The NFL head coach firing cycle is already underway.
The New York Jets handed Robert Saleh his walking papers after Week 5, becoming the first club to fire their head coach in 2024. Of course, Saleh won’t be the only HC that loses his job in the next few months.
Over the last five offseasons, an average of seven NFL head coaching positions have opened up each year. Eight teams were hiring earlier this year, and plenty of organizations will be looking for new leaders in 2025.
Who will be in line to step into those head coaching jobs? Let’s run through the top options that might be available to HC-needy teams next offseason.
Ranking the Best 2025 NFL Head Coaching Candidates
Honorable mention: Bengals OC Dan Pitcher; Bills DC Bobby Babich; Chiefs OC Matt Nagy; Falcons OC Zac Robinson; Giants OC Mike Kafka; Jets interim HC Jeff Ulbrich; Packers DC Jeff Hafley; Raiders DC Patrick Graham; Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb; Steelers DC Teryl Austin; Texans OC Bobby Slowik; Titans DC Dennard Wilson
15) Kliff Kingsbury, OC, Washington Commanders
Kliff Kingsbury may need to wait at least one more year to wash away the stink from the end of his Arizona Cardinals’ head-coaching tenure, but he’s undoubtedly done an outstanding job in his first season as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator.
Pushing aside concerns that his scheme was too stagnant and lacked creativity, Kingsbury has expertly designed an offense tailored to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ strengths. If the season ended today, the LSU product would be the easy pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year; given that he’s leading the league in EPA per dropback (0.28), Daniels is also in the MVP conversation.
…KLIFF!!!!!!!@budlight | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/74IA9wRGCW
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 29, 2024
Washington ranks second in EPA per rush. The Commanders’ offensive line, viewed as the worst front five in the NFL heading into the 2024 campaign, now looks like a defined strength. Kingsbury deserves plenty of credit for the good offensive vibes in the nation’s capital.
Whether that will instantly make NFL owners forget Kingsbury’s 2022 campaign in Arizona– when the Cardinals finished 4-13, and Kingsbury clashed with QB Kyler Murray — remains unclear. But the 45-year-old has certainly put himself back on the head-coaching map.
14) 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. It might be difficult for an ownership group to sell hiring the coordinator of one of the NFL’s worst defenses as its head coach, but the league’s decision-makers clearly like what Evero brings to the table.
13) Liam Coen, OC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dave Canales secured the Panthers’ head coaching job in 2024 after revitalizing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense in 2023.
Liam Coen, who replaced Canales as Tampa Bay’s play-caller this offseason, is doing an even better job this year.
Through nine weeks, the Bucs rank fifth in the NFL in offensive EPA per play (0.09), worlds better than the -0.03 mark they posted in 2023. And it’s not just efficiency — Coen has also coaxed a more productive performance on a down-to-down basis. Tampa Bay ranks second in offensive success rate (52.3%), trailing only Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
12) Adam Stenavich, OC, Green Bay Packers
Adam Stenavich was outstanding as Green Bay’s offensive line coach from 2019 to 2021, consistently identifying and developing late-round draft picks into serviceable starters.
Promoted to become Green Bay’s OC in 2022, Stenavich helped Jordan Love become one of the league’s most electric quarterbacks in 2023. Despite fielding the NFL’s youngest roster by snap-weighted age, the Packers ranked eighth in yards per play.
Although he doesn’t call plays in Green Bay, Stenavich is a critical cog in the club’s offensive hierarchy. He might get more looks in 2025, especially after helping the Malik Willis-led Packers to two victories this season.
11) Vance Joseph, DC, Denver Broncos
Vance Joseph has been off the head-coaching radar since being fired as the Denver Broncos’ HC after the 2018 season. Now back in the Mile High City as Sean Payton’s defensive coordinator, Joseph’s efforts with the Broncos’ defense should get him back on the interview circuit.
No defense has been more efficient than Denver’s this year. They’re averaging -0.24 EPA per play, in the same neighborhood as the historic 2023 Browns defense (-0.25).
Cleveland DC Jim Schwartz didn’t receive a single head coaching interview request this offseason despite winning the NFL’s Coordinator of the Year award. Hopefully, Joseph isn’t handed the same fate if the Broncos’ defense continues impressing.
10) Kellen Moore, OC, Philadelphia Eagles
Kellen Moore is on his third team in as many years, but his job-hopping hasn’t prevented NFL teams from considering him as a head coach. Moore took four HC interviews in 2022 before meeting with the Panthers in 2023 and the Chargers (for whom he was OC) in 2024.
The Eagles’ offense scored 34 points in Moore’s Week 1 play-calling debut. After a midseason lull (which included injuries to WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith), Philadelphia averaged 31 points per game from Weeks 7 through 9.
Free agent signing Saquon Barkley is in the midst of a career season, which will only help raise Moore’s profile.
9) Drew Petzing, OC, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona went 1-8 with Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune under center last season. However, the club immediately improved after quarterback Kyler Murray (ACL) returned in November, ranking ninth in offensive EPA per play from Week 10 onward, per TruMedia.
Drew Petzing didn’t get any head coaching looks after the 2023 season, which wasn’t necessarily surprising. The Cardinals went 4-13 last year. Teams aren’t typically lining up to hire the offensive coordinators of teams who can’t even manage five wins.
Fast forward to 2024, and Arizona is 5-4 and leading the NFC West. Kyler Murray and Co. rank 11th in EPA per play. If the Cards keep winning games while getting production from RB James Conner, WR Marvin Harrison Jr., and TE Trey McBride, Petzing can put his hat in the head-coaching interview ring.
8) 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 5-2 start. Still, there are reasons to think Flores could have a hard time landing another head coaching job.
Brian Flores coverage rotations are beautiful. Cover 2 out of double mug, Harrison Smith lining up in Wisconsin and dropping to the deep half. Would be a nightmare to read without being able to rewind 10x pic.twitter.com/Iy3Ftu4lHy
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) September 25, 2024
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.
7) Todd Monken, OC, Baltimore Ravens
Todd Monken probably should’ve received head coaching interest after turning a Jameis Winston/Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Buccaneers offense into the 12th-most efficient unit in the NFL six years ago. Since then, he’s won two NCAA titles as Georgia’s offensive coordinator and returned to the pros to coach 2023 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
His age (58) will work against him, but Monken would bring the schematic flexibility that teams strive to attain. He’s consistently earned rave reviews from his players.
And there’s no arguing with results. Baltimore ranks No. 1 in points per game (32.3). The Ravens’ offense is both efficient (first in EPA per play) and explosive — 15.8% of their plays have gone for 12+ yards, the best rate in the NFL.
Monken interviewed for the Chargers and Panthers HC jobs this past offseason.
6) Joe Brady, OC, Buffalo Bills
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.
Josh Allen is in the MVP conversation, while Buffalo is 7-2. The Bills’ offense ranks third in efficiency and fifth in scoring. If Buffalo keeps rolling, Brady will receive plenty of offseason interview requests.
5) 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.
The Chargers haven’t exactly faced a murderer’s row of opposing offenses through nine weeks, but Minter has gotten the most out of a defensive roster that isn’t overly talented. The Bolts rank first in points allowed per game (12.6) and fifth in EPA per play on defense.
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 2-6 without him on the sidelines.
3) Aaron Glenn, DC, Detroit Lions
Just ask 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 have allowed more than 20 points just twice this year, while Aidan Hutchinson was an early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 6.
2) 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.
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.
Bill Belichick has never had as much fun as ripping off old film cut-ups with Matt Patricia and barking out coverages pic.twitter.com/wwu88IxYEE
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) September 25, 2024
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 — might be interested if they keep floundering in 2024.
1) Ben Johnson, OC, Detroit Lions
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.
How much longer he’s willing to wait remains unclear. Johnson might not be able to reject the chance to work with a quarterback like Dak Prescott in Dallas or Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, especially if Detroit advances to or wins the Super Bowl this season.