The Nfl

1. Jimmy Johnson, sportscaster, Fox/HBO. Johnson knows the best chance he'll ever have to win another Super Bowl is in Miami with Dan Marino over the next three or four years. Johnson is already thinking about a staff, with Gary Stevens (Dolphins) and Dave McGinis (Bears) as possible offensive and defensive coordinators. But does Miami owner Wayne Huizenga have the guts to fire Don Shula, the winningest coach of all time? And would Huizenga, a control freak, hand Johnson the keys to the castle plus $3.5 million-plus a year?

2. Pete Carroll, defensive coordinator, 49ers. He got jobbed when the Jets dumped him last January after only one season. So the charismatic Carroll took over the NFL's sixth-best scoring defense in San Francisco, lost defensive player of the year Deion Sanders to free agency and had the 49ers first in the league in scoring defense. Still, owners will notice that in Carroll's only season of head coaching, his Jets fell out of the playoffs with an 0-5 finish.

3. Steve Spurrier, coach, Florida. He's a brilliant offensive strategist and has gotten more from quarterback Danny Wuerffel than any other coach could have. But Spurrier has a big ego, friends say he's not anxious to leave the Gators, and he would demand a gigantic contract to make the jump.

4. Barry Alvarez, coach, Wisconsin. The Badgers' 4-5-2 record this season won't help, but Alvarez is a low-ego guy who has built a good program out of a destitute one. He would be a good pick for the Giants if Reeves goes because he would be comfortable with personnel man Tom Boisture picking the college players, pro scout Tim Rooney plucking the free agents and general manager George Young overseeing the whole thing.

5. Tony Dungy, defensive coordinator, Vikings. He didn't get the Jaguar job two years ago, in part because Jacksonville's owners thought it would be tough for the soft-spoken Dungy to command respect. But give him credit. Despite massive player turnover, he had the league's first-ranked defense in 1993 and fifth-ranked unit in '94.

6. Willie Shaw, defensive coordinator, Rams. Our upset special. Players love Shaw, who at 21 was an Air Force sergeant in Vietnam. "I may not get a head coaching job," Shaw says, "but I'll tell you this: If I get an interview, the owner will be impressed."

7. Joe Bugel, assistant head coach/offense, Raiders. Some ground-hugging team should consider him, because there are few people better at directing the running game.

8. Bill Snyder, coach, Kansas State. In its seven seasons under Snyder, KSU is 45-33-1. The Wildcats were 15-60-3 the seven previous seasons.

9. Nick Saban, coach, Michigan State. A no-nonsense guy who knows defense.

10. Terry Bowden, coach, Auburn. Media-savvy, diligent. Former Eagle coach Dick Vermeil thinks Bowden would be a great NFL coach.