After focusing on the biggest-name head-coach/GM candidates on the NFL coaching rumor mill a week ago, PFW is pointed in a different direction with the final quarter of the 2009 campaign about to begin.

With the majority of the teams likely to be looking for new head coaches at the end of the season also having financial concerns that figure to keep them from pursuing heavy hitters such as Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren, PFW this week takes an in-depth look at the more affordable alternatives whom our leaguewide sources have identified from the NFL assistant-coaching ranks.

Beginning with defensive assistants, two names at the top of the list are a pair of head-coach retreads whose success so far this season as defensive coordinators with new teams has been well documented — the Broncos' Mike Nolan and the Saints' Gregg Williams.

While there's no denying their abilities as coordinators, they aren't nearly as well-regarded as head-coaching candidates worthy of a second shot.

"Mike Nolan is proving why he got a head-coaching job (with the Niners) now," an NFL personnel director told PFW. "When all he is asked to do is concentrate on defense, he can outcoach (teams).

"But I don't think he is wired right to be a good head coach. He wants his hand in everything. He micromanages. He dabbled in coordinating, and I think that is frustrating for players and (assistant) coaches — let them do their job. He wants to come across as a disciplinarian, but he gets too close to them and takes the whip away from some of them like Vernon Davis. His biggest problem in San Francisco was rotating offensive and defensive coordinators. You can't do that every year. He made some awful hires (in the assistant ranks)."

Williams, meanwhile, also has some blemishes on his résumé that might lessen his appeal on the head-coaching front.

"He struggled in a tough situation in Buffalo when he got his chance, and he was too interested in self-promoting in Washington," the personnel director said. "That has been his downfall — his ego gets in the way too much. But if anyone is proving masterful, it is Williams."

It should be noted that there are two other veteran defensive coordinators in new situations this year who have done masterful jobs — Dom Capers in Green Bay and Larry Coyer in Indianapolis — but the word at the moment is that they are both quite comfortable in their current situations.

What follows is a rundown of the other hot assistant names being bandied about, in no particular order, with quotes from various NFL personnel directors and talent evaluators included:

• Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer — "He has done an outstanding job with Cincinnati this year. His players are leaving everything on the field and playing fast. He's the son of a coach. He gets it.

"He has been the glue that has brought everyone together in Cincinnati. What he has had to deal with after his wife suddenly passed — guys want to play for him, and there is a lot to be said for that in a head coach. He's similar to Mike Singletary that way. He commands respect. He has coordinated for the 3-4 and 4-3.

"He knows X's and O's. It took three coordinator hires (in Cincinnati) — and don't think all the talent they have brought in defensively has not helped — but he has been the one that was able to turn around that defense."

• Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier — "He shares some similarities to Tony Dungy and Mike Singletary. He is the type of guy who could be a better head coach than coordinator. He is a respected leader. He relates well to people. His defense has been more vanilla than I would like, but he comes from a great pipeline under (former Eagles defensive coordinator) Jimmy Johnson.

"He sat in the driver's seat in some winning organizations. He won a Super Bowl alongside Dungy. He's helped steer the ship with Brad Childress, helping recruit Brett Favre."

• Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera — "He and Frazier have had a lot of interviews, and for some reason, they just have not been able to close the door. But with the way San Diego has turned around their season, I think he will emerge as a top candidate. And he fits the minority category and, at a minimum, should continue to get interviews."

• Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott — "He could be this year's Mike Tomlin. Tomlin was only a coordinator one year in Minnesota before he took the job in Pittsburgh. They were both trained by some of the best in the league — (former Buccaneers defensive coordinator) Monte Kiffin and Jimmy Johnson.

"He's young. He's smart. He's a grinder, and he understands how to stop offenses. I still think he might be too young — he's only coordinated one year — but if he fell into the right situation with an established coordinator like Tomlin did, he could be very successful."

• Dolphins defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni — "He is really good. He has a lot of experience as a head coach (at Syracuse). He understands X's and O's — he could put a game plan together in his sleep. He has run the 3-4 or the 4-3. He has done it all. Don't blow him up, but if I were looking for a head coach, he'd be at the top of my list for an interview."

On the other side of the ball, there is no shortage of intriguing candidates. To wit:

• Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger — "He's the one who stands out the most. He's a proven play-caller. He comes from the new cradle (Eastern Illinois, where he was Mike Shanahan's roommate. He has done a masterful job of managing Vince Young and opening up the offense.

"The Titans' turnaround is a direct result of the job he has done with the offense. He does not get enough praise for being a creative offensive mind."

• Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett — "He has been a hot commodity ever since Troy Aikman so strongly endorsed him as a head coach. The problem, as we saw in St. Louis last year, is that he commands a higher salary as a coordinator than a lot of head coaches.

"He is being paid like a head coach to run the offense, so he could have to take a pay cut or make a lateral move on the pay scale to become a head coach, and I don't think Jerry Jones will want to lose him."

• Chargers assistant head coach/tight ends Rob Chudzinski — "He is a brilliant guy, maybe even too smart (4.0 student at the University of Miami during the 1989 season). He is the type who could be a better head coach than coordinator. He was calling the shots in Cleveland when they went 10-4 and receives high marks for his ability to manage, organize and lead.'

• Cardinals assistant head coach/offensive line Russ Grimm — "He has not been given enough credit for the job he did in Pittsburgh and in Arizona coordinating the run game. He is an unsung hero. He's similar to Andy Reid. He's not flashy — he's just a simple, blue-collar worker who grabs his lunchbox every day and gets the job done.

"He's humble, he does not point fingers. He has some natural leadership qualities that come with having played on the offensive line. I'd have him at the top of the list of guys to interview."

• Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and Texans offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan — "They are both young guys with a lot of pedigree. And it has always been a young man's game."

PFW has launched its brand-new NFL Draft Newsletter series, with the second issue now ready for mailing. Produced by PFW's player personnel department under the direction of Nolan Nawrocki, the series consists of four information-packed issues. For more info or to subscribe — click here for PDF e-pub or here for print format.