Welcome to the 2024–25 version of my annual future head coaches list. You may have noticed this is coming a little later than in previous years. Normally, I spend the summer making phone calls to agents, coaches and other executives throughout the industry related to the list and am eager to get it out as soon as the season kicks off to give fans something to keep an eye on, especially if, like this year, a large number of clubs start losing quickly and are largely out of it by Thanksgiving.
I decided, after receiving some helpful feedback, to push the list back this year to allow some time for additional reporting. This year, we’re going to alter the format just slightly. Last year, we had 96 names on this list between rising head coaches and coaches who are on the fast track to critical staff roles such as quarterbacks coach, pass/run-game coordinator, etc. We will update you on the names of coaches remaining on the list, and add additional blurbs on the new coaches who have made it this year.
Big-picture thoughts on the coaching market
Atop the list, I decided on 27 prospective head coaches and did not separate those names into offensive or defensive coaches. The reasoning here is relative to one of the major themes of 2024: There is a belief that the cupboard is a little bit bare. Or, if you want to look at it on the brighter side, the stage is set for a potential wild card candidate to emerge, which we’ve tried to account for here. The coaching industry has essentially been strip mined aggressively for the past five seasons. Twenty-three head coaches have come and gone since ’22 alone. Here’s a look at the firings by season:
2020: 5
2021: 7
2022: 10
2023: 5
2024: 8
This year, there are already two head coach openings: the Saints and the Jets. Based on conversations with those in the coaching industry, estimates are there will be between seven and 10 total vacancies for this year, depending on how the season ends.
There is still much in the air right now, but a few notes as we head into the carousel …
• Could ownership be more involved in the Saints’ process? Mickey Loomis zeroed in on a coach with previous head coaching experience on the initial hire to replace Sean Payton, but as the organization tries to lift itself off the mat amid something of a salary cap crisis, the team will need some serious panache, along with coaching acumen.
• The Browns fascinate me. If they opt to make it work with Deshaun Watson, could the team move on from Kevin Stefanski? At first blush, this seems unlikely given that Stefanski is not far removed from his second Coach of the Year award and a fresh extension. However, the Browns have Mike Vrabel on staff. Vrabel is from Akron. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about Vrabel’s interpersonal skills in Cleveland. And, because Stefanski is so good, he would very likely get another job based on how well he’s done with non-Watson quarterbacks. And, if Stefanski got another job, the contractual offsets would likely limit the amount Cleveland would have to pay him after letting him go.
• The 2024 presidential election will absolutely impact this year’s coaching search. Donald Trump’s victory could possibly mean another turn for Jets owner Woody Johnson to leave the country as an ambassador. Johnson and his brother, Christopher, have very different managing styles with some candidates preferring to work with one or the other.
• Is Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson going to take a job? My understanding is that Johnson felt in his heart after the team lost the NFC title game to the 49ers that he wanted to come back. He felt similarly the year before about wanting more time alongside Dan Campbell and to learn more about the situational nuances of the profession. I also would not be surprised if Johnson wants an ideal setup with a good roster, a patient owner and a quarterback he can win with.
• There are college coaches who desperately want to come to the NFL, but I do not see there being an appetite for college coaches at the NFL level—despite the success of Jim Harbaugh with the Chargers this year. Even though USC coach Lincoln Riley’s name came up earlier in the year, as well as Ohio State’s Ryan Day, I have not heard the same level of excitement around those names as the season wore on. I have not been alerted to any seriousness regarding a Deion Sanders and Jerry Jones reunion.
• How involved is Tom Brady going to be with the Raiders? I get the sense that he is more broadcaster than Vegas power player right now. At least in the sense that I would be very surprised if he was granted the authority to simply recreate the Patriot Way. I also am not sure what Mark Davis’s appetite would be for such a move after he went all in on Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler during his last hiring cycle. That note is for those who are trying to pencil in a Brady-Vrabel reunion.
• You will not see McDaniels, Joe Judge or Matt Patricia on this list of rising coaches, however, the possibility that Bill Belichick gets a head coaching job and brings all his longtime coordinators back to the NFL with him is obviously there and worth mentioning.
• Self-scout: Last year, we featured seven of the new head coaches for 2024 on our list. Our misses were Antonio Pierce, who became interim coach of the Raiders and then kept the job full time, and Dave Canales, whom we profiled closer to the end of the 2023 regular season as the surprise candidate of the cycle. A dozen of our coaches from the rising lists a year ago received promotions this offseason not counting two position coaches who left to take play-calling coordinator roles at the NCAA level (Jeff Nixon and Robert Livingston).
The 27 top candidates
Note: Coaches are listed in alphabetical order.
Bill Belichick, former head coach, New England Patriots
Still the most entertaining and discussed figure this cycle, the legendary Bill Belichick is believed by some people to be a prime candidate in the head coaching world and by others a prime candidate for the media world. Just like last year at this time, the industry is divided on the eight-time Super Bowl winner (six as a head coach), who will enter next season at age 73.
Joe Brady, offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills
Since succeeding Ken Dorsey in the middle of the 2023 season, Joe Brady has taken the No. 3 offense in the NFL in terms of EPA per play (0.177) and No. 1 in play-by-play success rate (51.5%) and produced an offense that is … No. 3 in EPA per play (0.181) and No. 7 in success rate (47.6%), despite losing Stefon Diggs this offseason. Following his run as the central figure behind LSU’s offensive explosion that propelled Joe Burrow to the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, Brady has interviewed for head coaching jobs in the past, and he has seen his candidacy ripen after a strong year in Buffalo.
Liam Coen, offensive coordinator, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
“He’s on the right track,” Mark Whipple, a highly respected NFL quarterbacks coach, and longtime college head coach and offensive coordinator told me about Liam Coen.
“He’s a great listener. He has a good rapport with Baker Mayfield. He always took great notes. The first year he coached quarterbacks [under me at UMass], that guy went on to be All-MAC. He ran the meetings. He’s attentive, detail-oriented. He left me and went to Maine, did a great job with the quarterback there and got in with the right group in the NFL.
“Most importantly, Liam played the position and he understands these things as it relates to the quarterback.”
Despite the fact that Coen’s Buccaneers lost their top three receiving targets to injury, Tampa Bay has maintained a top-third offense in the NFL and has challenged the likes of the 49ers, Chiefs, Falcons and Ravens during Tampa’s recent losing streak.
Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers
Ejiro Evero has been featured on our list the past few seasons, but has found himself a part of some underperforming teams. Still, after the Panthers’ debacle of 2023, Evero received multiple head coaching interviews and second interviews last cycle. Long heralded for his brilliance and strong performances despite some of the lower-graded rosters in the NFL, Evero was desired by other teams as a defensive coordinator last year, but was under contract in Carolina and was considered an important building block of Dave Canales’s staff.
Brian Flores, defensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings
“With me, he was coming off being head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and he did not care what his role was,” Mike Tomlin, who hired Brian Flores as a senior defensive assistant in 2022, told me. “He just wanted to be a component of what we were doing. He wanted to put his hand in the pile. That speaks to the humility of the man, and his love and relationship to the game. And, his love of the vocation of coaching.
“He came in and did everything we asked him to do. He was always willing to add additional insight that his experience and capabilities provided, but he was not heavy-handed with that. I was just really impressed with how he managed the opportunity that he had here and what he brought to us. Being around him day to day and getting to know him as a football man and a football coach … I feel the same way about him as I felt about Raheem Morris when I talked to people regarding his candidacy. I thought Raheem was the best coaching candidate in the world without a head coaching job, and I feel the same way about Flo in this cycle.”
Flores began the season on a torrid stretch, wiping out some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. As of the publication of this piece, Minnesota is still the best defense in the NFL in terms of EPA per play allowed. Minnesota is first in turnovers, and in the top three across the board in all major rushing defense categories.
Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator, Detroit Lions
“The more challenges you throw at [Aaron Glenn], the more he thrives. AG is a grinder and always looks for the matchups first,” Dan Campbell tells me. “For him, it’s, ‘How do we minimize their strengths and accentuate ours, regardless of who is available?’ He’s an outstanding communicator, teacher and motivator. With AG, it’s all about accountability and he refuses to accept excuses, which has been key for us this year with several injuries.”
Glenn is not only a great emotional leader, but a strong defensive mind who has dramatically evolved and transformed his defense over time. The Lions have been a better team in terms of EPA per play allowed since Glenn lost his star pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, to a broken leg in Week 6.
Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator, Green Bay Packers
“He’s such a genuine person and a good guy,” Blake James, the athletic director for Jeff Hafley’s final two seasons at Boston College, told me. “His defensive mind is great, but at the end of the day, people want to work for him because of his approach.
“At Boston College, obviously, we get some super elite talent, but in a lot of cases it's about finding that diamond in the rough and developing them into the next Luke Kuechly. I only worked with Jeff for two seasons but, look at guys like Zay Flowers. He was really coached up at BC”
“Program builder,” was how Hafley was described to me. Hafley has a fascinating background, with a three-year stint on Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers staff from 2016 to ’18, before going to Ohio State as a defensive coordinator. As the head coach at Boston College, Hafley was bowl eligible in three of his four seasons before coming to Green Bay and finally becoming the answer Matt LaFleur was searching for after a seemingly endless search for a defensive coordinator. The 45-year-old has one of the deepest libraries of both pro and collegiate experience of any candidate on this list.
Chris Horton, special teams coordinator, Baltimore Ravens
We’ll address the special-teams-coordinator-to-head-coach pipeline further below. Chris Horton has been with the Ravens since 2014 in the position his head coach, John Harbaugh, held for years in the NFL. The former NFL safety has built a solid library of experience and has access to a Rolodex of defensive coaches in Baltimore who could help fill out a staff. The Mike Macdonald iteration of the Ravens’ system has become the en-vogue defensive scheme the way anyone who was part of the Vic Fangio tree was a few years ago.
Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions
We first introduced you to Ben Johnson in 2022, labeling him with the up-and-coming-McVay-like tag. Since then, Johnson has gone on to become one of the most sought-after offensive coaches in each of the past two cycles, before deciding to return to the Lions in 2023 to round out his skill set and then again in ’24 after having felt the sting of a playoff loss to the 49ers. It’s a matter of when and not if for Johnson.
“Ben has grown the most of any coach I’ve ever been around,” Dan Campbell tells me. “He’s always been a very creative play-caller. He has great vision every week for how to attack our opponents, but most importantly he knows how to communicate that vision to our players in the room with him. He’s confident, competent and above all, competitive. The players on offense respond to him because of it.”
Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator, Denver Broncos
Vance Joseph was the head coach of the Broncos in 2017 and ’18, and returned to Denver last year alongside Sean Payton. This season, Joseph has led the third-best defense in the NFL in terms of EPA per play allowed. Joseph’s time as head coach of the Broncos was marked by instability he inherited at the QB position, and could be worth another look.
Kliff Kingsbury, offensive coordinator, Washington Commanders
The former head coach of the Cardinals took a one-year detour from the NFL with Caleb Williams at USC and reemerged as the play-caller of the hottest offense in the league. During Kliff Kingsbury’s four-year stretch as the head coach of the Cardinals, Arizona made the playoffs once, finished 8–8 one year and had two losing seasons. Kingsbury, it is worth noting, was amenable to tailoring his approach at the NFL level and, unlike other college-to-the-NFL direct hires, managed a playoff appearance and second contract.
Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers
The son of longtime NCAA head coach Rick Minter, Jesse is in his first year as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator but has had unignorable success after taking over a team low on talent and turning it into the second-best defense in the NFL in terms of EPA per play allowed, right behind Flores’s Vikings unit. Los Angeles has allowed the fewest points and second-fewest first downs in the NFL.
Minter, according to Jim Harbaugh himself, is “going to be a head coach in the NFL next year.”
Todd Monken, offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens
Todd Monken’s impact on the Ravens has been impossible to ignore. Under the former Georgia offensive coordinator’s watch, Baltimore’s offense has gone from curiosity to monolith. The past two seasons have been Lamar Jackson’s best in terms of completion percentage, by far. Jackson leads the league in nearly all major analytical categories.
“Todd’s ability to connect with players and teach effectively is elite,” says Kirby Smart, whom Monken worked under at Georgia. “He possesses a deep understanding of the game offensively and defensively, allowing him to craft concepts that are really challenging to defend. He has really good instincts and a great feel for the game. Todd was one of the most formidable coaches I’ve had the pleasure of working with.”
Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles
After some critical adjustments, Kellen Moore’s offense is humming in Philadelphia. The Eagles have been one of the NFL’s best offenses over the past five weeks. Moore has been an offensive coordinator for six years across three teams and has finished in the top 10 in scoring four times. His passing offense led the league in total yardage twice, and he has four top-10 finishes in net yards per attempt. Moore, a former NFL quarterback, has interviewed well for head coaching jobs in the past with the Chargers, Broncos and Panthers.
Josh McCown, quarterbacks coach, Minnesota Vikings
Josh McCown has already had head coaching interviews, which makes his detour to Minnesota all the more interesting. Working with his former mentee Sam Darnold—a relationship I profiled back in 2018—McCown continues to establish his coaching bona fides, which should eventually lead to a head coaching seat. It would not be surprising to see McCown factor heavily into the interview process or play-calling offensive coordinator conversation during this cycle.
Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs
The current betting favorite to one day take the reins from Andy Reid in Kansas City, Matt Nagy’s career is worthy of further examination the more removed he becomes from his time leading the Bears. The former Bears head coach has been part of a flexible and battle-tested staff in Kansas City that has gone undefeated to this point with a rotating cast of veteran role players surrounding Patrick Mahomes.
Drew Petzing, offensive coordinator, Arizona Cardinals
“Every task I ever gave him, it came back incredibly detailed,” Tony Reno, the head coach at Yale, who met Drew Petzing on the Harvard staff and brought him to the Bulldogs, tells me. “At the Ivy League level, guys appreciate coaches who work hard and are very bright and Drew has that in him. He has a really good way about him.”
Reno added that Petzing is unique in his ability to apply solutions based on the roster at his disposal. Many coaches have an idea and not the idea for this exact moment in time.
Petzing has orchestrated the second-most successful opening-drive offense in the NFL and the fourth-best offense in the league overall in terms of EPA per play. The 37-year-old Middlebury College graduate began his coaching career in the Ivy League before breaking into the NFL in 2013 with the Browns. Petzing was a longtime member of the Vikings’ staff under Mike Zimmer, which has produced other talented young head coaches in Jonathan Gannon and Kevin Stefanski.
Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals
We put Dan Pitcher on the radar last year, noting that he would eventually take the reins from Bengals OC Brian Callahan if Callahan were to land a head coaching job. Pitcher, in his first year as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator, is leading a unit that has top-10 rankings in points, yards and touchdowns.
Zac Robinson, offensive coordinator, Atlanta Falcons
Zac Robinson, a former NFL quarterback, who, interestingly enough, was part of the same Pro Football Focus incubator as Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, is in his first year as a play-caller with the Falcons after five seasons as an integral member of Sean McVay’s offensive staff in Los Angeles.
Robert Saleh, offensive consultant, Green Bay Packers
After Robert Saleh’s dismissal as head coach of the Jets, his former team bottomed out. Here’s a handy graph to show the difference between Saleh’s Jets and an interim-led team. Saleh had the Jets one game out of first place and, behind the scenes, was instrumental in clearing out much of the organizational discord that quickly returned upon his ouster. While the likely path for Saleh is back through a defensive coordinator job, the dichotomy between the Jets he was present for (a team competitive with Zach Wilson) and the Jets he left (a team with Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams getting waxed by the Cardinals) could be worth a sit down.
Bobby Slowik, offensive coordinator, Houston Texans
“When Kyle got a job in San Francisco, I said, You better call Bobby,” Mike Shanahan told me of Bobby Slowik. “He got Bobby for a couple years on the defensive side of the football, then he moved him over for the offensive side. He was the perfect guy for Kyle. It was a great situation for everybody.
“Bobby knows football extremely well,” Shanahan continued. “He’s a great person. Very smart. He knows personnel as well as anybody. He’s studied both sides of the football, and if you ever talk to him, you can find out how sharp and on top of things he is.
“I thought he was going to be a doctor because of his GPA, and he went to Michigan Tech.”
Slowik jumped onto the radar last year after a strong debut season as a play-calling coordinator for the Texans. He interviewed well with the Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks and Commanders, and was in deep consideration for a head coaching job last year before opting to return to Houston.
Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh Steelers
Arthur Smith, the former Atlanta head coach, was 21–30 in three years with the Falcons during a time of roster tumult. The team had to sit on massive dead-cap hits following the losses of program stalwarts such as Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Smith’s quarterback for a majority of his time was former University of Cincinnati standout Desmond Ridder. Now in Pittsburgh, Smith is at the helm of a dramatically improved Steelers offense that has won games with both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
Frank Smith, offensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins
Frank Smith, in an NFLPA survey of more than 1,700 players, was voted the top-ranked offensive coordinator in the NFL. The survey was part of a league-wide effort to promote player-favored candidates. This should come as no surprise. Smith has been a mainstay on this list largely because of his efforts to connect with his players interpersonally. Though the Dolphins’ offense has been down this year due, in part, to a serious injury suffered by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins remain one of the top organizations in the NFL in terms of places players want to play. Smith is a big part of that.
Steve Spagnuolo, defensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs
Steve Spagnuolo is one of the most decorated coordinators in the history of professional football, and his game plans have been the backbone of several Chiefs Super Bowls. Spagnuolo was last a head coach back in St. Louis between 2009 and ’11 (not counting a four-game interim run with the ’17 Giants), but as he continues to log top defensive performances in big moments, he could find himself bundled into a red-hot veteran coaching market headlined by Vrabel and Belichick.
Adam Stenavich, offensive coordinator, Green Bay Packers
“[Adam] was a coach’s dream,” legendary Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who recruited Adam Stenavich, tells me. The Packers’ offensive coordinator was a three-year starter at left tackle and an All–Big Ten selection. “He didn’t talk a lot, but when he did, everyone listened to him. He was very serious. Very bright. Everyone who knows him will say you can trust him, you can depend on him, and when the pressure comes he’ll be prepared.”
More from Carr: “Adam, he was a guy that, when he got through with his career at Michigan, by that time we all knew he was going to be successful in the NFL. I recruited good people, and Adam, I’ll always remember how good of a listener he was. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll get a shot.”
Stenavich is a non-play-calling offensive coordinator in Green Bay, but is integral in the team’s week-to-week planning process. His promotion to offensive coordinator was the first in a small wave of similar moves done by other teams in an effort to retain and develop talented offensive line coaches who have intimate knowledge of the Shanahan-style scheme.
Mike Vrabel, personnel consultant, Cleveland Browns
The Browns have struggled mightily in 2024, though Mike Vrabel, the longtime Titans head coach, seemed to be a valuable addition to the staff. Anecdotally, Vrabel has garnered the respect of coaches in that building and is one of the hotter names on the cycle, especially given the way Tennessee has struggled in his absence. Vrabel is a strong presence and would be a valuable addition, especially for a franchise struggling to garner an identity.
Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins
Anthony Weaver, 44, has been a defensive coordinator, running-game coordinator or assistant head coach at the NFL level since 2020. A former player with a natural, commanding presence, Weaver took over a defense in shambles and has pieced together one of the NFL’s better run defenses over the past five weeks. The Dolphins held Sean McVay and the Rams to a -9.5 EPA per play in Week 10.
*Jeff Ulbrich, who was on our list last year, is currently the interim head coach of the Jets and would have to be relieved of that job in order for us to consider him a candidate. The same goes for Darren Rizzi, the interim head coach of the Saints.
Special teams spotlight
The stigma against hiring a special teams coach still very much exists in the NFL. Deserving candidates such as Rich Bisaccia and Dave Toub have been highlighted on my list and continued to turn in excellent, high-profile performances as coordinators or even interim head coaches, only to see the carousel lean toward offensive play-callers, mostly because owners fear a special teams coordinator will struggle to retain quality offensive and defensive coordinators (a fear that John Harbaugh has routinely dismissed, but I digress). That’s why we’ll highlight some special teams coaches each year who have impressed, both with their versatility, interpersonal skills and ability to consistently post top-ranked units.
Matt Daniels, special teams coordinator, Minnesota Vikings
Matt Daniels, who also assists with the team’s top-ranked defense, was a safety in the NFL for four seasons before joining the staff of special teams stalwart John “Bones” Fassel with the Rams and later Cowboys.
Ryan Ficken, special teams coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers
Ryan Ficken, 44, broke into the NFL in 2007 and coached wide receivers and running backs before moving into a special teams role. The Chargers’ special teams coordinator since ’22, Ficken has finished seventh and third, respectively, in Rick Gosselin’s gold-standard special teams rankings each of the past two years.
Dave Fipp, special teams coordinator, Detroit Lions
Dave Fipp has been a special teams coach in the NFL since 2008. The 50-year-old also has experience on the defensive side of the ball at the NCAA level, having been a co-defensive coordinator on the staff of the influential Chris Ault at Nevada. Dan Campbell highly recommends Fipp as well.
Frank Ross, special teams coordinator, Houston Texans
Frank Ross, a 37-year-old former Patriots scout, has been the Texans’ special teams coordinator since 2021 and has produced the top-ranked unit in Gosselin’s special teams rankings each of the past two seasons.
Bubba Ventrone, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, Cleveland Browns
Bubba Ventrone, who interviewed for the Colts’ head coaching job after Frank Reich’s firing, is a respected NFL veteran with a long career playing for the Patriots, Jets and 49ers. Ventrone has coached alongside Bill Belichick, Frank Reich and Kevin Stefanski.
Newcomers
Annual readers of this list know our goal is to create a directory that will help fans become familiar with names in this cycle and beyond. That could mean a candidate who is impressing very early on in their career, or a position coach or coordinator who has been peaking of late. Here are the names that stood out after an offseason of research and throughout the 2024 season, again in alphabetical order.
David Girardi, quarterbacks coach, Kansas City Chiefs
A former college QB, David Girardi has been with the Chiefs since 2018, rising up through Andy Reid’s staff from quality control coach to Patrick Mahomes’s position coach.
Michael Hutchings, safeties coach, Minnesota Vikings
Michael Hutchings is a safeties coach with the top-rated Vikings defense; a special unit known for player empowerment and close ties among the coaching staff and players in the room.
Brad Idzik, offensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers
Just 33 years old, Brad Idzik is one of the youngest coordinators in the NFL and had the difficult task of spearheading a major rebuild in Carolina alongside new head coach Dave Canales. Idzik blends the analytical and personal well in his approach.
Klay Kubiak, pass-game specialist, San Francisco 49ers
Klay Kubiak, the son of legendary NFL head coach Gary Kubiak, got play-calling duties for the 49ers during the preseason this year as a nod from Kyle Shanahan for his efforts. Kubiak plays an integral role as part of a coaching incubator in San Francisco, where coaches have to be incredibly thorough and detail-oriented.
Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator, New Orleans Saints
Klint Kubiak, Klay’s brother, had a white-hot start to the 2024 season as a first-time play-caller for the Saints. Injury issues derailed the season a bit, though that should not diminish Kubiak’s long résumé working alongside some of the best coaches in the NFL.
Jimmy Lake, defensive coordinator, Atlanta Falcons
Formerly an NCAA-level head coach at Washington, Jimmy Lake was Sean McVay’s assistant head coach in Los Angeles in 2023 before joining Raheem Morris in Atlanta.
Kevin Patullo, passing-game coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles
A coach whose actual duties far surpass his title, Kevin Patullo is a valued member of Nick Sirianni’s staff in Philadelphia. The 44-year-old has been a quarterbacks coach and pass-game specialist at the NFL level for most of the last 20 years.
Wes Phillips, offensive coordinator, Minnesota Vikings
Wes Phillips, 45, is the son of NFL great Wade Phillips and the grandson of Bum Phillips. A former NCAA quarterback, Phillips has been an important part of a Kevin O’Connell offensive staff that is highly regarded and will inevitably spawn off its own miniature tree.
Cole Popovich, assistant offensive line coach, Houston Texans
Cole Popovich, 39, is a fast riser on a vibrant young Texans staff steeped in the sought-after blocking system run by countless NFL teams. Fun fact: He discovered in 2020 that he is distantly related to NBA coaching legend Gregg Popovich.
Tavita Pritchard, quarterbacks coach, Washington Commanders
Tavita Pritchard, a former Stanford quarterback for Jim Harbaugh who just predated the Andrew Luck era, remained on the powerhouse David Shaw staff until 2023 in various roles (including offensive coordinator) before joining the Commanders in ’23 and helping facilitate the rise of Jayden Daniels this season.
Tommy Rees, tight ends coach, Cleveland Browns
As a play-caller at Notre Dame and Alabama, Tommy Rees, a former NCAA quarterback himself, was known for bringing out the best of players. Rees helped mold a young Jalen Milroe at Alabama. He also oversaw the Ian Book era at Notre Dame, where Book became the second-most prolific passer in school history and got drafted by the Saints.
Nate Scheelhaase, passing-game specialist, Los Angeles Rams
Nate Scheelhaase, a former Gatorade Player of the Year quarterback who played football for the Fighting Illini, is in his first year alongside Sean McVay, arriving in Los Angeles after a long stint Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, who is loved around the NFL.
Chris Shula, defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Rams
Tapped to take over for Raheem Morris after Morris was hired by the Falcons, Chris Shula is at the helm of a defense no longer defined by the presence of Aaron Donald. In his debut season, the grandson of all-time NFL wins leader Don Shula has coached up a talented young defense highlighted by many first- and second-year players.
Connor Senger, assistant quarterbacks coach, Arizona Cardinals
Connor Senger, a former Bidwill Coaching Fellow, has risen up the ranks in Arizona’s vaunted QB room alongside Drew Petzing, Israel Woolfork, Drew Terrell and Spencer Whipple, all coaches to watch as this room gets more attention. Before coming to the NFL, Senger ran opponent breakdowns for the national champion North Dakota State Bison.
Aaron Whitecotton, defensive line coach, New York Jets
Aaron Whitecotton came to the Jets after stints with the Sean McDermott–led Bills and Kyle Shanahan–led 49ers. With a history of elevating the room and producing defensive lines that generate pressure across the board, the former college center has been with the Jets since 2021, which includes Quinnen Williams’s two best NFL seasons.
Joe Whitt Jr., defensive coordinator, Washington Commanders
Joe Whitt Jr., 46, was an NCAA wide receiver before breaking into the NFL in 2007. He has been at the right hand of Dan Quinn since 2020 and earned the trust of the defensive mastermind and expert team builder.
Dan Williams, assistant quarterbacks coach, Kansas City Chiefs
The all-time leading passer at Stevenson University, Dan Williams has risen through the intern ranks in Kansas City. Williams is the son of Ted Williams, a longtime NFL coach, and has worked with Kansas City’s quarterbacks and tight ends.
T.J. Yates, quarterbacks coach, Atlanta Falcons
T.J. Yates, 37, joins a long list of recent quarterback retirees who have flocked to NFL offensive coaching rooms. The former fifth-round pick played in the league for six seasons, remaining on staff with the Texans following the end of his playing career. Yates now heads a room with both Kirk Cousins and first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.
Rising offensive coaches
The following coaches appeared on last season’s list of rising position coaches. Some remain in the same role, others have been promoted or taken a similar role with another team, and all are still highly thought of as future head coach candidates. You can read blurbs about each of them on the 2023 list.
Klayton Adams, offensive line coach, Arizona Cardinals • Zach Azzanni, wide receivers coach, Pittsburgh Steelers • Chris Beatty, wide receivers coach, Chicago Bears • Joe Bleymaier, passing-game coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs • Marcus Brady, passing-game coordinator, Los Angeles Chargers • Thomas Brown, passing-game coordinator, Chicago Bears • Nick Caley, tight ends coach and passing-game coordinator, Los Angeles Rams • Jim Bob Cooter, offensive coordinator, Indianapolis Colts • Declan Doyle, tight ends coach, Denver Broncos • Tanner Engstrand, passing-game coordinator, Detroit Lions • Brian Fleury, tight ends coach, San Francisco 49ers • Hank Fraley, offensive line coach, Detroit Lions • Leonard Hankerson, wide receivers coach, San Francisco 49ers • Brian Johnson, passing-game coordinator, Washington Commanders • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach, Houston Texans • Mike Kafka, offensive coordinator, New York Giants • Tim Kelly, tight ends coach, New York Giants • Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator, Los Angeles Rams • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers • Charles London, quarterbacks coach, Seattle Seahawks • Tom Manning, tight ends coach, Indianapolis Colts • Scottie Montgomery, assistant head coach/running backs, Detroit Lions • Jeff Nixon, offensive coordinator, Syracuse (longtime NFL running backs and assistant head coach) • Justin Outten, tight ends coach, Tennessee Titans • Jake Peetz, passing-game coordinator, Seattle Seahawks • Dave Ragone, quarterbacks coach, Los Angeles Rams • Duce Staley, running backs coach, Cleveland Browns • Press Taylor, offensive coordinator, Jacksonville Jaguars • Drew Terrell, passing-game coordinator/wide receivers coach, Arizona Cardinals • Shea Tierney, quarterbacks coach, New York Giants • Cam Turner, quarterbacks coach, Indianapolis Colts • Scott Turner, passing-game coordinator/interim offensive coordinator, Las Vegas Raiders • Davis Webb, quarterbacks coach, Denver Broncos • Spencer Whipple, passing-game coordinator, Arizona Cardinals
Rising defensive coaches
The following coaches appeared on last season’s list of rising position coaches. Some remain in the same role, others have been promoted or taken a similar role with another team, and all are still highly thought of as future head coach candidates. You can read blurbs about each of them on the 2023 list.
Lou Anarumo, defensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals • Derrick Ansley, defensive passing-game coordinator, Green Bay Packers • Bobby Babich, defensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills • James Bettcher, linebackers coach, Cincinnati Bengals • Jonathan Cooley, secondary/defensive passing-game coordinator, Carolina Panthers • Ryan Crow, outside linebackers coach, Miami Dolphins • Brian Duker, defensive passing-game coordinator, secondary coach, Miami Dolphins • Larry Foote, defensive passing-game coordinator/inside linebackers coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers • Patrick Graham, defensive coordinator, Las Vegas Raiders • DeAngelo Hall, assistant defensive backs coach, Carolina Panthers • Pete Hansen, inside linebackers coach, Carolina Panthers • Chris Harris, defensive passing-game coordinator, Tennessee Titans • Jeff Howard, defensive backs coach, Seattle Seahawks • Robert Livingston, defensive coordinator, Colorado • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach, Carolina Panthers • Don “Wink” Martindale, defensive coordinator, Michigan • Ryan Nielsen, defensive coordinator, Jacksonville Jaguars • Zach Orr (no relation), defensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens • Christian Parker, defensive passing-game coordinator/secondary coach, Philadelphia Eagles • Aubrey Pleasant, defensive passing-game coordinator/secondary coach, Los Angeles Rams • Nick Rallis, defensive coordinator, Arizona Cardinals • Mike Rutenberg, linebackers coach, New York Jets • Karl Scott, defensive passing-game coordinator/secondary coach, Seattle Seahawks • Drew Wilkins, outside linebackers coach, New England Patriots • Steve Wilks, defensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers (former Arizona Cardinals head coach)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Top NFL Head Coaching Candidates for 2025 and Well Beyond.