The NFL saw ten head coaching vacancies after the 2025 NFL season.
Hiring and firing is common practice in the NFL, like most professional sports. The last time the NFL had 10 new head coaches was in 2022. Eight of those 10 head coaches have already been fired. There is no longer patience with head coaches in the league, unless you are the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This year’s crop of head coaches hope to have better success than the 10 hired in 2022. Below, we rank the 10 head coaching hires for next season.
Ranking The 10 NFL Head Coaching Hires
Almost a third of NFL teams will have a new head coach for the 2026 NFL season.
Two of the longest tenured head coaches, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh, are no longer with their teams. Tomlin is taking time off while Harbaugh got a new head coaching gig.
Let’s get to the rankings.
10. Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns
Todd Monken was hired to be the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
He has his hands full with taking over the role. Monken has no experience being a head coach, so he might be in over his head taking this job.
Monken’s main focus will be to develop Cleveland’s future franchise QB.
One big issue this hiring caused was upsetting defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Schwartz wants to leave Cleveland after not getting the gig. He has been excellent as their defensive coordinator and was hoping to be given the role. Myles Garrett even expressed his displeasure on social media that Schwartz was not given the head coaching gig.
Given that Monken has no head coaching experience and that Cleveland is driving Schwartz away with the decision, the Browns’ hiring of Monken ranks last in the head coaching hiring rankings.
9. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills
Unlike the Cleveland Browns, the Buffalo Bills hired in-house for their head coaching vacancy.
Terry Pegula insisted he decided to fire Sean McDermott after seeing the scene in the postgame locker room in Denver. He felt he had a team capable of reaching a Super Bowl, and he needed a leader who could put them over the top.
That would make sense until he put his supposed title-ready team in the hands of a 36-year-old, first-time head coach who was on the staff he felt just failed the franchise.
Sure, Joe Brady has done a very good job as the offensive coordinator for Buffalo, but that is easier to do when you have Josh Allen at QB.
It is a curious decision to hire Joe Brady after firing Sean McDermott, instead of hiring from outside.
8. Mike LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals hired Mike LaFleur to be their new head coach. He was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams.
Mike is the younger brother of Matt LaFleur, who is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
He spent seven years working for Kyle Shanahan in various stops and three years at the side of McVay, so some of their genius could have rubbed off.
LaFleur will need some of McVay and Shanahan’s offensive magic to rub off on him as the Cardinals need to find their future franchise QB.
Time will tell if Mike LaFleur is the right man for the job.
7. Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers
It is safe to say many Steeler fans were not thrilled when the Pittsburgh Steelers announced Mike McCarthy would be their new head coach.
While Mike Tomlin has no playoff wins in his last nine years, McCarthy has just one playoff win since 2016.
He led the Dallas Cowboys to three straight 12-5 seasons from 2021-2023, but won just one playoff game during that span.
McCarthy also already had an established QB in Dak Prescott when he arrived in Dallas.
Pittsburgh’s current QB room is Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Aaron Rodgers may retire, and even if he does return, he is a shell of his former self.
McCarthy even admitted in his press conference that he struggled to have a good defense during his time with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. This will not fly in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers’ history is known for having a good defense.
Hiring Mike McCarthy feels like the Steelers are treating the head coach position similarly to what they have done with the QB position.
They keep finding band-aid solutions at QB the last few years, and Mike McCarthy feels like a band-aid solution at head coach.
The only way McCarthy can salvage this hire in the eyes of Steeler fans is to find and develop the next franchise QB.
6. Jeff Hafley, Miami Dolphins
Jeff Hafley has done a good job as the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers for the last two seasons.
His leadership is exactly what the Dolphins need. They will also need to find a franchise QB, as Tua Tagovailoa is not capable of being the franchise QB they had hoped.
Hafley has his hands full with this job, but he is capable of turning the Dolphins franchise around.
5. Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans
Robert Saleh does not deserve all of the blame for his lack of success as head coach with the New York Jets.
In fact, once he was fired midseason, the Jets’ defense collapsed big time. Saleh had the Jets playing well on defense, but they struggled mightily once he left.
Saleh can turn the Titans’ defense around, which would make them a formidable team. Cam Ward showed some flashes in his rookie season and should continue to improve.
Saleh can have a successful second run as a head coach in Tennessee.
4. Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders
Klint Kubiak is the hot offensive assistant this year after his masterful work with the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold.
Kubiak goes to a squad that has the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft, which means he will likely be responsible for developing QB Fernando Mendoza.
Kubiak has done a superb job with Seattle’s offense, and Brady referred to him as his guy several times during the NFC Championship game.
The Raiders hope they have found their man for the long haul by hiring Kubiak.
3. Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons
Kevin Stefanski was let go by the Cleveland Browns and was scooped right up by the Atlanta Falcons.
Stefanski goes to a Falcons team that has a ton of offensive talent. Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and a good offensive line are what he has to work with.
Stefanski’s biggest challenge will be to develop QB Michael Penix Jr. If Stefanski can get the best out of Penix, the Falcons will be a force in the NFC South.
He is a two-time coach of the year and can really bring out the best in Atlanta’s talented offense.
2. Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens
Jesse Minter was highly coveted in the coaching cycle.
He takes over arguably one of the best rosters, with one of the best QBs in the league.
His pedigree as an assistant is strong. He’s an apple off the Harbaugh tree, having worked with both John in Baltimore and Jim in Michigan, and with the Los Angeles Chargers.
He built college football’s best defense when Michigan won the national championship in 2023, and he turned a bad Chargers defense into a top-10 unit over the past two seasons.
Jesse Minter has the potential to be a great head coach for a long time, making this a fantastic hire by the Ravens.
1. John Harbaugh, New York Giants
John Harbaugh is the home-run hire of the offseason, and the Giants had to hit it given their miserable, embarrassing record over the past 14 years.
Harbaugh had a long and successful run in Baltimore, going 180-113 over 18 seasons, making the playoffs 12 times, and winning a Super Bowl. But more than his coaching success, he boasts a presence and credibility the Giants have been missing since Tom Coughlin. He will immediately restore discipline and confidence, and he has a history of being great with young quarterbacks.
Harbaugh is the one coach who could make the Giants’ desired turnaround quickly.
