While it is not official yet, the Green Bay Packers are expected to promote quarterback coach Tom Clements to offensive coordinator according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Packers previous offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin, was named head coach of the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Silverstein reports that a source familiar with the Packers operation said it was expected that Clements would replace Philbin.
Clements name has been tossed around by many as possible candidate for the Pittsburgh Steelers open offensive coordinator position after it was announced on Friday that Bruce Arians would not be back in 2012. Clements served as the Steelers quarterbacks coach for 3 seasons under Bill Cowher from 2001-2003. He also served as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach in 2000, prior to coming to the Steelers and was the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator from 2004-2005 after leaving the Steelers.
If indeed the Clements promotion with the Packers comes to fruition that would leave the Steelers with four obvious candidates to go along with perhaps a few not so obvious ones. The likeliest option in my opinion at this point that I pointed out on Friday would be the promotion of current quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner. Should the Steelers not stay in house the other obvious candidates would include recently fired head coaches Jim Caldwell and Hue Jackson. Caldwell is reportedly still close to Tomlin after both spent time on the staff of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers together under then head coach Tony Dungy.
Todd Haley, fired late last season as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, remains at the bottom of the obvious candidates with ties to the Steelers organization at this point. Haley is of course the son of Dick Haley, the Steelers former player personnel director. Tomlin will also be down in Mobile, Alabama next week for the Senior Bowl and could talk to a few not so obvious candidates when there as well. There seems to be no time table set right now for the naming of a replacement, but it could come when Tomlin and the Steelers brass return from Mobile.
