The 2024 NFL coaching carousel has not yet completely stopped, but it has slowed considerably.
With the news Thursday that Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is set to jump to the top post for the rival Washington Commanders, all eight of this offseason’s head-coaching vacancies have been filled. The ripples from the various moves are still extending, with multiple coordinator jobs still open. But a cycle that featured several surprises with jobs that came open – as well as others that didn’t – is now clearly winding down.
While it’s too early to judge many hires for new roles, here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from this year’s coaching moves.
Winners
Jim Harbaugh
In leaving Michigan after winning a national title, Harbaugh sealed his long-sought return to the NFL by landing one of the league’s more auspicious available positions. The Chargers gave the coach a five-year deal that Pro Football Talk reported was worth $16 million annually, which ranks among the richest payouts at this level, per multiple reports. Beyond that lucrative payout, however, he also gets to enjoy the benefits afforded by having a star quarterback in 25-year-old Justin Herbert, who no doubt stands to benefit from a leader known for getting the most from his signal-caller. The job isn’t without its challenges – a cap crunch likely necessitates some veteran departures – but Harbaugh has a very fortuitous setup that includes ownership not prone to making rash decisions and a general manager in Joe Hortiz who should transition smoothly after working with John Harbaugh in Baltimore.
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Raheem Morris
More than 12 years after Morris was fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the timing finally seemed right for his return to the head-coaching ranks. This year, however, he didn’t have to settle for just any job. The Atlanta Falcons, whom Morris guided in 2020 as interim coach before being passed up for the full-time job, present a playoff-caliber roster in need of a fresh vision. Identifying the quarterback solution that evaded Arthur Smith won’t be easy, but there’s potential for a quick turnaround here, especially if first-time offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can prove he can take advantage of an impressive collection of skill-position talent.
Detroit Lions
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson appeared to be a virtual lock to leave after this season as arguably the most prominent head-coaching candidate from the assistant ranks. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, meanwhile, interviewed for the top job with four teams. Yet somehow Dan Campbell will head into 2024 with each of them still in place. Johnson withdrew from consideration for the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks after Detroit fell in the NFC championship game, opting instead for a surprising encore with a unit that has finished in the top five in both yards and points in each of the last two years. Glenn, who was voted the league’s best at his title in a poll by the NFL Players Association, should provide added steadiness for a unit light on experience but boasting plentiful promise.
Houston Texans
Bobby Slowik generated some interest as a head-coaching candidate after his work with likely NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud, but he’ll be back for a second year calling the offense. Quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson also will return despite being firmly in the mix for several offensive coordinator roles elsewhere. For DeMeco Ryans, it’s an unquestionable win that having assistants move on to bigger jobs with other teams is the only part of the Texans’ rise that hasn’t been ahead of schedule. Instead, the coach will get to enjoy some continuity headed into his second season at the helm. He also should have the chance to map out a plan for whenever Slowik does depart, with Johnson potentially in line to take over leading the offense.
Jerod Mayo
While outsiders pondered what the New England Patriots’ post-Bill Belichick future might hold, Mayo was able to rest easy knowing Robert Kraft had identified him as the coaching successor. It would take just one day before the team’s plan to embrace a new era became public. Returning a roster starved for talent – particularly on offense – to the playoff status Kraft so desperately seeks won’t be easy, but Mayo has several key assets at his disposal. Chief among them: the No. 3 pick in the draft, which could be used on a quarterback or top-flight receiver, as well as more than $66 million in cap space. Most importantly, Mayo has the full backing of Kraft as he seeks to distinguish himself from Belichick rather than attempt to recreate the legend’s glory years. It’s easy to see why he eschewed other opportunities to remain in place and become the franchise’s first Black coach, a distinction he said matters greatly to him.
Antonio Pierce
Forging a path to a full-time job is often exceedingly difficult for interim coaches. Pierce, however, clearly found something in flipping the Las Vegas Raiders’ culture, which badly needed to be addressed upon Josh McDaniels’ midseason firing. The move marks a fairly remarkable rise for a figure who started 2023 in just his second year as an NFL position coach. But getting buy-in from Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby, among others, could help Mark Davis avert a full-scale teardown.
Seattle Seahawks’ young defensive core
For all of the Seahawks’ defensive issues – the unit seemed to nose-dive after edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu was lost for the season to an October torn pectoral – compiling top-line talent never seemed to be a problem. Pete Carroll’s scheme, however, might have run its course with the group, as the rigidity and predictability became untenable. That all should change with new coach Mike Macdonald, whose top-ranked scoring defense with the Baltimore Ravens was built upon flexibility. Count on improved playmaking opportunities for a number of Seattle’s promising young talents, from dynamic cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen to front-seven staples in Nwosu, Boye Mafe and Dre’Mont Jones.
Vic Fangio
If not for some unfortunate timing stemming from Jonathan Gannon’s hire by the Arizona Cardinals, Fangio might have been the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator this season after serving as a consultant for the team in 2022. Maybe it’s for the best, then, that things fell apart with the Miami Dolphins, as the Pennsylvania native now gets to rejoin Nick Sirianni in that coordinator role. Fangio’s scheme famously emphasizes reducing big-play opportunities for opponents, a focus that should come in handy for a unit that was repeatedly gashed for major gains down the stretch.
Losers
Bill Belichick
Maybe sitting out a year is the right move for the 71-year-old. Still, even given how last season went for the Patriots, it remains hard to fathom that Belichick – who has coached in the NFL since 1975 – won’t be on the sidelines next season. At this point, it’s hard to draw many firm conclusions about his talks with the Falcons. But even with the possibility of some intriguing hot-seat jobs coming open after 2024, this cycle reinforced that it might not be so easy for Belichick to find a setup to his liking as he stands just 15 wins shy of breaking Don Shula’s all-time record.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
File this under good problems, but when Todd Bowles hired Dave Canales as offensive coordinator last year, he probably didn’t expect that the first-time play-caller would become a head coach the following offseason thanks to the superlative job he did with Baker Mayfield and Co. in Tampa. Nevertheless, Canales is off to steer another ship in the NFC South with the Carolina Panthers, and he’s taking several offensive assistant coaches – including former receivers coach Brad Idzik and run game coordinator Harold Goodwin – along with him. There are still several promising potential replacements for the coordinator role, including quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis. But with the Bucs already facing some uncertainty with Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans among those headed for free agency, rebuilding the staff on that side of the ball won’t come easy.
Mike Vrabel
The 2021 NFL Coach of the Year was a surprising late addition to the coaching carousel, with the Tennessee Titans firing him two days after the season ended. With the Patriots holding firm to their commitment to Mayo and thus shutting down any possibility of Vrabel’s return to New England, the cycle wasn’t set up particularly well for him. He interviewed with both the Chargers and Falcons but lost out on both opportunities, and the Panthers opted for Canales before a scheduled meeting. Perhaps he’ll find more widespread interest next offseason, but this is no doubt a strange outcome.
Pittsburgh Steelers
When Mike Tomlin openly declared during his first postseason news conference that he would be looking for an external candidate to take over as offensive coordinator, the Steelers were facing the opportunity to reimagine an attack that – outside of a late-season spark from Mason Rudolph – had become inert. By bringing on Arthur Smith for the post, Pittsburgh essentially doubled down on its own problems. An overly run-heavy attack likely will remain rooted in trying to minimize mistakes rather than maximizing its potential with more big plays. And good luck keeping receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens happy given Smith’s refusal to feed his top skill-position talent in Atlanta. Maybe Tomlin would prefer that trusted formula to the unknown, but it virtually guarantees that the Steelers will again be reliant on the coach’s magic while lacking the firepower to keep pace with the AFC’s best.
Ravens’ defense
This is in no way an indictment of Zachary Orr, the former Ravens linebacker and position coach who is set to take over for Macdonald as defensive coordinator. But Baltimore’s defense already looked due for a regression from its historic highs this season, especially with Pro Bowlers Justin Madubuike and Patrick Queen joining Jadeveon Clowney and a host of other key contributors in being ticketed for free agency. With the loss of both Macdonald and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who is set to be hired as the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator, the Ravens are looking at a lot of unwanted change.
Ken Dorsey
Considered a leading candidate for a head-coaching job heading into this season, Dorsey was dismissed by the Buffalo Bills at midseason in a decision that helped spark the team’s drastic turnaround. Now, he’ll look to get his career back on track as the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator. Kevin Stefanski will retain play-calling duties, but Dorsey will be charged with helping Deshaun Watson finally get right in Cleveland after two seasons marred by suspension, injuries and overall subpar play. If more struggles ensue – particularly after Joe Flacco highlighted what the Browns’ attack is capable of – then Dorsey will be under fire once again.
Ejiro Evero
The long-term outlook still appears to be extremely bright for Evero, a highly regarded defensive mind who should enter next year as one of the leading candidates for a top job. Still, it might sting for the 43-year-old – who interviewed with three teams – to be passed over given that five openings were filled by coaches with defensive backgrounds. And his expected return to the Panthers might not be the optimal showcase for his abilities.
Brian Johnson
Though he appeared to be a long shot, Johnson had interviews with the Falcons and Commanders to be considered as a head coach. Days later, he was out of his job as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, with the two sides parting ways after a rocky campaign. He still has the chance to land a coordinator role elsewhere, but this still seems like a setback for someone who has made a rapid ascent in the coaching ranks.
College football
Losing Harbaugh to the professional ranks again was to be expected. Having Jeff Hafley flee Boston College to take the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator job wasn’t. Adapting to NIL and a wide-open transfer portal might leave some coaches with a distaste for the new landscape in college football, as ESPN reported was the case with Hafley. In an offseason of upheaval, this might not register as a major loss. But it’s not a great look for an ascendant coach to leave in this fashion given the already widening disparity between the most powerful programs and everyone else.
