The NFL playoffs are in full swing and will soon reach a climax, and with the off-season beckoning another coach hiring cycle has arrived, and two teams have secured their new leaders in hopes of changed fortunes.
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And despite six-time Super Bowl-winning mastermind Bill Belichick opting to try his hand in the college landscape instead of seek a return to the pros, plenty of first-timers and one-more-chance hopefuls have strengthened their candidacies.
This season, the Chicago Bears made their first-ever in-season coach dismissal, and after shaping as this cycle’s top destination with a promising young quarterback and win-ready pieces on either side of the ball, they agreed to terms with the hottest up-and-coming offensive coordinator on the market.
The six-time champion New England Patriots shockingly parted ways with Jerod Mayo after just 17 games at the helm, but there was evidently a plan in place as they were the first franchise of this cycle to decide on their new coach.
In Vegas, the Raiders, whose flashy minority owner Tom Brady is keen to make a splash after the franchise cast aside one-and-done Antonio Pierce, have uncertainty at the quarterback position but are throwing their hat in the ring for the top names.
Meanwhile, the struggling New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars are in desperate need of new leadership with more than one question hanging over each.
Below is every confirmed head coach hire ahead of the 2025 season, followed by the latest on the remaining vacancies around the league.
Philadelphia soar into NFC Championship | 01:06
DEVELOPING
Jacksonville Jaguars
Well, this is awkward and for more than just one party.
The Jaguars were one of the teams intrigued by the prospect of bringing in Ben Johnson, but quickly turned their attention to Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen after missing out on the Lions mastermind.
However, Coen pulled out of the running for the Jaguars job on Thursday with suggestions he was the latest candidate to be put off by Jacksonville’s loyalty to general manager Trent Baalke, who has been in the role since 2020.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported in the wake of the news that the Buccaneers were working on a new contract for Coen that would “have made him the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator”.
But now in a stunning twist, it looks like Coen could in fact be heading to Jacksonville.
The Jaguars fired Baalke shortly after news came through that they had missed out on the Tampa Bay co-ordinator, and while it appeared too little too late that may no longer be the case.
AP’s Mark Long reported on Thursday that Coen “might reconsider with Baalke out of the picture” since he “appeared to be the reason Coen — along with former Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — avoided Jacksonville”.
Now, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Friday that in a “plot twist”, Coen has been speaking with the Jaguars in person about their head coaching gig again.
Schefter, meanwhile, reported Tampa Bay has “made multiple efforts” to reach Coen on Friday with no success.
The Jaguars were previously expected to hold a second interview with ex-New York mentor Robert Saleh, who formerly served as a linebackers coach in Jacksonville.
“One name to keep an eye on; former Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who has a history with that organisation — highly-respected, a defensive (coach) — I would keep his name in mind,” Pelissero reported of Jacksonville’s opening.
Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady was also interviewed by the Jaguars — and the New Orleans Saints.
Brady commissioned the statistically-best college football offence in history at Louisiana State. He couldn’t mirror that success later in Carolina but was hindered by poor organisational management, before arriving in Buffalo ahead of the 2023 season.
In 2023, the Bills notched the league’s fifth-best passing EPA and fifth-best rushing EPA, before this season following up with the NFL’s second-best passing and rushing EPA, respectively.
Buffalo’s offence this season is one of just four since 2000 to average three points scored per drive; matched by only the 2007 New England Patriots, 2018 Kansas City Chiefs and 2020 Green Bay Packers.
DONE DEALS
Mike Vrabel; New England Patriots
A strongly mooted club-coach pairing as soon as Mayo was dismissed, the Patriots confirmed the hire of Vrabel, the man who donned New England colours as a fierce linebacker between 2001-08.
A second-time head coach, Vrabel was fired from his Tennessee Titans post at the end of the 2023 season and had since worked with the Cleveland Browns as a coaching and personnel consultant.
Vrabel achieved a 54-45 record across six seasons with the Titans, but his final two seasons — going 13-21 — led him to the end of his road in Nashville.
A defensive-minded coach, Vrabel confirmed a fresh slate of coaches would be joining him in Foxborough.
“As with any staff, there’s going to be turnover,” Vrabel said at his introductory press conference.
“There’s going to be new coaches, new faces — some that I will have history (with), some that I won’t. That’s what the interview process is.”
In terms of offence, former Las Vegas Raiders head coach and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been linked with Vrabel’s new staff.
“I’ve had a relationship with Josh, and I’ve had relationships with other offensive coaches and defensive coaches that we’re going to interview and bring in here,” Vrabel said.
McDaniels, who played an instrumental role in maximising former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones’ strengths, would be entrusted with aiding the development of highly-touted long-term answer Drake Maye.
Ben Johnson; Chicago Bears
The Bears have reportedly snagged Johnson, who just capped his sixth season with the Detroit Lions and entered this cycle as the consensus favourite to land the vacant Chicago position, having also been touted for vacancies league-wide last off-season before returning to Detroit for one last run at a championship.
Despite flying in the recently-available Mike McCarthy for an in-person chat, Johnson, who had completed only a virtual interview with the Bears to this point, was unequivocally the best-of-the-best currently on offer — and the ‘initial number making the rounds on the NFL grapevine’ is $13 million per season for Chicago’s hopeful saviour.
The team’s offensive coordinator of three years, the 38-year-old Johnson was nothing short of instrumental in orchestrating the NFC one-seed Lions; a juggernaut that, while it had Super Bowl expectations this season, was shockingly bundled out of the playoffs in the divisional round by the upstart Washington Commanders.
The Lions ranked top-five in the NFL for scoring in the three years Johnson called plays in the Motor City, including first this season with 33.2 points per game; the first time since 1954 that Detroit led the league in scoring offence.
Between 2022-24, the Lions averaged 28.2 offensive points per game — the most in the league during that period — and only the Kyle Shanahan-led San Francisco 49ers (240) recorded more 20-yard plays than Detroit’s 230 in the same timeframe.
“This was a situation where Ben Johnson was always the number-one target for Chicago, and Johnson, despite overtures from the Raiders — who made a strong push for him — as well as the Jaguars, he wanted to be in Chicago as well,” reported NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero upon news of the hire.
Seasoned Bears reporter Stacey Dales said of Johnson: “I would describe him as very controlled, very measured, very strategic in how he goes about things, but he’s also very light-hearted with his players, kind of a jokester in meetings.
“And he’s always looking to add a wrinkle to what they do (offensively), changing plays that they’ve run (previously) and figuring out a different way to run them, and that’s what he’s going to do in Chicago with Caleb (Williams).”
Pairing Johnson with last year’s No. 1 draft pick and hopefully-franchise quarterback Williams — who will already greet his third play-caller — should instil the utmost confidence in a fanbase that has been starved of premium offensive production.
Meanwhile, it has already been reported by multiple outlets that former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen will serve as Johnson’s defensive coordinator in the Windy City.
The Bears are reportedly also in the running for interim Saints coach Darren Rizzi, who assumed the reins in the Big Easy after Allen’s dismissal, for their special teams coordinator position.
Buffalo Bills set up HUGE AFC clash | 01:19
New York Jets
The Jets are bringing back one of their own.
Aaron Glenn was hired to be their 19th full-time head coach on Thursday. Glenn, who was the Jets’ first-round draft choice in 1994 and played eight seasons for the team, spent the past four years as the Lions defensive coordinator.
The Jets zeroed in on Glenn during an extensive search for a head coaching candidate that saw them interview 16 different people.
Glenn, 52, emerged as the favorite to get the job after Mike Vrabel decided to take the Patriots job.
Glenn interviewed for a second time with the Jets on Wednesday in Florham Park for about seven hours and then returned home to Detroit to sleep on the decision before agreeing to the deal Thursday.
It is a five-year deal, a source said. His salary is not known.
The Saints were also interested in interviewing Glenn a second time for their head coach opening, but Glenn never made it to New Orleans, choosing the Jets instead.
The Jets entered their coaching search looking for someone who could be a leader. They prioritized leadership ability over someone who is a great play-caller or offensive scheme whiz kid.
The Jets had interviewed Glenn in 2021 when they hired Robert Saleh and came away impressed then.
They interviewed him again virtually on Jan. 9 and then again Wednesday after the Lions were shocked by the Commanders in a 45-31 playoff loss.
The Jets felt Glenn’s energy and came away impressed with his vision for the organization as it tries to snap a 14-year playoff drought.
The team’s decision-makers felt that Glenn had a confidence that will translate to the Jets players. He played 15 seasons in the NFL after the Jets drafted him No. 12 overall in 1994.
WAITING GAMES
Las Vegas Raiders
The ‘Tom Brady effect’ almost drew Ben Johnson to Vegas, with the Raiders previously considered one of the potential destinations for the offensive guru. However, Las Vegas now must turn its attention elsewhere, and plenty of options remain.
Among those that have interviewed with the Raiders: Aaron Glenn, Steve Spagnuolo, Pete Carroll, Robert Saleh, Vance Joseph and Ron Rivera. And, Pelissero reports Brady has spoken with Belichick about the Raiders’ job.
But after seemingly going chips-in for this cycle’s top offensive coordinator candidate, Las Vegas and Brady would appear every chance of staying offence-centric in their now-extended search.
New Orleans Saints
After dismissing Dennis Allen, the Saints could certainly opt for another defensive-minded head coach — possibly the Aaron Glenn or Robert Saleh route, both of whom have drawn interest from the club — but after the Chicago-Johnson marriage, Mike McCarthy genuinely appears in play.
Saints reporter Nick Underhill revealed New Orleans has organised an in-person interview with McCarthy, after the Bears previously did the same.
McCarthy is a Super Bowl winner with Green Bay, led his teams to the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons, registered eleven 10-plus-win seasons, and led his offences to top-10 scoring finishes 11 times. A pairing with veteran signal-caller Derek Carr could be on the cards.
… Dallas Cowboys
Despite leading the Cowboys to three playoff appearances and a winning record in five seasons, Dallas and Mike McCarthy couldn’t come together on a contract extension, now leaving the 61-year-old a free agent.
The Athletic’s Jon Machota believes former staffer Kellen Moore is the ‘frontrunner’ for the Cowboys’ job.
Moore spent four seasons as Dallas’ offensive coordinator between 2019-22, before defecting to division rivals Philadelphia, where he currently serves as OC for the divisional round-bound Eagles.
However, Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones has spoken with current Colorado Buffaloes head coach and Hall of Fame former Dallas star Deion ‘Prime’ Sanders about possibly becoming the franchise’s next head coach.
And while Sanders told ESPN he ‘loves’ Boulder “and everything there is about our team, the coaches and the community”, Cowboys insider Ed Werder recently reported Sanders would ‘almost certainly accept’ if Jones offered him the job.
