Upward mobility is a way of life in NFL coaching circles. Position coaches want to become coordinators, and coordinators hope to land head coaching jobs.
Which NFL assistant coaches will be in line for promotions in 2025? Who are the league’s next hot head coaches and play-callers?
Let’s identify one coordinator or position coach on every NFL team who will be worth watching in 2024. Remember these names, because they’ll appear in headlines and news alerts during next offseason’s hiring cycle.
Which NFL Assistant Coaches Are In Line for Promotions?
Arizona Cardinals | OC Drew Petzing
Derw Petzing didn’t have a ton of talent to work with in his first season as Arizona’s offensive play-caller in 2023. Kyler Murray (ACL recovery) didn’t play until Week 10, but Petzing got the most out of journeyman quarterback Joshua Dobbs while working around an embattled offensive line and injuries to contributors like RB James Conner and WR Hollywood Brown.
The Cardinals ultimately finished 16th in yards per play, 18th in scoring rate, and 21st in offensive DVOA — more than respectable ranks given Petzing’s environment. The 36-year-old should draw head-coaching interest in 2025 if Murray, rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr., and TE Trey McBride light up scoreboards this season.
Atlanta Falcons | OC Zac Robinson
Former Sean McVay offensive underlings Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, and Kevin O’Connell have each gone on to successful NFL head coaching careers. Is new Falcons play-caller Zac Robinson next in line?
Robinson’s eight OC interview requests paced the league this offseason — every club wants a piece of the McVay system. Robinson has the pieces in Atlanta, as free agent addition Kirk Cousins is in town to helm an offense that already includes a solid offensive line and playmakers like RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London, and TE Kyle Pitts.
Baltimore Ravens | DC Zachary Orr
New play-caller Zach Orr is facing a daunting task after the Ravens’ defense ranked first in points per game (16.5), points per drive (1.35), yards per play (4.6), DVOA (-23.3%), and sacks (60) in 2023 under former DC Mike Macdonald.
However, Orr is regarded as something of a defensive wunderkind. At 31, he’s the NFL’s second-youngest DC. Orr, whose playing career with the Ravens ended after a 2016 neck/spine condition, has only been coaching for seven years.
John Harbaugh could’ve scoured the market for a veteran coach to replace Macdonald, but the fact that he stayed internal and hired Orr means the Ravens’ new DC must be ready for the job.
Buffalo Bills | OC Joe Brady
What a whirlwind it’s been for Joe Brady in the last few years. Coming off a national championship season as LSU’s passing game coordinator, Brady became the Panthers’ OC in 2020 and interviewed for five NFL head coaching positions the following offseason.
Ex-Carolina HC Matt Rhule fired Brady midway through the 2021 campaign, but Brady rebounded, joining the Bills as QBs coach in 2022 before taking over for fired OC Ken Dorsey in November 2023.
Buffalo’s offense could take a step back following offseason departures, but working with Josh Allen will always buoy a coordinator’s résumé.
Carolina Panthers | DC Ejiro Evero
Ejiro Evero outlasted his head coach in each of the last two seasons with the Panthers and Broncos. This year, he interviewed for three head coaching positions, while Carolina blocked him from discussing lateral DC moves with other clubs.
Evero is among the most in-demand coaches in the NFL and seems likely to take a step up in 2025, especially if the Panthers’ defense improves after adding free agents like EDGEs Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum, LB Josey Jewell, CB Dane Jackson, and S Jordan Fuller.
Chicago Bears | Offensive Pass Game Coordinator Thomas Brown
Depending on how the Caleb Williams-led Bears fare in 2024, Chicago’s coaching staff could insert several staffers into next year’s hiring bonanza. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph will be in the mix if the Bears put up points.
However, we’re spotlighting Thomas Brown, whom Chicago hired as its offensive passing game coordinator this offseason. Brown spent last year in Carolina but was with McVay’s Rams from 2020 to 2022, overlapping with Waldron during his first campaign in Los Angeles.
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Brown interviewed for three OC jobs this offseason and was up for three head coaching positions over the past three years.
Cincinnati Bengals | OC Dan Pitcher
First-year Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher won’t call plays (that’s head coach Zac Taylor’s job), but that didn’t hurt ex-Cincinnati OC Brian Callahan, who became the Titans’ HC this offseason after five seasons in the Queen City.
Pitcher, formerly the Bengals’ QBs coach, landed coordinator interviews with the Raiders, Saints, and Patriots in 2024 but opted to stick with the only NFL team he’s ever coached for. Essential in game-planning, communication, and research, Pitcher will be in the head coaching conversation if Joe Burrow stays healthy and reverts to his Pro Bowl form.
Cleveland Browns | OL Coach Andy Dickerson
Browns DC Jim Schwartz should’ve received head coaching looks this offseason after leading one of the most dominant defensive performances in recent NFL history. Despite winning 2023’s Coordinator of the Year award, Schwartz wasn’t asked for a single interview, which might not change next season.
Cleveland has numerous assistants who could work their way up the ladder, including cornerbacks coach Brandon Lynch, who interviewed for the Titans’ DC job earlier this offseason.
But we’re going with Andy Dickerson, who joined the Browns this year after spending the last three seasons in Seattle. Offensive line coaches often have difficulty getting noticed in OC searches. However, Dickerson’s profile will rise if he can keep Cleveland’s line productive while replacing legendary OL coach Bill Callahan.
Dallas Cowboys | DB Coach Al Harris
The Cowboys blocked Dan Quinn’s request to interview Al Harris for a role on his new Commanders coaching staff this offseason, softening the blow by adding “assistant head coach” to Harris’ title.
Harris has worked wonders with Dallas cornerbacks like DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs. He’s also worked with the Chiefs and Dolphins, spent time in the college ranks, and enjoyed a 14-year playing career as a former sixth-round pick.
Denver Broncos | DB Coach Jim Leonhard
Jim Leonhard was a candidate to become the Eagles’ DC last offseason, but the two sides mutually decided against pursuing a union. He’d planned to undergo hip surgery and sit out the 2023 campaign but seemed intrigued by the Philadelphia job after spending seven years at the University of Wisconsin.
Leonhard, Denver’s DBs coach under coordinator Vance Joseph, will presumably be interested in NFL DC roles beginning in 2025. While this season will be his first as a pro coach, Leonhard spent a decade in the league as a safety and could profile as the next Mike Macdonald.
Detroit Lions | OC Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson can become an NFL head coach the moment he decides he wants to.
Multiple clubs — including the Panthers and Commanders, for starters — have reportedly wanted to hire Detroit’s OC over the past few offseasons. Instead, Johnson has turned down opportunities, preferring to stick and build with the Lions. Sure, Johnson’s coaching stock could theoretically fall if Detroit struggles or suffers injuries, but he will inevitably accept a promotion at some point.
Lions DC Aaron Glenn deserves a mention after interviewing for eight head coaching positions over the last three years. Detroit passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand was up for three offensive coordinator jobs in 2024 and is likely considered the club’s OC-in-waiting.
Green Bay Packers | DC Jeff Hafley
Jeff Hafley, Boston College’s head coach from 2020 to 2023, should institute several noticeable changes from Day 1 as Green Bay’s DC.
Hafley’s defense will be far more aggressive than Joe Barry’s, which preferred to limit explosive plays. It might be as much of a mentality shift as a schematic change. Hafley, a longtime defensive backs coach, should help the Packers create more ball production after they tied for 31st in interception rate (1.3%) last season.
Green Bay will also convert from a 3-4 front to a 4-3 look. While the NFL’s move toward sub packages has negated the differences between the two alignments, a 4-3 approach should nominally lend itself to Hafley’s attacking style.
Houston Texans | OC Bobby Slowik
While Bobby Slowik has only one year of play-calling experience under his belt, it’s hard to argue with results. The Texans’ OC brought Kyle Shanahan’s offense to Houston, helping guide C.J. Stroud to an Offensive Rookie of the Year-winning campaign.
Slowik interviewed with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Tennessee, and Washington this offseason before signing an extension to stay in Houston for at least one more year. With Stroud locked in as a potential MVP candidate, Slowik could be on the move as soon as 2025.
If he leaves the Texans in 2025, look for Houston’s QBs coach Jerrod Johnson — who had six OC interviews in 2024 — to take over as the team’s play-caller.
Indianapolis Colts | Offensive Pass Game Coordinator Alex Tanney
Depending on how long you’ve been following back-of-the-roster NFL quarterbacks, you might remember Alex Tanney as the “Trick Shot Quarterback” (click the link for the best five minutes of your day).
After bouncing around the league, Tanney joined the Eagles’ staff in 2021 and advanced to quarterbacks coach by 2023. He’ll have more responsibility next season after departing for Indianapolis, where he’ll join former Philadelphia and current Colts HC Shane Steichen. As Indy’s passing game coordinator, Tanney will have a direct hand in what could be an Anthony Richardson breakout campaign.
Jacksonville Jaguars | DC Ryan Nielsen
Ryan Nielsen will join the Jaguars in 2024 after maximizing the performance of an understaffed Falcons defense last season. His Jacksonville plan will be quite a bit different from his predecessor’s.
Atlanta played press-man coverage at a higher rate (53.7%) than any team in 2023, per Next Gen Stats, while the Jags aligned in press on just 16.2% of wide-aligned routes. Moreover, the Falcons’ Cover-1 (man coverage) usage rate was seven points higher than the Jaguars last year, per Cody Alexander.
With Nielsen in town, Jacksonville should be expected to run a more aggressive scheme in the back end — and the team’s offseason acquisitions fit that plan.
Free agent addition Darnell Savage Jr., who is expected to play the slot for the Jaguars, has always been better in man coverage than zone. Veteran Ronald Darby has played in virtually every type of scheme over nine NFL seasons. PFN Draft Analyst Ian Cummings highlighted Jacksonville third-round pick Jarrian Jones’ press abilities in his pre-draft scouting report.
Kansas City Chiefs | DBs Coach Dave Merritt
Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt finally received his first DC interview request when the 49ers asked for a meeting after this year’s Super Bowl. That interview was long overdue, given how Merritt has developed Kansas City’s young corners and safeties since joining the club’s staff in 2019.
While 2023 first-team All-Pro Trent McDuffie is a former first-round pick, Merritt helped turn former fourth-rounder L’Jarius Sneed and undrafted free agent Charvarius Ward into two of the league’s best cornerbacks.
Merritt — who also boasts DL and LB coach experience — might generate interest in 2025 if Chiefs DBs like Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, and Chamarri Conner have standout campaigns.
Las Vegas Raiders | DC Patrick Graham
Patrick Graham survived Josh McDaniels’ midseason firing in Las Vegas. In fact, he did more than survive. The Raider’s defense, which ranked 26th in efficiency before McDaniels was canned, was third in points per snap after the ex-head coach was let go in Week 8.
Graham interviewed for the Jets’ head coaching job in 2021, the Vikings and Giants’ gigs in 2022, and the Chargers and Seahawks’ openings in 2024. Still only 45 years old, he’s succeeded at just about every stop. At some point, another NFL team will hire him away as its head coach.
Los Angeles Chargers | DC Jesse Minter
Jim Harbaugh is getting the band back together in Los Angeles. New Chargers OC Greg Roman worked with Harbaugh during a highly successful 49ers run (2011-14), while first-year DC Jesse Minter followed him from the University of Michigan.
Michigan’s defense was utterly dominant under Minter in 2023, giving up just 10.4 points per game, the fewest any Big Ten team allowed in nearly 30 years.
While the Chargers have high-end talent like pass rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and defensive backs Derwin James and Asante Samuel Jr., they ranked bottom 10 in scoring, EPA per play, success rate, and DVOA in 2023.
Minter will quickly be added to head coaching shortlists if he can optimize the Bolts’ defense.
Los Angeles Rams | OC Mike LaFleur
Mike LaFleur’s run as the offensive play-caller for the Zach Wilson-quarterbacked Jets could hardly have gone worse, but it’s hard to pin the former No. 2 overall pick’s failure on LaFleur.
The brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, Mike signed on as the non-play-calling OC for McVay’s Rams in 2023. McVay entrusted LaFleur with installing the dynamic run concepts he’d used with the Jets and 49ers. While LaFleur’s changes weren’t the only cause, L.A. went from 30th in rushing success rate in 2023 to sixth in 2024.
LaFleur may need to find a play-calling OC job as a stepping stone to a head coaching position, but he shouldn’t be ruled out because of how his New York tenure ended.
Miami Dolphins | OC Frank Smith
The coach with the most boring name in the NFL is helping craft one of the league’s most exciting offenses. Frank Smith doesn’t call plays for the Dolphins, but that shouldn’t stop him from receiving interest from around the NFL following two years of assisting Mike McDaniel. Remember, McDaniel didn’t call plays for the 49ers before he became a head coach, either.
Smith received two head coaching interviews — with the Panthers and Seahawks — this past offseason. Expect that list to grow in 2025.
Minnesota Vikings | DC Brian Flores
Brian Flores is a schematic problem solver. Tasked with revamping a Vikings defense that was light on talent in 2023, the former Dolphins head coach made it work. He sent blitzes (49.3%) and dropped eight into coverage (20.8%) at league-high rates, per TruMedia, while guiding a defense that somehow finished 11th in DVOA.
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Flores went 24-25 over three years as Miami’s head coach but never made the playoffs. He’s also suing the NFL and several teams for racial discrimination after failing to land a head coaching position during the 2022 offseason. NFL owners are likely reticent to hire an individual involved in active litigation against the league, but Flores deserves another opportunity.
New England Patriots | DC DeMarcus Covington
While the Patriots’ defensive scheme might look similar under first-year HC Jerod Mayo, the coaching staff will feature new faces. Bill Belichick is gone, while his play-calling son, Steve Belichick, took a DC gig at the University of Washington.
Mayo will have a heavy hand in New England’s defensive scheme, but Covington will call plays in 2024. While this is the 35-year-old Covington’s first NFL DC job, he interviewed for coordinator gigs with the Cardinals and Chargers in 2023 and served as Eastern Illinois co-DC in 2016.
New Orleans Saints | LBs Coach Michael Hodges
Michael Hodges was Covington’s co-defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois and also interviewed for New England’s coordinator job this offseason. While he lost out to his former coworker, Hodges is on the rise.
Veteran Saints linebacker Demario Davis made his first of five straight All-Pro teams in 2019 in his first season working with Hodges. Davis credited the New Orleans linebackers coach with transforming his game, noting how Hodges got the most from fellow ‘backers like Pete Werner and Kaden Elliss.
“Anybody that did hit the field for the linebackers, they didn’t just produce at a good level; they produced at an elite level,” Davis said in 2023. “When you really look at that, you got to look at who’s coaching.”
New York Giants | OC Mike Kafka
Things can change quickly in the NFL. Look no further than Mike Kafka, who interviewed for four of the five HC openings in 2023 but was tied to a Giants offensive debacle in 2024. No one expected Kafka to turn Tommy DeVito or Tyrod Taylor into an All-Pro, but New York’s offense struggled even before Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending injury.
It might be difficult for an ownership group to sell its fan base on hiring the offensive play-caller for last year’s version of the Giants. However, if improved OL play allows New York’s offense to get back to where it was in 2022, Kafka’s name will be on shortlists again.
New York Jets | DC Jeff Ulbrich
Since 2022, the Cowboys and 49ers are the only teams to post more efficient defenses by cumulative EPA per play than the Jets. While Dallas/San Francisco DCs Dan Quinn, DeMeco Ryans, and Steve Wilks landed HC interviews and job offers, Jeff Ulbrich has not.
Ulbrich has called Gang Green’s defensive plays while mixing in first-round picks like Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson II with external additions such as D.J. Reed and Quincy Williams to craft a dominant unit. He also had a decade-long playing career and is well-respected as a leader of men.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh believes Ulbrich “checks every single box” NFL clubs could want in a head coach.
Philadelphia Eagles | Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Christian Parker
Considered one of the NFL’s fastest-rising coaches, the 32-year-old Christian Parker interviewed for DC jobs in Green Bay and New England this offseason before signing on as Philadelphia’s passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach.
Broncos DC Vance Joseph, Parker’s boss for the last three years, called his former staffer a “star” in 2023, noting how much Denver’s players enjoyed working with Parker. Now coaching under Vic Fangio for the second time, Parker will generate more DC interest in 2025 if he can help the Eagles’ secondary get back on track.
Pittsburgh Steelers | OC Arthur Smith
While Arthur Smith will probably need several seasons of successful offensive play-calling before returning to the NFL head coaching interview circuit, we’re beyond intrigued to watch how Pittsbugh’s offense changes in 2024.
Smith struggled across three years as the Falcons’ head coach. Still, he guided effective offenses for the Titans from 2019-2020, resurrecting Ryan Tannehill’s career while helping Tennessee to 20 wins over two seasons.
A solid rushing attack has always been a part of Smith’s plans and will fit with the Steelers’ ethos, but his passing preferences could also work in Pittsburgh. Expect a heavy use of play-action now that Smith is calling the Steelers’ plays.
In 2023, the Falcons used play fakes on 26% of their dropbacks, the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, per TruMedia. The Steelers ranked 29th, deploying play-action on just 13% of their plays.
Smith might also consider increasing the use of tight ends in Pittsburgh. Atlanta used multiple tight ends (12 or 13 personnel) on a league-high 41.8% of its plays last season, while the Steelers ranked 19th (17.4%).
San Francisco 49ers | TE Coach Brian Fleury
Who will be the next member of the 49ers’ coaching staff to contribute to the team’s brain drain? Former San Francisco assistants like McDaniel, Ryans, and Saleh have become head coaches in recent seasons. Meanwhile, passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak was hired as the Saints’ OC this year.
We’ll go with TEs coach Brian Fleury, who not only interviewed for the Patriots’ OC gig this offseason but owns an intriguing track record. He coached in the college ranks until 2013 and was primarily a defensive staffer until 2020. Fleury’s work as the Dolphins’ director of football research from 2017 to 2018 represents another feather in his cap.
Seattle Seahawks | OC Scott Grubb
Former Washington Huskies OC Scott Grubb will bring Air-Raid concepts to Seattle, hoping to make things easy on Geno Smith with pre-snap motions and simple reads. Smith is no stranger to the deep ball, which should be an essential part of the Seahawks’ offense after Grubb and Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. aired it out last season.
DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are already established receivers, but Grubb might help 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba develop into a more consistent pass catcher. Grubb maximized a Washington WR trio that included Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan, all of whom were drafted before the end of Day 2.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | QBs Coach Thad Lewis
Although Thad Lewis lost out on the Buccanneers’ offensive coordinator job when his club instead hired Liam Coen, the 36-year-old could be in a position to land a new gig in 2025.
Lewis, who made six starts and spent time with eight teams as an NFL quarterback, is known for his attention to detail within league circles, as PFN’s Adam Caplan noted in January. Lewis was among 40 participants in the NFL’s Coach Accelerator Program last summer, designed to help young assistants move toward head coaching opportunities.
Tennessee Titans | DC Dennard Wilson
Dennard Wilson worked with the Eagles’ secondary from 2021 to 2022 before joining the Ravens in 2023. That résumé alone should be enough to get him HC looks after he worked with stars like Darius Slay and James Bradberry in Philadelphia and lower-profile defensive backs such as Brandon Stephens, Ronald Darby, and Arthur Maulet this past season.
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Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni considered promoting Wilson to replace Jonathan Gannon as Philadelphia’s DC last offseason. Wilson probably would have offered better results than the club’s failed Sean Desai/Matt Patricia combo (just ask Slay).
Assuming he can harness a Titans defense boasting DT Jeffery Simmons, EDGE Harold Landry, CBs Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, and versatile DBs like Roger McCreary and Elijah Molden, Wilson will be a popular head coaching candidate in 2025.
Washington Commanders | QBs Coach Tavita Pritchard
Although Tavita Pritchard is only 37, he’s been coaching quarterbacks for a while.
He became Andrew Luck’s de facto quarterbacks coach after being beaten out by the future No. 1 overall pick for Stanford’s starting job in 2009. Pritchard then worked his way up the Cardinal coaching hierarchy, eventually serving as Stanford’s OC from 2018 to 2022.
He became the Commanders’ QBs coach in 2023 and stayed on after Washington hired Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury this offseason to be head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively. Now tasked with developing Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, Pritchard will be in 2025’s NFL OC mix if his star pupil shines in Year 1.