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Top 15 NFL Head Coaching Candidates for 2025: Ranking Bill Belichick, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Klint Kubiak, and Others

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Top 15 NFL Head Coaching Candidates for 2025: Ranking Bill Belichick, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Klint Kubiak, and Others (msn.com)

Top 15 NFL Head Coaching Candidates for 2025: Ranking Bill Belichick, Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Klint Kubiak, and Others

No NFL head coaches have been fired yet this season, but the rumors have already started.

Fans started calling for Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson’s job after his club got bludgeoned by the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football — and Pederson is far from the only coach who will be on the hot seat in 2024.

 

Over the last five offseasons, an average of seven NFL head coaching jobs have opened up each year. Eight teams were hiring earlier this year, and plenty of organizations will be looking for new leaders in 2025.

Who will be in line to step into those head coaching jobs? Let’s run through the top options that might be available to HC-needy teams next offseason.

Ranking the Best 2025 NFL Head Coaching Candidates

Honorable mention: Bengals OC Dan Pitcher; Broncos DC Vance Joseph; Buccaneers OC Liam Coen; Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury; Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver; Giants OC Mike Kafka; Jets DC Jeff Ulbrich; Packers DC Jeff Hafley; Seahawks DC Aden Durde; Steelers DC Teryl Austin

15) Todd Monken, OC, Baltimore Ravens

Todd Monken probably should’ve received head coaching interest after turning a Jameis Winston/Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Buccaneers offense into the 12th-most efficient unit in the NFL six years ago. Since then, he’s won two NCAA titles as Georgia’s offensive coordinator and returned to the pros to coach 2023 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

14) Jesse Minter, DC, Los Angeles Chargers

Looking for the next Mike Macdonald? It might be Jesse Minter, who replaced Macdonald at the University of Michigan before following Jim Harbaugh to Los Angeles this offseason.

The Chargers haven’t exactly faced a murderer’s row of opposing offenses through three weeks (Raiders, Panthers, Steelers), but Minter has gotten the most out of a defensive roster that isn’t overly talented. The Bolts rank third in scoring and fifth in EPA (expected points added) per play on defense. Can they keep it up against the Chiefs in Week 4?

13) Ejiro Evero, DC, Carolina Panthers

Ejiro Evero is an excellent defensive coordinator, but he needs to get better at choosing his dance partners. Part of the Nathaniel Hackett debacle in Denver in 2022, Evero joined another doomed head coach (Frank Reich) with the 2023 Panthers.

Nevertheless, Evero must be doing something right. The Broncos wanted him to be their interim head coach after firing Hackett, while he stuck around in Carolina this year after the Panthers hired new HC Dave Canales.

 

Evero interviewed for all five head coaching openings in 2023 before meeting with the Panthers, Falcons, and Seahawks during the most recent hiring cycle.

12) Adam Stenavich, OC, Green Bay Packers

Adam Stenavich was outstanding as Green Bay’s offensive line coach from 2019 to 2021, consistently identifying and developing late-round draft picks into serviceable starters.

Promoted to become Green Bay’s OC in 2022, Stenavich helped Jordan Love become one of the league’s most electric quarterbacks in 2023. Despite fielding the NFL’s youngest roster by snap-weighted age, the Packers ranked eighth in yards per play.

Although Stenavich doesn’t call plays in Green Bay, he’s a critical cog in the club’s offensive hierarchy. He might get more looks in 2025, especially after helping the Malik Willis-led Packers to two victories this season.

11) Kellen Moore, OC, Philadelphia Eagles

Kellen Moore is on his third team in as many years, but his job-hopping hasn’t prevented NFL teams from considering him as a head coach. Moore took four HC interviews in 2022 before meeting with the Panthers in 2023 and the Chargers (for whom he was OC) in 2024.

 

The Eagles’ offense scored 34 points in Moore’s Week 1 play-calling debut. Philadelphia hasn’t been quite as effective since, but injuries to WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have limited Moore’s options.

Free agent signing Saquon Barkley might be in the midst of a career season, which would only help raise Moore’s profile.

10) Brian Flores, DC, Minnesota Vikings

Brian Flores is a schematic problem solver. Tasked with revamping a Vikings defense that was light on talent in 2023, the former Dolphins head coach made it work. He sent blitzes (49.3%) and dropped eight into coverage (20.8%) at league-high rates, per TruMedia, while guiding a defense that somehow finished 11th in DVOA.

Flores has maintained his diabolical sense of scheming this season as Minnesota has gotten off to a 3-0 start. Still, there are reasons to think Flores could have a hard time landing another head coaching job.

 

Flores went 24-25 over three years as Miami’s head coach, but he never made the playoffs and didn’t embrace or optimize future Pro Bowl QB Tua Tagovailoa. He’s also suing the NFL and several teams for racial discrimination after failing to land a head coaching position during the 2022 offseason.

NFL owners might be reticent to hire an individual involved in active litigation against the league, but Flores deserves another opportunity.

9) Klint Kubiak, OC, New Orleans Saints

Another branch of the Kyle Shanahan tree. No coordinator has improved his stock more through the first three weeks of the season than Klint Kubiak, whose Saints offense still ranks second in points per drive (3.39) and third in EPA per play (0.15) despite putting up just 12 points against the Eagles on Sunday.

While it will take more than a three-game sample for Kubiak to get a head coaching opportunity, he’s enabled QB Derek Carr to get more aggressive while installing modern concepts in New Orleans’ offense.

 

Carr used play-action on just 14.2% of his dropbacks in 2023, dead last among all quarterbacks and eight points below the NFL average. He’s No. 1 this season at 41.7% and is averaging 10.3 yards per attempt on those throws.

😎 Bobby Babich, DC, Buffalo Bills

Bills head coach Sean McDermott turned defensive play-calling over to Bobby Babich this offseason, trusting the 41-year-old with leading a unit that lost stalwarts like Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tre’Davious White.

Those weren’t the only personnel losses Babich had to deal with. All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano is out indefinitely after suffering a preseason biceps injury. Star slot CB Taron Johnson (forearm) has been sidelined since Week 1, while LB Terrel Bernard (pectoral) went down in Week 2.

But Buffalo’s defense has held firm. Babich’s unit allowed just 20 total points over the past two weeks and ranks ninth in EPA per play on the season.

 

7) Bobby Slowik, OC, Houston Texans

Bobby Slowik brought Shanahan’s offense to Houston and immediately got results, helping first-round QB C.J. Stroud to an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2023. Given how fellow Shanahan acolytes DeMeco Ryans (Slowik’s boss) and Mike McDaniel have worked out as head coaches, Slowik will be targeted.

He interviewed with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Tennessee, and Washington this offseason before signing an extension to stay with the Texans for at least one more year. With Stroud locked in as a potential MVP candidate, Slowik could be on the move as soon as 2025.

6) Mike Vrabel, Former HC, Tennessee Titans

Mike Vrabel went 54-45 as the Titans’ head coach and won 2021 Coach of the Year before being fired this offseason. Coaches with Vrabel’s track record typically don’t take an involuntary year off at age 48, and he drew interest around the NFL after being let go in Tennessee, interviewing with the Falcons, Panthers, and Chargers.

 

Vrabel is spending this season as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Browns but figures to get back on the HC interview circuit in 2025. It probably doesn’t hurt that the Titans have started 0-3 without him on the sidelines.

5) Drew Petzing, OC, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona went 1-8 with Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune under center last season. However, the club immediately improved after quarterback Kyler Murray (ACL) returned in November, ranking ninth in offensive EPA per play from Week 10 onward, per TruMedia.

Drew Petzing didn’t get any head coaching looks after the 2023 season, which wasn’t necessarily surprising. Ownership groups might have had difficulty selling their fan bases on hiring the offensive coordinator from a team that finished with a 4-13 record.

The Cardinals are 1-2 to begin this season, but Petzing’s offense — now featuring first-round rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. in addition to TE Trey McBride — has looked explosive. Arizona scored 69 points over the first two weeks of the year before playing a tight game against the Super Bowl-hopeful Lions in Week 3.

4) Aaron Glenn, DC, Detroit Lions

Just ask the Lions’ players whether Aaron Glenn deserves to be an NFL head coach. The 52-year-old finished first in a 2023 NFLPA survey that asked players to rate their coaches.

Glenn has interviewed for HC positions in each of the last four offseasons; he took four meetings in 2024 but failed to land a job. That could change next year, especially if Detroit makes a deep playoff run. The Lions haven’t allowed more than 20 points in any game this season, while Aidan Hutchinson is the early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.

3) Joe Brady, OC, Buffalo Bills

What a whirlwind it’s been for Joe Brady in the last few years. Coming off a national championship season as LSU’s passing game coordinator, Brady became the Panthers’ OC in 2020 and interviewed for five NFL head coaching positions the following offseason.

Ex-Carolina HC Matt Rhule fired Brady midway through the 2021 campaign, but Brady rebounded, joining the Bills as QBs coach in 2022 before taking over for fired OC Ken Dorsey in November 2023.

Josh Allen is the easy MVP pick through three weeks. Buffalo leads the NFL in scoring and efficiency. One in five of the Bills’ pass plays has gone for at least 16 yards, giving them the highest explosive passing rate in the league.

If Allen keeps playing like this, Brady could have his pick of jobs next spring.

2) Bill Belichick, Former HC, New England Patriots

Bill Belichick appeared to have the Falcons’ head coaching job in hand this offseason before Atlanta surprisingly hired Raheem Morris instead. Concerns about Belichick’s need for personnel control might have taken him out of the running for the Falcons’ gig and could affect his stock in 2025.

Nevertheless, he’s still the greatest coach in NFL history. It’s hard to imagine Belichick being left without a chair for the second consecutive year, but he may have to let go of the idea that he could transport the Patriot Way to his next destination.

Belichick’s best bet may be targeting a franchise with a competitive roster, stable ownership, and an experienced general manager already in place.

 

It’s not difficult to identify potential 2025 Belichick landing spots. Franchises that have everything riding on this season — like the Cowboys or Eagles — might be interested in him if they flounder in 2024.

1) Ben Johnson, OC, Detroit Lions

Ben Johnson can become an NFL head coach the moment he decides he wants to.

Multiple clubs — including the Panthers and Commanders, for starters — have reportedly wanted to hire Detroit’s OC over the past few offseasons. Instead, Johnson has turned down opportunities, preferring to stick and build with the Lions.

How much longer he’s willing to wait remains unclear. Johnson might not be able to reject the chance to work with a quarterback like Dak Prescott in Dallas or Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, especially if Detroit advances to or wins the Super Bowl this season.

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Bronx

Bronx

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1 minute ago, Jet_Engine1 said:

Step One: TAKE EVERY ONE OF THE GUYS WITH "DC" BY HIS NAME OFF OF THE LIST....

I would trade Saleh and a conditional 7th to the Jags for Pederson, which will hold an interim coaching position until the end of season. 

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peebag

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18 minutes ago, bla bla bla said:

Top 6 teams in terms of betting odds for Bill Belichick are:

Cowboys: EVEN

Jaguars: +500

Eagles: +550

Giants: +750

Jets: +800

Bears/Raiders: +900

 

My List

- Ben Johnson

- Mike Vrabel

- Joe Brady

- Klint Kubiak

- Aaron Glenn

My god, I would love to see Belichick to the Cowgirls!!!!  What a glorious cluster f**k that would be!!!!

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Bronx

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16 minutes ago, bla bla bla said:

Top 6 teams in terms of betting odds for Bill Belichick are:

Cowboys: EVEN

Jaguars: +500

Eagles: +550

Giants: +750

Jets: +800

Bears/Raiders: +900

 

My List

- Ben Johnson

- Mike Vrabel

- Joe Brady

- Klint Kubiak

- Aaron Glenn

Would you trade for Ben Johnson while firing Saleh? I think this organization will get more respect from the fans with such move, especially if they are pathetic against the Vikings, I would not allow Saleh to coach game 6, even if I have to put an interim coach such as the TE or ST coach. 

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Barry McCockinner

Barry McCockinner

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The Jets should stop trying the OTJT head coach thing. Hire a guy who has had success as a head coach in the NFL or a legit NCAA program. We need someone who can come in and already know how everything should operate so they can fix all the sh*t that is wrong and install a proper football program. Guys doing OTJT don't know what they don't know and there's no one in Florham park to teach them. Someone needs to build that institutional knowledge that slowly crumpled away after Parcells left. It's a shame we didn't try to get Harbaugh.

So from that list I'd go Vrabel just because he's not 100 years old.

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Bronx

Bronx

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1 minute ago, Larz said:

It’s not bad luck that the jets always hire the “wrong” guy. They don’t attract talent.  Top shelf ain’t us fellas. Think bargain bin 

 

 

IMG_0999.jpeg

110%. We are very unattractive, including our ugly turf. 

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doitny

doitny

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problem with any of the top guys is Rodgers. we wont know if he is coming back until he goes to his cave which wont be early. so we would pick a HC before that.

2nd problem is we are not as bad as you all think. we will not be in a position to draft high enough to get a top QB prospect. 

we are not a attractive job.

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Bronx

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1 minute ago, doitny said:

problem with any of the top guys is Rodgers. we wont know if he is coming back until he goes to his cave which wont be early. so we would pick a HC before that.

2nd problem is we are not as bad as you all think. we will not be in a position to draft high enough to get a top QB prospect. 

we are not a attractive job.

Rodgers would most likely be TKO'd before the end of the season. This will be the end of his career. 

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Darnold Schwarzenegger

Darnold Schwarzenegger

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16 minutes ago, Barry McCockinner said:

The Jets should stop trying the OTJT head coach thing. Hire a guy who has had success as a head coach in the NFL or a legit NCAA program. We need someone who can come in and already know how everything should operate so they can fix all the sh*t that is wrong and install a proper football program. Guys doing OTJT don't know what they don't know and there's no one in Florham park to teach them. Someone needs to build that institutional knowledge that slowly crumpled away after Parcells left.

So from that list I'd go Vrabel just because he's not 100 years old.

A lot of people here love vrabel. I’ll never understand it. 

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doitny

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10 minutes ago, Bronx said:

Rodgers would most likely be TKO'd before the end of the season. This will be the end of his career. 

not likely. yeah it was a bad game in a monsoon, and we still should have won if our kicker didnt miss a FG he usually hits.

we're not as bad as people think, but it is overreacting monday so......

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Bronx

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3 minutes ago, doitny said:

not likely. yeah it was a bad game in a monsoon, and we still should have won if our kicker didnt miss a FG he usually hits.

we're not as bad as people think, but it is overreacting monday so......

You have your opinion, and it is okay.  I defer from it however, mainly because this is a repetitive pattern of bad preparation and leadership. 

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