Garcia into an effective starter in San Francisco, Knapp followed Jim Mora to Atlanta and helped the Falcons to a spot in the NFC Championship. If Michael Vick improves under Knapp's tutelage this year, the 42-year-old coordinator should see his stock rise.

7. Kirk Ferentz, Head Coach, Iowa - Prior to elevating the Hawkeyes back to their former Top 10 ways, Ferentz was an NFL assistant for six years with the Ravens and Browns. Since setting up residency in Iowa City, Ferentz has guided Iowa to three straight 10+ win seasons despite constructing teams that are considered a tad short on talent. Like Carroll, Ferentz has shrugged off speculation that he might coach in the NFL.

8. Mike Zimmer, Defensive Coordinator, Cowboys - It is testament to Zimmer's talent and popularity that he has served under four different coaches while with Dallas, and Bill Parcells thought enough of Zimmer to keep him in his role as defensive coordinator when taking the head job. An endorsement from Parcells still carries plenty of weight, and if Dallas can move back into the NFL elite, the 49-year-old Zimmer will likely benefit.

9. Brad Childress, Offensive Coordinator, Eagles - Childress, 49, has received a ringing endorsement from pupil Donovan McNabb and went as far as a formal interview with Cleveland in January. The trouble for Childress could be a lack of name cachet, as head coach Andy Reid is generally offered most of the credit for Philadelphia's successes in the west coast offense.

10. Mike Heimerdinger, Offensive Coordinator, Jets - Heimerdinger's genius in Tennessee was his versatility, as he presided over an offense that morphed from a run-first, Eddie George-heavy scheme into an aerial attack dependent upon the arm of Steve McNair. Heimerdinger parlayed that success into an interview with San Francisco in the offseason, but had to settle for a job mentoring Chad Pennington and the Jets attack. If Heimerdinger is marginally more popular than Paul Hackett was in New York, he could get a sniff of a head job somewhere.

...and keep an eye on:

11. Donnie Henderson, Defensive Coordinator, Jets - Henderson could become yet another one-time Ravens' defensive assistant to find himself a head coaching job (Jack Del Rio, Marvin Lewis, and Mike Nolan are the others), after the 48- year-old was credited with keeping the Jets afloat through Chad Pennington's injury-plagued 2004.

12. Russ Grimm, Offensive Line Coach, Steelers - The old-school Grimm, who received a courtesy interview with Browns, has name cachet but no coordinator experience. By the way, Andy Reid had no coordinator experience before taking the Philadelphia job.

13. Jeff Tedford, Head Coach, California - The 43-year-old Tedford has tutored many a future NFL quarterback (Trent Dilfer, Kyle Boller, Joey Harrington, David Carr) within a pro-style scheme, and built something out of nothing with the Golden Bears (25-13 with three bowl appearances in three seasons). Tedford has no NFL experience, however.

14. Scott Linehan, Offensive Coordinator, Dolphins - The Vikings' offense was always potent under Linehan's watch, and if Miami's formerly stagnant attack can make enough strides, the coordinator could reap the rewards.

15. Art Shell, Senior Vice President for Football Operations & Development, NFL - In five-plus seasons as a head coach with Raiders, Shell was 54-38, made three playoff appearances, and never finished worse than 7-9. There is no legitimate reason why Shell never got another job, but now teams can start using his age (58) and time out of the league (he last coached a position in 2000 with the Falcons) as marks against him.

06/23 16:34:21 ET