After Black Monday, NFL owners will race to find their next head coach. Though the trend has been to hire offensive coaches, that doesn’t necessarily exclude defensive head coaches from consideration.
Owners can and should look at the top NFL defensive coordinators available for head coaching positions when making their hires. After all, no one would argue that Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll, or Bill Belichick were bad coaches.
NFL owners seem more committed than ever to hiring offensive coaches. In the last six hiring cycles, 48 head coaches have been hired by NFL teams. 29 had an offensive background, while 18 came from the defense.
But is the tide turning? In the most recent cycle, five defensive coaches were hired, and three of them were from the offensive side of the ball.
While there are reasons to prefer offensive coaches when the situation calls for it, owners should be primarily concerned with hiring the best leader and hoping the rest works out. If they happen to get some coaches poached from them later, that’s a good problem to have.
Considering that, let’s look at the top NFL defensive coordinators available for head coaching positions. Afterward, check out our offensive coordinator candidates for head coach.
Aaron Glenn, DC, Detroit Lions
Just ask the Lions’ players whether Aaron Glenn deserves to be an NFL head coach. The 52-year-old finished first in a 2023 NFLPA survey that asked players to rate their coaches.
Glenn has interviewed for HC positions in each of the last four offseasons; he took four meetings in 2024 but failed to land a job. That could change next year, especially if Detroit makes a deep playoff run. The Lions haven’t allowed more than 20 points in any game this season, while Aidan Hutchinson is the early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.
Bill Belichick, Former HC, New England Patriots
Bill Belichick appeared to have the Falcons’ head coaching job in hand this offseason before Atlanta surprisingly hired Raheem Morris instead. Concerns about Belichick’s need for personnel control might have taken him out of the running for the Falcons’ gig and could affect his stock in 2025.
This story from Devin McCourty about meteorologist Bill Belichick is insane. 👀
(via @bykevinclark) pic.twitter.com/4a3heQQvGS
— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
Nevertheless, he’s still the greatest coach in NFL history. It’s hard to imagine Belichick being left without a chair for the second consecutive year, but he may have to let go of the idea that he could transport the Patriot Way to his next destination.
Belichick’s best bet may be targeting a franchise with a competitive roster, stable ownership, and an experienced general manager already in place.
It’s not difficult to identify potential 2025 Belichick landing spots. Franchises that have everything riding on this season — like the Cowboys or Eagles — might be interested in him if they flounder in 2024.
Brian Flores, DC, Minnesota Vikings
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.
Flores has maintained his diabolical sense of scheming this season as Minnesota has gotten off to a 3-0 start. Still, there are reasons to think Flores could have a hard time landing another head coaching job.
Flores went 24-25 over three years as Miami’s head coach, but he never made the playoffs and didn’t embrace or optimize future Pro Bowl QB Tua Tagovailoa. 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 might be reticent to hire an individual involved in active litigation against the league, but Flores deserves another opportunity.
Bobby Babich, DC, Buffalo Bills
Bills head coach Sean McDermott turned defensive play-calling over to Bobby Babich this offseason, trusting the 41-year-old with leading a unit that lost stalwarts like Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tre’Davious White.
Those weren’t the only personnel losses Babich had to deal with. All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano is out indefinitely after suffering a preseason biceps injury. Star slot CB Taron Johnson (forearm) has been sidelined since Week 1, while LB Terrel Bernard (pectoral) went down in Week 2.
But Buffalo’s defense has held firm. Babich’s unit allowed just 20 total points over the past two weeks and ranks ninth in EPA per play on the season.
Ejiro Evero, DC, Carolina Panthers
Ejiro Evero is an excellent defensive coordinator, but he needs to get better at choosing his dance partners. Part of the Nathaniel Hackett debacle in Denver in 2022, Evero joined another doomed head coach (Frank Reich) with the 2023 Panthers.
Nevertheless, Evero must be doing something right. The Broncos wanted him to be their interim head coach after firing Hackett, while he stuck around in Carolina this year after the Panthers hired new HC Dave Canales.
Evero interviewed for all five head coaching openings in 2023 before meeting with the Panthers, Falcons, and Seahawks during the most recent hiring cycle.
Jesse Minter, DC, Los Angeles Chargers
Looking for the next Mike Macdonald? It might be Jesse Minter, who replaced Macdonald at the University of Michigan before following Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles this offseason.
jesse minter appreciation post pic.twitter.com/TEcYzjYskc
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 16, 2024
The Chargers haven’t exactly faced a murderer’s row of opposing offenses through three weeks (Raiders, Panthers, Steelers), but Minter has gotten the most out of a defensive roster that isn’t overly talented. The Bolts rank third in scoring and fifth in EPA (expected points added) per play on defense. Can they keep it up against the Chiefs in Week 4?
Mike Vrabel, Former HC, Tennessee Titans
Mike Vrabel went 54-45 as the Titans’ head coach and won 2021 Coach of the Year before being fired this offseason. Coaches with Vrabel’s track record typically don’t take an involuntary year off at age 48, and he drew interest around the NFL after being let go in Tennessee, interviewing with the Falcons, Panthers, and Chargers.
Vrabel is spending this season as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns but figures to get back on the HC interview circuit in 2025. It probably doesn’t hurt that the Titans have started 0-3 without him on the sidelines.
Honorable mention: Broncos DC Vance Joseph; Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver; Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich; Packers DC Jeff Hafley; Seahawks DC Aden Durde; Steelers DC Teryl Austin