The 9 Top Candidates To Land A Job As An NFL Head Coach Next Season

Two NFL teams have already made the decision to fire their head coach midway through the 2024 season, and there’s a chance a few more men at the helm could befall the same fate before the playoffs roll around.

We already know the Jets and the Saints will be looking to name a permanent head coach before the 2025 NFL season kicks off, and there are at least half a dozen other teams who will probably opt to clean house based on how they’ve looked this year.

It’s way too early to predict who will end up filling those specific voids, but we can narrow down the list of candidates who will almost certainly be getting invited to some interviews in the offseason.

Ben Johnson—Lions

If the NFL held a draft for coaching, it’s pretty safe to assume Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would be scooped up with the first overall pick.

Johnson joined the organization in 2019 during the Matt Patricia Era and has slowly but surely worked his way up the ladder since Dan Campell took over.

He’s played a key role in Detroit transforming into a Super Bowl contender since being named the offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 season and turned down the chance to interview with the Commanders and the Seahawks ahead of the current campaign.

There’s no telling if he’ll decide to stick with the Lions for another year, but it’s very safe to assume Johnson will be a top candidate for the newest batch of teams in search of a head coach.

Aaron Glenn

Johnson isn’t the only candidate currently employed by the Lions, as defensive coordinator Aaron Glen has been in contention for a head coaching job for the past four years but has still yet to make the final cut.

He’ll undoubtedly get the opportunity to do some more interviews in 2025, and based on how the 9-1 Lions have looked this season, I’d be a bit surprised if he’s still in Detroit next year.

Brian Flores

Flores posted a 24-25 record as the head coach of the Dolphins before he was fired in 2021 and spent a year with the Steelers as an assistant under Mike Tomlin before the Vikings hired him as their new defensive coordinator ahead of this season.

Minnesota is currently 8-2 with the help of the best rushing defense in the NFL, has more interceptions than any other team, and is sitting in the Top 5 when it comes to points allowed.

Flores already has three years of experience under his belt, and his second act with the Vikings will certainly result in some teams reaching out.

Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel spent six seasons as the head coach of the Titans and went 54-45 during a tenure where they made it to the playoffs three times, and it’s pretty clear he wasn’t the team’s biggest issue based on the 2-8 record they’ve posted since he was fired.

The former Patriots linebacker interviewed for three open gigs after getting canned but ultimately settled for an advisory role with the Browns, and he’ll probably be getting a few phone calls once the season wraps up.

Bill Belichick

It’s hard to pass up the opportunity to link up with one of the most legendary head coaches in NFL history, and you can be sure a number of teams are going to try to do exactly that if Bill Belichick opts to return from the hiatus he took after parting ways with the Patriots.

The Jaguars, Giants, and Cowboys have already been floated as potential destinations for a skipper who will reportedly be a bit picky when it comes to choosing where he goes, and there will obviously be a ton of buzz surrounding whatever team ends up landing him.

Joe Brady

Joe Brady initially made a name for himself at LSU with a little bit of help from Joe Burrow before being hired as the offensive coordinator for the Panthers in 2020.

He interviewed with five teams looking for a head coach in the ensuing offseason but suffered a bit of a setback after being fired midway through the 2021 campaign following a 5-7 start.

As was the case with Vrabel, it’s become exceedingly obvious Brady was not Carolina’s biggest problem, and he’s settled in very nicely since taking over OC duties for the Bills midway through last season.

He’s never been a head coach at any level, but that could change in the very near future.

Liam Coen

Liam Coen spent a few years bouncing between the Rams and the University of Kentucky before landing in Tampa Bay as the team’s offensive coordinator ahead of the current season.

The Buccaneers might be 4-6, but their offense has still looked very solid in spite of the injuries to Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Jalen McMillan that decimated its wide receiver corps.

Interest in Coen will likely hinge on how Tampa Bay finishes out the season, but he’s a name worth keeping an eye on.

 

Drew Petzing

Drew Petzing has spent 15 years working his way up the coaching ranks after kicking off his career as a volunteer assistant at Harvard and spent time with the Browns and Vikings before the Cardinals named him their offensive coordinator in 2023.

He got off to a bumpy start during his inaugural season thanks in no small part to the absence of Kyler Murray, but the Arizona offense has firmly been trending in the right direction since the OC has gotten the chance to work with the former first overall pick.

He may need at least one more season to emerge as a top head coaching candidate, but he’s shown a fair amount of promise.

Jesse Minter

It appears Jim Harbaugh has resigned himself to the fact he’s going to need a new defensive coordinator next season, as he predicted Jesse Minter “is going to be a head coach in the National Football League next year” during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show earlier this month.

Minter joined Harbaugh in Los Angeles after serving as the DC during his last two years at Michigan, and he was technically a head coach at the college level after getting the interim label for a single game when the Wolverines skipper was suspended for the first three games of the 2023 season.

He’s largely picked up where he left off with the Chargers, and who am I to doubt Harbaugh’s prophecy?