The big-name coaches who could be next in line for NFL jobs
Where will the next wave of NFL head coaches come from?
It’s a familiar refrain in a league that is incredibly inefficient at identifying top candidates, let alone cultivating them, and that question will ring out again this January when another coaching purge commences. In a week in which another prominent NFL staffer was relieved of his duties - this time New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas - machinations are well underway. Front offices are already beginning to back-channel, and prominent coaching agents are reaching out to their preferred mouthpieces in the media to ensure maximum exposure for their top candidates. This will all pick up in earnest after Thanksgiving.
Which means, after conversations with plugged-in executives, it’s not too early to paint a portrait of the landscape - and we’ve already detailed many of the teams that will be in pursuit of a new coach. The list of perceived top candidates is not particularly deep, and those with successful prior stints will probably be in demand.
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Bill Belichick
New love is a powerful thing, and The Hoodie may indeed be in the Bryan Ferry portion of life - but that won’t prevent him from chasing Don Shula’s wins record somewhere in 2025. No one I speak to thinks he’s done. It’s hard to imagine the New York Giants - a team he has a long history with - won’t pursue the 72-year-old. “It goes against their structure with the coach not having more power than the GM, and separation of church and state,” said one GM, who is not permitted to speak publicly about the inner workings of other clubs. “But if there’s one guy you make an exception for, it’s him. Doing it their way isn’t getting them anywhere.” Expect the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to pursue Belichick should they move on from Todd Bowles. And if Philadelphia Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni can’t win in the playoffs, the mutual admiration between Belichick and personnel boss Howie Roseman is worthy of attention.
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Mike Vrabel
Many GMs were surprised the man who led the Tennessee Titans to three playoff appearances in six seasons did not land a job right away last winter. He’s incredibly well-positioned now, and he’s working as a consultant with the Cleveland Browns, who quite likely would pursue him if Kevin Stefanski is let go. (Some coaches and executives who know Stefanski think he’d be cool getting out of that cesspool now, being home for the holidays and getting to prepare for future interviews elsewhere). Several executives also pointed to the Dallas Cowboys as a strong match for Vrabel. “He has a relationship with [Cowboys co-owner] Stephen Jones from the competition committee,” one longtime NFL executive pointed out. “Jerry [Jones] can’t run it forever. Maybe he gets a seven-year deal and he’s Stephen’s guy when he takes over?” Hmmm.
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Deion Sanders
Any team that is thinking about drafting his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, may want to strike up some conversations with the man who has turned the Buffaloes’ program around. He is expected to be hands-on throughout the courtship of his son. And multiple GMs suggested to me the same potential destination - Las Vegas. “If that’s not a Raiders hire, I don’t know what is,” one GM said. “Mark Davis wants to be his dad, and this is an Al Davis move. A father-son combo deal?” The Raiders should be picking high enough in the draft to be in play for the younger Sanders. The first GM said: “I think [Deion Sanders is] a viable candidate in a few places depending on how the draft order shakes out. … Las Vegas feels like a fit to me.”
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Ben Johnson
The Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator is undoubtedly the hottest candidate without head coaching experience - again. He’s turned down jobs before, rubbing some executives the wrong way in the process, but Jacksonville Jaguars ownership is known to covet him, and few teams will be more desperate than they are, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence floundering again. The Jets will probably pursue him as well, but he will have better options and New York’s handling of former head coach Robert Saleh - the men shared an agent - won’t be lost on him. There’s always a chance he stays in Detroit if the perfect offer doesn’t come along - again.
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Brian Flores
His lawsuit against the NFL from his time as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach may be more problematic for some owners than others. His work transforming the Minnesota Vikings defense cannot be overlooked, however. “He has a reputation for being really hard to work with from Miami,” the first GM said. “But if he addresses that in his interviews the right way, I think he can get” a head coaching job. The Chicago Bears weakening a divisional rival by hiring Flores would make some sense, and the 43-year-old has ties to Bears GM Ryan Poles.
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Todd Monken
Should Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson win back-to-back MVPs under Monken’s watch, it’s hard to think he doesn’t land a job. He has been a successful college head coach and received NFL head coaching interest in the past. Some in the Jets organization championed him to owner Woody Johnson in the past, when Adam Gase (hired in 2019) got the job instead. If Jacksonville doesn’t land Johnson, Monken would be an inspired hire. His SEC roots - Monken previously worked as an assistant coach at LSU and Georgia - wouldn’t hurt down there, either.
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Aaron Glenn
The Lions’ defensive coordinator had a distinguished playing career and might profile similar to DeMeco Ryans, another young (former) coordinator who has done tremendous work in Houston. New Orleans needs to get its defense back to its standard and some executives believe he would click quite well with Saints GM Mickey Loomis.
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Arthur Smith
Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator has had success with two quarterbacks in his first season with the Steelers. He did well as the coordinator in Tennessee and was a head coach in Atlanta. I expect him to get consideration if the Steelers keep winning. “I could see him with the Giants,” the first GM said. “He fits their profile - kind of buttoned-up guy, offensive side of the ball, doesn’t say a whole lot, not great with the media. He’s the kind of guy they go for. … And what are they going to do at quarterback? He’s already working with Justin Fields. Everybody in that building loves Fields. I could just kind of see that being their next move.”
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Jesse Minter
For a coach this young - the 41-year-old is only a few months into his first NFL coordinator job with the Los Angeles Chargers after thriving as Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan - it’s hard to pinpoint where his career will go. But enough smart people in the league believe he could merit strong consideration for a head coaching job for me buy it. Seattle Coach Mike Macdonald (37) is the comp, and it only takes one owner to take the leap.
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Others
As for others who came up in conversation, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offenses have faltered in the second half of seasons, and his time running the Arizona Cardinals was fairly disastrous, so opinions vary as to how serious a candidate he will be. Denver defensive coordinator Vance Joseph had a rough time as the Broncos’ head coach, but at the very least I’d anticipate him interviewing in multiple spots. Of the head coaches expected to be fired, Stefanski and Dallas’s Mike McCarthy would likely have other options.
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