NFL · 1 year ago

Top 15 NFL Head Coaching Candidates this Offseason

Ben DiGiacomo

Host · Writer

15. Marcus Freeman, HC, Notre Dame
In the new era of collegiate athletics, we’ve already seen college head coaches retire early or pounce for the NFL, most notably with Jim Harbaugh last offseason after winning the national championship with Michigan. Even though Harbaugh’s departure from Ann Arbor was seen as a long time coming, there have been rumblings of Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman being linked to NFL head coaching jobs, and who is to say he wouldn’t take the right opportunity? You don’t leave Notre Dame for any NFL job but for the right location. Don’t discount the potential of Freeman at least taking an interview.

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1. Ben Johnson, OC, Detroit Lions
If Ben Johnson finds a team he wants to coach this offseason, there is no doubt it’ll be his for the taking. He’s the hottest head coaching candidate we’ve seen in years, and he turned down multiple opportunities to become a head coach last offseason. He’s been vocal about wanting the right fit, and numerous attractive jobs could become available. He could look to develop the young core of the Chicago Bears, welcome the spotlight of the Dallas Cowboys, or even potentially look to get the Cincinnati Bengals over the hump. He’ll have his pick, and teams will throw blank checks at him.

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2. Bill Belichick, Former HC
Bill Belichick has been open about wanting to return to coaching in 2025, and it’s already been reported that he’s eyeing potential head coaching jobs with the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. I see him as the next Jaguars’ head coach, as I believe Shahid Khan is willing to do what it takes to land Belichick. Belichick may prefer being out of the Cowboys' spotlight, and I’ll eliminate the Bucs from the equation. If they were to fire Todd Bowles, I imagine they would promote Liam Coen to head coach. The Jags aren’t afraid to make splashes with their head coaching hires, with Doug Pederson and Urban Meyer as their last two. They’ll welcome the attention Belichick brings them.
3. Aaron Glenn, DC, Detroit Lions
It’s more likely than not Dan Campbell will have to replace two coordinators after the season ends. Hopefully, it will be after a Detroit Lions Super Bowl win. That’s a testament to how elite his two coordinators are, and while Ben Johnson gets most of the praise, Aaron Glenn has been just as great with the job he’s done with the defense. He’s been interviewed for jobs in the past few offseasons, setting him up to make the leap in a few months.
4. Mike Vrabel, Former HC
Many were surprised that Mike Vrabel wasn’t hired immediately after being fired by the Tennessee Titans last season. Still, he spent the past season as a defensive assistant and personnel consultant with the Cleveland Browns. Should the Browns fire Kevin Stefanski, Vrabel is considered a lock by some for that job. If not, Vrabel will be a hot candidate on the open market.
5. Joe Brady, OC, Buffalo Bills
Joe Brady has been a hot commodity since he masterminded the elite 2019 LSU offense. He struggled in his initial transition to the NFL but is amid his best season as the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, powering Josh Allen to the forefront of the MVP conversation. Brady will undoubtedly get interviews this offseason and is more likely than not to land a job.
6. Bobby Slowik, OC, Houston Texans
Bobby Slowik was one of the hottest head coaching candidates last offseason, but he elected to stay with the Houston Texans rather than make the leap to a head coaching job. Although Slowik is universally seen as a talented head coaching candidate, his candidacy is worse than last season. CJ Stroud has struggled with consistency, and the Texans’ offense has sometimes looked flat. Multiple teams will interview him, but he likely won’t have the benefit of “choosing his path” like he did last winter.
7. Liam Coen, OC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No matter who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had playing receiver, they have been able to effortlessly move the ball up and down the field all season. Liam Coen wasn’t seen as the best hire to replace Dave Canales as offensive coordinator, but all those critics are eating their words now. The Bucs’ offense has been excellent, and Coen has done a masterful job utilizing the strengths of Baker Mayfield. Coen's head coach case will only grow if the Bucs can catch some momentum down the stretch and make a play for the NFC South crown. I expect Coen to be hired outright if they struggle down the stretch and Todd Bowles loses his job.
8. Jesse Minter, DC, Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have been better than most people expected. While Jim Harbaugh is at the forefront of earning praise, much of the credit must be given to Jesse Minter in his first year as the defensive coordinator. Coming over to Los Angeles from Michigan with Harbaugh, Minter has already established himself as a future head coach in just one season in the NFL, following the track record of the guy he formerly replaced at Michigan, current Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald.
9. Kellen Moore, OC, Philadelphia Eagles
It almost feels like Kellen Moore will never get a head coaching gig because he’s been interviewed during multiple offseasons and continually falls short. Still, he’s 36 years old and is amid the best coaching stretch of his career as the Philadelphia Eagles offense is humming on a seven-game winning streak. Eagles’ coordinators have been popular head coaching candidates in recent seasons, so I expect Moore to get multiple interviews this offseason. It remains to be seen if he’ll land a job, but the Eagles hope he doesn’t.
10. Anthony Weaver, DC, Miami Dolphins
The story of the Miami Dolphins season has been all about injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but their defense has been way better than people give them credit for. Last season, Vic Fangio jumped ship for a defensive coordinator job with the Philadelphia Eagles, allowing the Dolphins to bring in Anthony Weaver. He hasn’t disappointed, and many of his top players have been outspoken about how much they enjoy playing for him. He’ll catch many people by surprise this offseason when he becomes a finalist for a job or two this coaching cycle, similar to Mike MacDonald last offseason before he landed the job with the Seattle Seahawks.
11. Vance Joseph, DC, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos defense has been one of the most elite in football, and a ton of credit is given to first-year defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. The former head coach has positioned himself well to be a popular head coach candidate, and his candidacy will look similar to that of Raheem Morris last offseason, a former head coach and unheralded coordinator who snuck the Atlanta Falcons job.
12. Kliff Kingsbury, OC, Washington Commanders
After being fired by the Arizona Cardinals, Kliff Kingsbury felt dead in the water, serving as USC’s offensive coordinator last season to stay around the game. Upon Dan Quinn’s hiring with the Washington Commanders, he searched out Kingsbury to lead his offense immediately, and now the unit has continually exceeded expectations. Jayden Daniels has looked like a rock star, and the rest of the offense is playing well around him. He is setting up Kingsbury to get a second crack at a head coaching gig.
13. Brian Flores, DC, Minnesota Vikings
Brian Flores returned to the defensive coordinator role with a bang with the Minnesota Vikings. He turned around their defense to one of the better units in football and helped the Vikings to an unexpected 9-2 record. After his tumultuous departure from the Miami Dolphins a few years ago, it remains to be seen how NFL owners feel about bringing him on board as the head coach, but he deserves a second chance.
14. Zac Robinson, OC, Atlanta Falcons
It may be a year early for Zac Robinson, but expect the Atlanta Falcons’ OC to get a few head coach interviews this coaching cycle. The first-year OC has done a solid job with the Falcons’ offense and brings in loads of expertise after working under Sean McVay before this season. He’ll undoubtedly get a few interviews, but ultimately, another year of coordinator experience would go a long way in increasing his candidacy.
15. Marcus Freeman, HC, Notre Dame
In the new era of collegiate athletics, we’ve already seen college head coaches retire early or pounce for the NFL, most notably with Jim Harbaugh last offseason after winning the national championship with Michigan. Even though Harbaugh’s departure from Ann Arbor was seen as a long time coming, there have been rumblings of Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman being linked to NFL head coaching jobs, and who is to say he wouldn’t take the right opportunity? You don’t leave Notre Dame for any NFL job but for the right location. Don’t discount the potential of Freeman at least taking an interview.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Ben Johnson, OC, Detroit Lions
If Ben Johnson finds a team he wants to coach this offseason, there is no doubt it’ll be his for the taking. He’s the hottest head coaching candidate we’ve seen in years, and he turned down multiple opportunities to become a head coach last offseason. He’s been vocal about wanting the right fit, and numerous attractive jobs could become available. He could look to develop the young core of the Chicago Bears, welcome the spotlight of the Dallas Cowboys, or even potentially look to get the Cincinnati Bengals over the hump. He’ll have his pick, and teams will throw blank checks at him.

Have all the intel you need? Free actionable info is one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.

Top 15 NFL Head Coaching Candidates this Offseason

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