The 2024 NFL season is nearly in the books, with only Super Bowl LIX left to play as the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles square off for the ultimate prize. Most other teams have turned their focus to the offseason, with several already welcoming new head coaches from the 2025 cycle.
What about next year, however? Here’s an early look at notable names that didn’t land head coaching jobs this time around, but could well be atop teams’ wish lists come 2026:
Former head coaches (5)
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McCarthy is easily the most accomplished of this group, racking up 12 playoff runs as a head coach, but he struggled to get talented Dallas lineups over the hump. Kingsbury worked wonders with Jayden Daniels as Washington’s play-caller this year. It’s hard to envision “Spags” leaving the comfortable confines of Andy Reid’s staff, but his prowess as a defensive leader is also undeniable. Saleh failed to steady an unwieldy ship as the New York Jets‘ head man but remains a respected leader. And Flores has restored his own reputation while maximizing Minnesota’s defensive talent.
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Offensive assistants (10)
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Several of these play-callers drew real head coaching interest this cycle, with Brady and Moore (who is trending toward landing the Saints job) in particular gaining valuable playoff experience with contenders. Idzik is a name to watch, starting his career under Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks before following Dave Canales to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then Panthers. Phillips grew up watching and learning from his father, Wade, the former NFL head coach and vaunted defensive mind. Fraley played for Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles and has overseen one of the NFL’s best fronts in Detroit. And Caley, a recent Sean McVay disciple, is already on the rise as a prospective offensive coordinator this offseason.
Defensive assistants (4)
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In today’s day and age, offensive minds tend to come first to mind, but that hasn’t stopped several teams from going the opposite direction as of late; the Commanders, for example, advanced all the way to the NFC title game by giving Dan Quinn a second shot at a top job last offseason. Babich helped the Bills defense come within a game of the Super Bowl. Minter, who oversaw a stingy Chargers defense, has worked under both Jim and John Harbaugh between a stellar run at Michigan. And Orr is a true up-and-comer in Baltimore, parlaying a brief playing career into a quick rise on the sidelines, where he managed the Ravens defense at just 32 years old this season.
