Everybody is looking for the next Ben Johnson, the successful coordinator that can translate their ability to succeed as an assistant into being a head coach. The Chicago Bears seem to finally be out of their rebuilding phase and into the contending one, but they’re the rare case where things work out year one.
Usually it’s the retread coaches that make a name for themselves, not the first time ones. Which makes this year’s hiring cycle very exciting. There’s quite a few names to keep in mind from all walks of life: former HCs, up-and-coming coordinators and elite college coaches. Here’s who stands out as the top NFL coaching candidates as teams look to a brighter future.
The tiers for all the best NFL coaching candidates
- The former NFL coaches looking for redemption
- The Up-and-coming offensive minds looking to be the next Ben Johnson
- The Up-and-coming defensive minds looking for their first HC gig
- The veteran coordinators waiting for their shot at being a head coach
- Top college coaches who could test NFL waters
- The wild card coaching candidates
The former NFL coaches looking for redemption
John Harbaugh
You didn't think the NFL's silly season would be normal, did you? Late Tuesday afternoon, the news hit like a bombshell: The Baltimore Ravens had fired Harbaugh after nearly two decades at the helm at a Super Bowl title.
Harbaugh had a bad ending to an otherwise very successful tenure with the Ravens. It seemed like the team began to tune him out towards the end of his time there, and a change was likely needed. But the 64-year-old didn't forget how to coach, and it's clear he'll be one of the most popular names in this hiring cycle.
Robert Saleh
Robert Saleh got the short end of the stick when the New York Jets hired and then fired him after a failed tenure. Don’t get me wrong, he was responsible as well for a lot of New York’s struggles, but he was set up for failure for the most part in his first head coaching gig. I feel like the second time around, he will have more experience about how to handle being a head coach.
The San Francisco 49ers defense wasn’t the same without him and now that he’s back, it just reinforces how good of a defensive coordinator he is. While I agree some coordinators are better at that than head coaches, I could see Saleh succeeding with a better opportunity than the New York Jets.
Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Kingsbury is a brilliant offensive mind that turned Kyler Murray into a respectable quarterback. Though things didn’t work out, it felt like the Arizona Cardinals might have given up on Kingsbury prematurely. He took time away from coaching, then he went to be a consultant and now he’s back on the sidelines as an assistant.
He’s done well with the Washington Commanders as offensive coordinator and it could land him another head coaching job. There’s enough teams with young offensive cores that it would be worth hiring him again.
Kevin Stefanski
Stefanski is going to get a lot of attention even though he was just fired by the Cleveland Browns. He was a two-time AP coach of the year, which just about any team with a vacancy will be desperate to interview him. We’ll see how good he is with another situation, but chances are he lands straight with another head coaching job.
The Up-and-coming offensive minds looking to be the next Ben Johnson
Mike LaFleur
Mike LaFleur could be a name to watch as teams look for the next Ben Johnson to lead their respective teams. LaFleur has been with Sean McVay since 2023 and other than the 2024 season, has had a top 10 offense. He helped Matthew Stafford turn back the clock during and MVP campaign in 2025. Surely, he’ll be a name to watch.
Grant Udinski
Grant Udinski is a dark horse candidate. I’m not sure he’s going to be sought after, but he will be a name that could gain traction after Jacksonville went from having the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to being the No. 3 seed in the NFL playoffs. I would say give Udinski maybe another year before he’s a serious candidate, then again, taking the risk might just pay off.
Joe Brady
Joe Brady’s name was floated in last year’s cycle, meaning he could be once again, a name to watch this year. Though the Buffalo Bills’ offense took a step back from Josh Allen’s MVP season, it was still productive this year and that’s good enough to boost Brady’s resume. I’m not sure if Brady will be as good of a head coach as he is offensive coordinator, but that won’t stop teams from experimenting.
The Up-and-coming defensive minds looking for their first HC gig
Jesse Minter
Jesse Minter followed Jim Harbaugh all the way from Michigan to LA and now he could be in line to lead his own team. Minter has been a name that’s been talked about for quite some time as a head coach and there’s quite a few teams that could be interested in landing him. What he’s done with the Chargers and winning a national title at Michigan is more than enough of a resume booster.
Chris Shula
Chris Shula and the LA Rams have had one of the most feared defenses in the NFL. Last year’s Rams had a young core that exceeded their expectations. In 2025, they looked just as good as you’d expect them too after last year. Regardless of how far the Rams go in the playoff, they could potentially be looking for new assistants depending on how things shake up.
Jeff Hafley
The Green Bay Packers, though they were faced with some big injury hits this past season, had one of the top defenses in the NFL and Jeff Hafley has been the CEO of that side of the ball. This feels like a year where more former coaches will get consideration over first time coaches so he may not end up with a job, but he should get some interviews.
The veteran coordinators waiting for their shot at being a head coach
Steve Spagnuolo
Either teams are hesitant to hire Steve Spagnuolo as a head coach or he just really loves the Kansas City Chiefs. Every year his name pops up as a potential head coach candidate and every year he ends up staying. This year probably won’t be any different, but if there was any year the Chiefs would undergo some turnover it would be this year. Maybe he ultimately decides now is the time.
Todd Monken
Todd Monken has engineered a strong offense with one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. Sure, this year was an anomaly, but it could very well be the perfect time for Monken to try his hand at being a head coach. Maybe he gets promoted if Baltimore decides to part ways with John Harbaugh; maybe he gets a shot elsewhere.
Lou Anarumo
Lou Anarumo was scapegoated in Cincinnati after a year of miserable defensive play. It turns out, he wasn’t the problem, it was the fact that their defense was decimated by massive offensive contracts. Now out of the Bengals’ dysfunction, Anarumo could see his name resurface like it did after the Bengals’ Super Bowl run in 2021 to lead a team of his own.
Top college coaches who could test NFL waters
Dan Lanning
Dan Lanning would be a fool to leave his perfect situation in Eugene to risk his coaching reputation plummeting by jumping to the NFL. That won’t stop teams from calling and entertaining his interest. All signs are pointing toward Lanning staying with the Oregon Ducks, especially with a national championship within reach. It’s not impossible though that he decides to follow Chip Kelly’s route.
Steve Sarkisian
The Texas Longhorns turned things around after a rough start to the year and came up just short of a College Football Playoff appearance. That said, Sark has garnered a lot of attention as a possible head coach in the NFL and could leave for the right opportunity. There are a lot of former NFL head coaches in play and with college coaches struggling to make the transition, this makes him a long shot to move up.
Ryan Day
Ryan Day has no reason to leave Ohio State, but if he did, the NFL would be the next natural step. I can’t really see Day succeeding at another collegiate program. He’s taking the role of being the CEO of the team, which should be a bonus for NFL organizations as playcallers usually get in their own way. Day coaches the most elite college football players each year, he could handle the NFL, it’s just a matter of if he wants the challenge.
The wild card coaching candidates
Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy is a name that’s resurfaced for quite a few teams this current cycle. I don’t know if he’ll ultimately land with a job, but he’s a name to watch. I don’t really see a fit for him with the teams available. Maybe the New York Giants, but it feels more like a lateral move at best from Brian Daboll rather than an upgrade.
Vance Joseph
The Denver Broncos defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, has been a name that has resurfaced as well. Like McCarthy, he’s been a coach already, but is looking for redemption. He was the head coach of the Broncos and has spent the last six seasons as a defensive coordinator. Is this the year he returns to the spotlight?
Matt Nagy
There’s nothing desirable about Matt Nagy other than the fact that he’s worked in the background with one of the greatest quarterbacks of this era – we all know Andy Reid is really running the offense. So why is his name on this list? Well because sometimes redemption comes in strange ways. Nagy could find a way back to the head coaching ranked but it will truly be a long shot.