The first 24 hours after the completion of Week 18 brought about four firings in the head-coaching ranks, bringing the total number of vacancies to six. But further changes are still possible, particularly among assistant coaches and coordinators. Meanwhile, the organizations with openings could continue to set their interview slates in the coming days by making requests to speak with various candidates.

USA TODAY Sports will have live updates on all the latest news and rumors on coaching moves and searches, so check back often throughout the day:

Kliff Kingsbury out as Commanders reset coaching staff under Dan Quinn

Kliff Kingsbury might end up getting head-coaching interviews this cycle, but he won’t have the option of returning to the Washington Commanders.

Kingsbury and the Commanders mutually agreed to part ways on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

Kingsbury was expected to be one of the hottest names in this year’s coaching cycle entering the year. But the Commanders offense wilted with Jayden Daniels missing all but seven games due to multiple injuries.

The Commanders also fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., who had been stripped of defensive play-calling duties in November.

Titans setting schedule for head-coaching interviews

The Tennessee Titans are wasting no time in getting their head-coaching search underway.

The Titans will interview Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo on Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on Thursday and former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on Saturday.

None of the coaches on the Titans’ established interview list have to wait before speaking with the team, with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph permitted to meet this week given that his team is on a bye. The Titans, however, still must satisfy the league’s Rooney Rule requirements before reaching a decision.

Matt Eberflus fired as Cowboys defensive coordinator

The Dallas Cowboys will have a fourth different defensive coordinator in four years.

The Cowboys on Tuesday fired Matt Eberflus, according to multiple reports, ending the tenure of a coach who oversaw a unit that surrendered a franchise-record 511 points.

Eberflus’ zone-heavy scheme drew significant scrutiny throughout the season, particularly as the offense led by Dak Prescott soared.

Which NFL head-coaching vacancy is best?

With Black Monday over, there are now six head-coaching vacancies throughout the NFL – though that number still could grow.

USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis took an in-depth look at each vacancy and ranked the opportunities from best to worst. With lackluster rosters and limited resources, the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals finished at the bottom.

But what about the No. 1 team? Check out the story for the full breakdown.

Which NFL coaches have been fired?

The Arizona Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon on Monday after three seasons.
The Las Vegas Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday after one season.
The Cleveland Browns fired Kevin Stefanski on Monday after six seasons.
The Atlanta Falcons fired Raheem Morris on Sunday after two seasons.
The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll in November.
The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan in October.

The NFL playoffs could be wide-open this year, with no single dominant team.
Several key players, including Patrick Mahomes and Nick Bosa, are out with injuries.
Many playoff teams face significant questions, from inexperienced QBs to inconsistent defenses.

Now comes the real drama.

After such a wild, unpredictable NFL regular season, the Road to Super Bowl 60 is set up to be one of most wide-open playoff tournaments in recent history. I think.

Who ya got? You can surely make cases for several teams to wind up seizing the Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. And you might be right. Then again, no team is perfect, no team is dominant. And Patrick Mahomes is not a factor this time around.

There are flaws, questions and what-ifs for every team in the field. Such as …

1. Can the Eagles flick a switch that takes them back to the Super Bowl? They have looked like anything but defending champs yet still have a Vic Fangio-coordinated defense to be reckoned with. Whatever happened to Saquon Barkley? After cracking Y2K last season, he’s rushed for a little more than half that behind an out-of-sync line. He has to be the ticket for a Jalen Hurts-led unit that has lacked big-play rhythm.   

2. Does it matter that Patriots QB Drake Maye has zero playoff experience? We’ll see. A few months ago, few, if any, saw ‘MVP candidate’ in the second-year pro. He has grown up in a hurry, with props to Mike Vrabel and OC Josh McDaniel. And remember: TB12 had no playoff experience when he won a Super Bowl in Year 2. The bigger swing factor could involve top defenses like the units in Denver and Houston.  

3. What more can Kyle Shanahan squeeze from the injury-stung 49ers? For a two-time Super Bowl coach, this might be Shanahan’s best work yet. Never mind the lack of a pass rush, with Nick Bosa among casualties alongside heart-and-soul linchpin Fred Warner. They were one win from the No. 1 seed. Now the watch list includes Trent Williams (hamstring) and whatever creativity Shanahan can unleash in a pinch.

4. Can Josh Allen cover for the shaky Bills run defense? With playoff nemesis Mahomes not in the mix this time, you can’t blame the reigning NFL MVP for licking his chops like this might be the Super Bowl year. Yet the 28th-ranked run D, yielding 5.1 yards per rush, has allowed a few RBs rip off the type of huge yardage games (169, 170, 174, 148) that could be disastrous in the playoffs.

5. Does Aaron Rodgers have a storybook script for the Steelers? We saw why Mike Tomlin lured A-Rod to Pittsburgh with his poise in the clutch on Sunday night. Rodgers, 42, came for a shot at chasing another championship. The odds are so long – beginning with a matchup against Houston’s No. 1 defense. But Rodgers, leading a 25th-ranked unit, can tell you all about the time he won the Super Bowl as a sixth seed.

6. Do the Packers stand a chance without Micah Parsons? When Green Bay obtained the all-pro edge rusher in August, it was viewed as the missing piece for a championship puzzle. His impact, including 12 ½ sacks, was substantial. As is his absence. Since Parsons went down with a torn ACL in Week 15, the Packers haven’t won a game. The four-game losing streak is longest for any playoff team.

7. Will special teams cost the Rams again? In the Week 16 meltdown loss at Seattle, L.A. gave up a 58-yard punt-return TD and Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal try with 2:07 left in regulation. The mishaps cost coordinator Chase Blackburn his job – the first in-season staff firing ever by Sean McVay – as S-Teams gaffes have plagued the Rams all season. For all the pop on offense and defense, it takes three phases.

8. What makes the Jaguars so dangerous? Beyond the hot quarterback (Trevor Lawrence has a 15-1 TD-INT ratio since Week 13) and a defense that thrives on turnovers (31, second in the NFL) while stuffing the run (zero 75-yard rushers), consider quality wins. The Jags are 3-1 against other AFC playoff teams, splitting against Houston while posting convincing wins against the Chargers and Broncos.    

9. Did the Panthers peak a few weeks ago? Backing into the playoffs with a losing record (thanks, Atlanta) and back-to-back losses to end the regular season is never a good look. Now here comes the Rams, bringing the NFL’s No. 1 offense. Wait a minute. Carolina upset L.A. on Nov. 30 to improve to 7-6. That was then. Since then, the Panthers haven’t scored more than 20 points in dropping three of four games.

10. Have the Bears run out of last-minute magic? What an incredible worst-to-first rise in Year 1 under Ben Johnson. Like destiny? Chicago is the first team in NFL history to win six games in which it trailed in the final two minutes. Caleb Williams-armed crunch time confidence. Check. Just as essential: A 29th-ranked defense has collected an NFL-high 33 takeaways. This is not a typical formula. But they are here.

11. Will Justin Herbert hold up and give the Chargers a fighting chance? Jim Harbaugh’s rugged QB had surgery in early December to stabilize a fractured left hand and didn’t miss a start until resting in Week 18. Add layer to his toughness rep, which fits in a year his O-line lost both of its stud tackles to season-ending injuries. Under these conditions, Herbert tries to shake the 0-2 playoff monkey off his back.    

12. What can C.J. Stroud do to complement the top-ranked Texans defense? Sure, defense wins championships and Houston set franchise records for fewest points (17.3) and yards (277.2) to fortify an NFL-best 9-game win streak. Stroud rebounded after missing three games (concussion) but his unit has been sketchy for cashing in opportunities. Houston ranks 30th in the NFL with a red zone TD rate of 46.3%.

13. Will the Broncos offense buck a trend and start fast? Denver’s journey to a No. 1 seed came with 11 one-score victories, tied for most in the NFL. Impressive. Last season, the Broncos typically lost those one-possession encounters. Now they are so poised in crunch time. Yet stress might be lessened. Denver has generated just 36 points from its opening possession, including just three touchdowns.

14. What’s the warning sign attached to the Seahawks? Turnovers. No playoff team logged more giveaways than Seattle (28), with half of that total coming on INTs by Sam Darnold – who has thrown more picks (14) than any quarterback in the playoffs. Seattle has great balance with Top 10 units on offense and defense, plus stellar special teams. It has the ‘The 12s,’ too. Maybe turnovers will be an equalizer. Or not.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks appear headed for a breakup.

The two sides are discussing Young’s potential exit from the team ahead of next month’s NBA trade deadline, according to multiple reports on Monday, Jan. 5, with the Hawks and their four-time All-Star willing to part ways with one another less than five years after the point guard led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals and became the face of the franchise.

Young’s representatives and the Hawks began having ‘collaborative talks’ over the past week, ESPN reported, after speculation about the point guard’s future increased throughout the first few months of this season. Young’s contract includes a nearly $46 million cap hit this season and a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27, but Atlanta elected not to offer him a max extension this past offseason.

Trae Young trade destinations

Only one team has been publicly linked to Young at this point.

The Washington Wizards are considered ‘a legitimate potential trade destination’ for Young, according to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, and the deal would involve the expiring contract of Wizards guard CJ McCollum. No trade had been finalized as of 10:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Whether Young wants a new contract along with the trade, as well as the Hawks’ willingness to attach a draft pick in the deal, could complicate any potential moves and limit his suitors. There’s also the reality that Young’s value is diminished since his defensive liabilities have muted his impact more noticeably in recent seasons.

Teams with an immediate need for a point guard, such as the Minnesota Timberwolves or perhaps the Houston Rockets, could make sense. But matching Young’s salary would involve a significant salary going back to Atlanta in return. Perhaps there’s a dark horse that needs more offensive punch and can cover for Young defensively, like the Toronto Raptors. Young could also be part of a deal with the Sacramento Kings, who are reportedly open to trading much of their roster.

Trae Young stats

Young, 27, has appeared in just 10 games this season due to injuries, but the Hawks have a 2-8 record when he plays and a 15-13 record when he doesn’t. He’s averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game, while shooting 30.5% from 3-point range. Forward Jalen Johnson has emerged as Atlanta’s new star, with the team’s defense improving significantly without Young on the court.

Young missed 22 games earlier this season with a sprained MCL and missed his fifth-straight game due to a quad contusion when the Hawks suffered a 118-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Atlanta went 0-5 during the five games Young played after returning from the knee injury.

Young has career averages of 25.2 points, 9.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting 35.1% from 3-point-range over eight NBA seasons.

Figure skaters Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu are top contenders for the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships.
The duo’s contrasting ‘Type A’ and ‘Type B’ personalities create a dynamic and supportive partnership.
Glenn and Liu are favorites to end a 20-year Olympic medal drought for U.S. women’s singles skaters.
Despite being competitors, Glenn and Liu have a strong friendship and often learn from each other’s approach to the sport.

A popular theory is people have two types of personalities: Type A or Type B.

Type A people are driven, competitive multi-taskers who manage their time to best achieve goals. Type B are relaxed, patient and care-free people who don’t get rattled and do things at their own pace.

On the U.S. figure skating team, it’s Type A Amber Glenn and Type B Alysa Liu. So, what do you get when you mix the two? A dynamic, powerhouse duo.

“It’s Type A, Type B people side-by-side, and having a little bit of both usually ends up being a perfect match,” Glenn said.

After an impressive 2025, Glenn and Liu head into the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships this week looking for that final boost of momentum to take into the 2026 Winter Olympics. With that, they can lead Team USA into Milano Cortina poised to break the American hardware drought. 

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What makes Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu US favorites

The past year of has been filled with success for Glenn, 26, and Liu, 20. At the 2025 U.S. figure skating championships, Glenn won gold and Liu took silver by a narrow margin.

Since then, both helped Team USA win the 2025 World Team Trophy, Liu captured gold at the 2025 World Championship and 2025 Skate America while Glenn won the 2025 Cup of China. At the 2025 Grand Prix final in December, Liu won gold and Glenn finished fourth. 

Both skaters are near locks to be on the Olympic team, which will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 11, while the rest of the field is fighting for the third and final spot on the women’s side. But that doesn’t mean it’s a week to take off. Glenn and Liu will be the favorites to win the U.S. title, and a podium finish could give that extra boost of confidence with the Winter Olympics starting in early February.

Luckily, both of them are hitting their stride at the right time. 

Liu has come back from her retirement a stronger skater who has upped her artistry. Even though she is a calm person who doesn’t seemed bothered by much, she has really appreciated what it’s taken to reach that next level after she was a teenage star.

“I’m really enjoying my time. I really value my training. That’s kind of why I came back,” Liu told USA TODAY Sports in November. “I love training every day and putting my energy into something all the time.”

For the U.S. championships, all signs point to Liu finally using her Lady Gaga-inspired free skate fans have been clamoring for. Liu had said it just wasn’t quite right and needed to be worked on before she performed it. If all goes well, it could be the skate she takes with her to the Olympics.

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On the other hand, Glenn takes big chances with some technically difficult programs that often lead to big rewards. She’s a resilient, outspoken skater who has found the right place for her mentally, which has led to success. However, Glenn didn’t have the performance she wanted at the Grand Prix Final. It left her “invigorated” going into 2026, eager to defend her U.S. title and make it back-to-back-to-back crowns.

“It lit a fire in me that I really want to continue that rise, and I just have to remind myself that I’ve earned it, I’ve worked for it and I just need to do what I can do,” she said. “As long as I stay true to myself, I think I will be satisfied with whatever result I end up with at nationals.”

Challengers at 2026 Winter Olympics

The impressive showings are why Glenn and Liu are favorites to win medals in the Winter Olympics, something that no American women’s skater has done in the singles event since 2006, when Sasha Cohen took silver. Twenty years without a medal is the longest drought for the U.S. since the event began in 1924. 

Glenn and Liu could also give the U.S. its first gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. The women’s field is wide open, although there are stiff challengers.

Russia has always presented the greatest challenge, and it will get to send one skater as an Individual Neutral Athlete. Adeliia Petrosian gets the opportunity and is positioned to medal, if not win gold. Japan will also send three skaters, headlined by 2022 bronze medalist Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai. 

Those competitors are something to think about for Glenn and Liu, but they’re not the focus at the moment. 

“It can be easy to get wrapped up in the Olympic conversation and what’s going on around you, rather than just focusing on what your individual goals are,” Glenn said.

Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu’s friendship

Given their recent runs, it could be easy to pit Glenn and Liu as rivals, but they’re far from it.

They can be seen on each other’s social media often, making Tik Tok videos. They hang out outside of competitions, including when they went on an adventure during the Grand Prix Finals in Japan.

“She’s just such a big sister to me,” Liu said of Glenn. “The idea that we compete against each other, it’s so weird to me. I really just see her as one of my friends and truly one of my teammates. I don’t know, doing things with her is really fun.”

Not only are they friends, but they’ve also learned plenty from each other. Glenn has seen Liu’s approach to skating and it has reminded her even though figure skating is intense, it’s also something they love. 

Although their careers aren’t the same, they share the same traits. It hasn’t been all glory. There have been peaks and valleys that have shaped where they are now. It has brought what Glenn said is a “new perspective to what a skating career over time looks like,” helping lead a new era that is trying to bring a team-oriented group that supports each other – and has the other’s back.

“It’s been great to have someone that has such a positive outlook on skating and on her career around me,” Glenn said. “And then on the flip side, I have an extra pair of tights if she rips them and doesn’t have a backup, or I have the schedule ready because she doesn’t have it.”

Type A and Type B, a perfect blend.

Figure skater Jason Brown, 31, is attempting to make his third Olympic team for the 2026 Winter Games.
Brown is bringing back his viral ‘Riverdance’ program from 2014 for his short program this season.
While known for his artistry, Brown faces challenges with the technical elements of his skating compared to younger competitors.

In a time where the young stars headline U.S. figure skating, Jason Brown is out to prove he still has it.

The 31-year-old burst onto the scene in 2014, when he went viral and earned a spot on the 2014 Winter Olympics team, eventually winning a bronze medal. Afterward, he thought he would call it quits, but he still had more to give and made it back to the Winter Games in 2022. Again, he thought he was done after that.

But in 2026, Brown is back at it for what could be the last dance. He heads into the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships with a chance to make Team USA for a third time, and he’ll try to do it with something that helped him reach stardom. That something is a blast from the past, and making it to the 2026 Winter Olympics would remain just as special.

“Just competing at an Olympic Games is the most special thing as an athlete and getting to represent your country,” Brown told USA TODAY Sports. “Gosh, it would be so special.”

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Jason Brown brings back Riverdance

At the 2014 U.S. figure skating championships, a long-haired, 19-year-old Brown performed Riverdance free skate program. With Irish music and dance, it became a huge hit and catapulted Brown into stardom.

All these years later, it is still one of the most memorable performances, as people have continuously told him about how special it was.

“That’s one of my favorite programs of his,” U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu said. “I remember watching that when I was little, and it’s the only program I remember watching when I was little, really, because it just stood out that much.”

Now in this season, Brown has brought back the hit performance, using it for his short program. It’s something Brown said “really launched my career,” so he is using it as an opportunity to say thank you to the fans for all the years of support he’s received.

Although using it for a shorter length, it has drawn the same type of reaction. The crowd roared when he performed it on home soil at 2025 Skate America in November.

Yet it didn’t get Brown on the podium. He was fifth in the short program and finished fourth in the men’s side of the event, six points out of bronze. It was a similar story the same month at 2025 Finlandia Trophy with a fifth-place finish.

It highlights one of the biggest challenges facing Brown: His creative artistry is among the best and why he’s able to win so many hearts over, but the technical side of skating is an uphill battle.

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It’s common for men skaters to execute tough jumps like triple Axels, but it’s not necessarily Brown’s forte. As a result, he’s under a bigger microscope. “I don’t have the luxury of anything to fall back on” for the technical side, Brown said, needing to basically be technically perfect to place high. Just those small errors can make it tough for when the best possible score isn’t the highest.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Brown said. “Every time I go out onto the ice, I know that to be up there with the best, I have to be as perfect and as clean as possible.”

Jason Brown goes for third Winter Olympics

Brown’s pursuit of perfection will be on display this week at the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships, one last chance for each American skater to prove they belong on the Olympic roster that will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 11.

Team USA has three spots for men’s figure skating in Milano Cortina. Young phenom Ilia Malinin is a shoe-in, but it’s up in the air for the two remaining spots. The general sense is Brown is in great position to qualify, and it will take a strong outing to leave no doubt when the roster is announced.

Yes, he is a beloved skater, but he wants people to know he is very competitive, and he really wants people to take him seriously. He wants to prove that he belongs and he leaves no doubt in earning a spot.

If he qualifies, it could be the perfect cap to his long career. He hasn’t officially said this will be his swan song, but Brown did say in November “mentally, this is definitely an end of sorts.”

Given the stakes, Brown said he tries to not think about what it could mean to his career to make Team USA, but admitted it is hard to not to. Still, it’s quite the achievement to be chasing a third Olympic Games, especially to do it over two decades.

It was 12 years ago when Brown stole hearts around the world. Now in 2026, the veteran skater is trying to do it one more time — in Milan. 

“I’m really, really proud of my consistency, and I’m really proud of my longevity,” Brown said. “I’m really looking forward to just – fingers crossed – being out there in Milan.”

As he stays with Ole Miss through its run in the College Football Playoff, Austin Simmons has decided on his home for next season.

The Mississippi quarterback has signed with Missouri, according to multiple reports Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Simmons began the 2025 season as the Rebels’ starter, but suffered an ankle injury in a Week 2 win at Kentucky. Trinidad Chambliss took over the starting role and didn’t give it up, accounting for 4,180 yards and finishing eighth in Heisman Trophy voting.

In two starts this season, Simmons completed 33 of his 55 passes for 576 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also had 61 rushing yards and a touchdown. Simmons played in seven games as a redshirt freshman in 2024, completing 19 of 32 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown while serving as Jaxson Dart’s backup.

Simmons is expected to remain with Ole Miss through the playoff, giving it a viable option off the bench should Chambliss get injured or for any other reason. Under new head coach Pete Golding, the Rebels will take on Miami in the national semifinals in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 8.

Chambliss has confirmed he will return to Ole Miss in 2026 if his waiver for another year of eligibility is approved by the NCAA.

The 6-4, 215-pound Simmons was a four-star recruit coming out of Pahokee High School in Florida. He was the No. 19 quarterback in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

Missouri had an opening at quarterback after Beau Pribula entered the transfer portal after an injury plagued season as the Tigers’ starter in 2025. The former Penn State quarterback accounted for 2,238 total yards and 17 touchdowns for a Missouri team that lost five of its final eight games after a 5-0 start. Pribula played in only two of the Tigers’ final five games.

Simmons will join a Missouri offense that already has one of the most productive offensive players in college football in running back Ahmad Hardy. Last season, the Louisiana-Monroe transfer rushed for 1,649 yards, the second-most among FBS players, while scoring 16 touchdowns and averaging 6.4 yards per carry.