It’s only been a couple of weeks since the end of the NFL regular season, but the hiring cycle is in full swing. With every eliminated playoff team comes new opportunities for assistant coaches to be hired, but we’ve already seen interviews piling up.
Thus far only the New England Patriots have made a move, hiring Patriots legend and former Titans coach Mike Vrabel. For the rest of the teams without a coach they’re waiting for more candidates to come available, particularly the two heavy-hitters of the cycle in Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn of the Lions.
Ahead of the rest of the hirings we decided to take a stab at who we think will ultimately get the remaining positions, and why.
Dallas Cowboys: Kellen Moore
It’s so much fun to imagine Deion Sanders coaching the Cowboys (and the drama that would bring), but despite the big talk there’s only one option here that really makes a lot of sense, and that’s Kellen Moore.
Moore threads the needle of both being a coaching candidate who deserves a head coaching job, and has the critical Dallas ties that Jerry Jones craves. It’s impossible to ignore the work Moore did with the Eagles this season, and while a lot of that is attributable to Saquon Barkley, he did make it all click.
Moore was always touted as the heir apparent in Dallas. It may have taken a circuitous route to get back to the organization, but this just makes too much sense to ignore.
New York Jets: Rex Ryan
How many available coaches actually want the Jets’ coaching job? The venn diagram is a circle, and Rex Ryan is at the center of that.
The organization are in a nightmare of their own making by ceding so much influence to Aaron Rodgers and handing him the keys to the kingdom. The roster is a mess, independent of whether or not Rodgers returns in 2025 — and the firing of Robert Saleh sent a message to the coaching world that doing a good job for the Jets isn’t enough, and that compounds issues.
There are times for organizations to take big swings, and times to punt. This is one of those moments where you need to send out special teams for the next year or two, sign a veteran QB, and build the foundation for a dynamic hire.
Jets fans need to prepare themselves that they aren’t getting a Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn this cycle. They’re not going to get a young, promising talent coveted by a lot of teams. Rex Ryan would be a steadying force (as wild as that sounds), and at least move the team in the right direction a little.
Las Vegas Raiders: Ben Johnson
This would be a shocker to a lot of people, but it shouldn’t be. Johnson is the most highly-coveted coach of the cycle, so why would he pick the Raiders of all place? Ultimately it comes down to two key reasons:
- The Raiders are essentially a blank canvas
- The assumption is that Johnson would have significant input on his GM
These are two really powerful motivators for a young coach. Instead of needing to deal with Trent Baalke in Jacksonville or Ryan Poles in Chicago (two locations floated as landing sports for Johnson), the Lions’ offensive coordinator would get to ensure whoever in the front office is in lockstep with him in vision, and would have his back.
Roster wise the Raiders have a lot to like too. Yes, quarterback is an absolute nightmare and would need to be addressed — but with a projected $85M in cap space in 2025 there’s lots of latitude to make moves. Couple that with a superstar tight end in Brock Bowers, elite DE Maxx Crosby, and Tyree Wilson (who is primed for a breakout) — it makes for a pretty nice package.
The position would also allow Johnson to cement himself as the first successful NFL coach in Las Vegas. While he doesn’t seem like someone who craves glory, it’s a nice perk.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Liam Coen
A relative sleeper this coaching cycle, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen fits the bill for what the Jaguars need. Cutting his teeth on Sean McVay’s coaching tree, Coen spent one year at Kentucky before being hired to Todd Bowles’ staff this past season.
The priority for Jacksonville has to be getting Trevor Lawrence back on track. Hamstrung by a boring, lifeless passing game, we’ve yet to see Lawrence ever get a chance with someone who understands the modern passing game or how to use his abilities effectively. Enter Coen, who just finished coaching Baker Mayfield to a 4,000+ yard season.
Most importantly, it’s time for someone to establish an identity for the Jags. Doug Pederson was a boring, safe pick that yielded boring, poor results. A hungry young mind like Coen would come in and shake things up positively. It’s not entirely dissimilar to what Carolina did with former Bucs’ OC Dave Canales a year ago. Now the team is trending upwards and fans are actually excited. This might be the only time it’s okay to follow in the Panthers footsteps.
Chicago Bears: Mike McCarthy
All the signs point to Mike McCarthy finding his way to Chicago as the next head coach of the Bears.
Before his contract even expired with the Dallas Cowboys, the Bears inquired regarding an interview with McCarthy. While that request was denied, as soon as McCarthy’s tenure with the Cowboys came to a close, Chicago came calling again.
Now the organization is set to roll out the red carpet for the former Cowboys head coach, making him the second in-person interview the team has held this cycle, Ron Rivera being the first. Yes, some of Chicago’s candidates are still coaching in the playoffs, so more interviews may be in the works as the playoffs continue and teams are eliminated, but Chicago’s serious interest in McCarthy, and his background in quarterback development, make him a serious candidate for this job.
New Orleans Saints: Aaron Glenn
Here is a fun question for your next football debate — or perhaps the next installment of the award-winning Football Court.
Is Ben Johnson the better head coaching candidate of the two Detroit coordinators, or is that title better reserved for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn?
Johnson has certainly become the hot name in the head coaching carousel, given how he has transformed the Lions offense and gotten the best out of Jared Goff, but Glenn’s resume certainly stands out in this field of candidates. After his playing days ended Glenn started his coaching journey as the General Manager of the Houston Stallions of the Texas Lone Star Football League. For those — like me — wondering what the TLSFL is, it is an indoor football league in Texas.
Glenn then returned to the New York Jets as a scout, before becoming an assistant defensive backs coach with the Cleveland Browns. Other stops included a stint in New Orleans as the secondary coach before he joined the Lions as their defensive coordinator in 2021 under Dan Campbell.
Glenn has experience as a player, a scout, a coach, and even as a general manager. That makes him ready to take on the task of being an NFL head coach. He has experience in New Orleans both as a player and a coach.
He is the perfect candidate for the Saints.
