The 2023 NFL regular season is in the books.
And that, of course, means that the 2024 coaching carousel is now in full swing.
Three NFL teams fired their head coaches during the season and will now decide whether to move forward with their interims, with Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas ostensibly having the best chance of sticking around. Three others − the Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders − made a change shortly after season’s end.
While NFL teams are prohibited from holding in-person interviews with coaches who are employed by another club until after the divisional round of the playoffs, per a rule change approved by owners last fall, candidates for vacancies are already starting to emerge.
Here’s a look at the potential head coaching hires for each team with a vacancy, a brief look at the state of each coaching search and any interviews that are known to have been requested, scheduled or completed so far.
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Atlanta Falcons head coaching search, candidates
Fired:Arthur Smith on Jan. 8
Known candidates: None
The skinny: After a third consecutive 7-10 finish, Falcons owner Arthur Blank decided to go back to the proverbial drawing board, announcing Smith’s ouster in the early hours of Black Monday. The team said in a news release that Blank and CEO Rich McKay will lead the search with general manager Terry Fontenot advising. Prior to hiring an up-and-coming offensive mind in Smith, Blank previously hired a pair of experienced defensive coordinators in Dan Quinn and Mike Smith, so which direction he’ll choose to go with this hire is anyone’s guess.
Carolina Panthers head coaching search, candidates
Fired:Frank Reich on Nov. 27
Known candidates:
Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan: Interview requested (per team)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales: Interview requested (per team)
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson: Interview requested (per team)
Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald: Interview requested (per team)
Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken: Interview requested (per team)
Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris: Interview requested (per team)
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn: Interview requested (per team)
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik: Interview requested (per team)
Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith: Interview requested (per team)
The skinny: It’s déjà vu for Panthers owner David Tepper, who is back on the market for a new head coach after pulling the plug on Reich partway through his first season in Carolina. With interim head coach Chris Tabor unlikely to stick, it will be interesting to see where Tepper turns for what will be his third hire as Panthers owner − and whether his decision to can Reich after just 11 games will scare some of the top candidates away. Keep an eye on Johnson, who has Carolina ties and was pursued by Tepper a year ago.
Las Vegas Raiders head coaching search, candidates
Fired: Josh McDaniels on Nov. 1
Known candidates: None
The skinny: Antonio Pierce made a strong impression during his time as interim head coach, leading the Raiders to a 5-4 record with a season-ending win over the Denver Broncos. Owner Mark Davis told ESPN that he was ‘really excited’ about the team’s performance under Pierce but noted that he still had to go through the process of setting up interviews for the job, as required by the Rooney Rule. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has also gotten some buzz as a possibility for this job, though it’s unclear whether he will entertain a leap back to the NFL.
Los Angeles Chargers head coaching search, candidates
Fired:Brandon Staley on Dec. 15
Known candidates:
Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore: Interviewed on Jan. 9 (per team)
Los Angeles Chargers interim coach Giff Smith: Interviewed on Jan. 9 (per team)
Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken: Interview requested (per multiple reports)
Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks: Interview requested (per multiplereports)
The skinny: Staley finished with a winning record in each of his two full seasons as Chargers head coach, but owner Dean Spanos opted to fire him after the team got drubbed by the Raiders in Week 15 of Year 3. Staley’s successor will inherit a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert but also lofty expectations. This is another vacancy that has been bandied about as a possible landing place for Jim Harbaugh.
Tennessee Titans head coaching search, candidates
Fired:Mike Vrabel on Jan. 9
Known candidates: None
The skinny: Vrabel’s firing came as a shock, in part because he was just two years removed from winning coach of the year honors; Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk called the move ‘as difficult as any I’ve made’ in ownership. The decision to fire Vrabel, rather than look for a potential trading partner, could indicate that Strunk and company plan to move quickly to hire their next coach − though the top candidates for the position were immediately unclear.
Washington Commanders head coaching search, candidates
Fired:Ron Rivera on Jan. 8
Known candidates:
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson: Interview requested (permultiplereports)
Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald: Interview requested (per NFL Network)
Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris: Interview requested (per multiplereports)
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn: Interview requested (per multiple reports)
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik: Interview requested (per The Washington Post)
Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver: Interview requested (permultiplereports)
The skinny: New Commanders owner Josh Harris waited until the end of the season to fire Rivera, but it’s evident that he’s been identifying head coach candidates for some time. Within hours of Rivera’s firing, there had been reports that Washington had already requested permission to interview several candidates, including two coaches each from the playoff-bound Lions and Ravens. Harris also indicated that the team’s current offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, will receive consideration as a candidate.
Other NFL coaching moves
Jan. 9: The Jaguars fired running backs coach Bernie Parmalee and didn’t renew assistant offensive line coach Todd Washington’s contract, according to NFL Network.
Jan. 8: The Jaguars fired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and seven members of his defensive staff, according to The Florida Times-Union, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
Jan. 8: Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale resigned, according to NorthJersey.com, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
Jan. 8: The Giants fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, head coach Brian Daboll announced.
