NFL coaching candidates 2025: Identifying top NFL head coach candidates, including Ben Johnson

By Matt Johnson

·Updated: December 13, 2024

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Multiple NFL head coaches have already been fired and others will join them in the weeks ahead or on Black Monday after Week 18. That means it’s time to evaluate NFL coaching candidates for 2025. It’s a particularly strong pool of head coach candidates, including Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel.

Let’s dive into our NFL coaching candidates 2025, examining the top NFL head coach candidates this offseason. Stay tuned this offseason for NFL general manager candidates and coordinator candidates.

Before diving into our NFL head-coaching candidates this offseason, here’s a team-by-team breakdown of potential targets.

Now let’s dive into our list. Bookmark this page as we’ll have updated NFL stats on our head-coaching candidates along with NFL general manager and coordinator candidates this offseason.

Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach

Bill Belichick will understandably be atop many NFL coaching candidates list this offseason, but Mike Vrabel should be far more appealing to teams seeking a long-term answer. He’ll turn 50 next August and comes with a strong track record. He went 9-7 in his first two seasons as the Tennessee Titans coach, even reaching the AFC Championship Game. He followed that up with consecutive seasons with double-digit wins from 2020-’21 and made the playoffs in three of six seasons as the Titans’ coach. A finalist for the Los Angeles Chargers’ coaching vacancy this past offseason, Vrabel brings leadership, a sharp defensive mind and he’s well-liked by players.

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Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

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Ben Johnson is the bell of the ball for NFL teams in the market for a new head coach. While some will knock the fact that he’s now backed down on two potential head-coaching gigs in consecutive years – Carolina Panthers in 2023 and the Washington Commanders in 2024 – that’s not going to matter much for desperate teams.

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The resume speaks for itself. Jared Goff is playing at an even higher level than he did with Sean McVay and the warts that prevented the Los Angeles Rams from winning a Super Bowl are now gone from Goff with Johnson. He is a phenomenal offensive architect and the demand for his services means he will, once again, get to dictate what job he takes and his next salary. The team to keep a close eye on is the Chicago Bears.

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

Before he took over as defensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings defense ranked 29th in yards per play allowed (5.9), 28th in opponents’ scoring rate (41.1 percent) and yards per drive allowed (34.4). Two years later, the Vikings have one of the best defenses in the NFL and Flores is well-regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the league.

Flores is one of the top NFL coaching candidates in 2025, but there are two obvious concerns teams will have. First, his treatment of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was unprofessional at best and how a head coach treats the franchise quarterback can’t be ignored. Second, he has an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL for discrimination. He has been hired twice since filing the suit, first by the Pittsburgh Steelers and then by Minnesota.

Those are the blemishes on his resume that he’ll have to address in head-coaching interviews, but he did go 19-7 in his final two seasons when the Miami Dolphins were still rebuilding (2020-’21). The league has given second chances to plenty of others and Flores has earned the right to have his second shot.

Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator

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A year ago, everyone started talking about Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales as one of the top NFL coaching candidates for 2024. He landed a gig with the Carolina Panthers based on his success with Baker Mayfield. Canales’s replacement, offensive coordinator Liam Coen, has been even better.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense (2023): 5.1 yards per play (20th), 20.5 PPG (20th), 41.5% third-down conversion rate (10th), 0.008 EPA per Play (12th)

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense (2024): 5.8 yards per play (8th), 27.9 PPG (5th), 50% third-down conversion rate (2nd), 0.095 EA per Play (9th)

Part of the Sean McVay coaching tree (2018-’20, 2022), Coen has demonstrated both at the collegiate and NFL levels that he can maximize the talent he has to work with. He helped make Will Levis look like a star at Kentucky and his play-calling has helped the Buccaneers maintain a top-10 offense despite injuries to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. The McVay connection and the success this season warrant attention.

Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator

Coming into the season, we would’ve viewed Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as one of the top NFL head coach candidates for 2026. After all, the 2024 season would be his first as a defensive play-caller at the NFL level. While he did have NFL experience before that, it was reasonable to think there would be a multi-year transition with an undermanned Chargers defense.

Los Angeles Chargers defense (2023): 5.5 yards per play (26th), 36% opponents’ scoring rate (18th), 96.4 average QB rating allowed (27th), 113.2 rush ypg (18th), 0.019 EPA per Play (24th)
Los Angeles Chargers defense (2024): 5.2 yards per play (10th), 25% opponents’ scoring rate (1st), 82.7 average QB rating allowed (7th), 110.5 rush ypg (10th), -0.101 EPA per Play (4th)

He’s going to be a hot name in 2025. Minter played an integral role in the Michigan Wolverines’ 2023 championship and, despite Los Angeles not making any significant offseason additions to its defense, he’s turned this into an elite unit. Plus, he’s part of the Harbaugh coach tree (Jim and John). If he isn’t hired as a head coach in 2025, Minter will get a gig in 2026.

Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator

We touched on Aaron Glenn as a head-coaching candidate for the New Orleans Saints last year and he’s probably one of the leading candidates for the job in 2025 now that Dennis Allen has been fired. With that said, New Orleans is going to face significant competition for him and his previous ties to the organization – 2016-2020 under Sean Payton – might not be enough to land him.

Glenn, who will be 53 years old next season, has orchestrated one of the best NFL defenses in 2024. What’s noteworthy about his work this year is that, even after the Aidan Hutchinson injury, the Lions’ defense ranks second in EPA Per Play allowed (-0.117). He’s beloved by players and his years spent under Dan Campbell will positively influence how he approaches his first head-coaching gig. With two of the top NFL coaching candidates, Detroit could lose both its offensive and defensive coordinators. Johnson might be the better Xs-and-Os guy, but Glenn seems to be cut from the same cloth as Dan Campbell in terms of leadership.

Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator

Former offensive line coaches aren’t always among the most popular NFL coaching candidates among fans, but you can always guarantee they’ll generate interest from teams. Everyone knows Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich isn’t the play-caller in Green Bay, but he served as the Packers offensive line coach from 2019-’21.

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During that time, Green Bay had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and Stenavich developed them better than almost anyone. He’s spent years learning from Matt LaFleur, who will probably soon have a coaching tree of his own that NFL clubs want to tap into. While Stenavich lacks play-calling experience, his track record merits interviews.

Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator

Plenty were skeptical when the Arizona Cardinals hired Jonathan Gannon as their head coach in 2023 and his decision to name Drew Petzing as his offensive coordinator raised eyebrows. Prior to joining Arizona, Petzing spent the 2022 season as the Cleveland Browns quarterbacks coach and before that he coached Browns’ tight ends (2020-’21), Vikings’ receivers (2016-’17, 2019) and quarterbacks (2018).

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Arizona Cardinals offense (2022): -0.135 EPA per Play (30th), 39.4 percent Offensive Success rate (28th), -0.132 Dropback EPA (30th), -0.143 Rush EPA (25th), 29.3 yards per drive (22nd)
Arizona Cardinals offense (2024): 0.078 EPA per Play (9th), 47.5 percent Offensive Success rate (7th), 0.173 Dropback EPA (7th), 37.0 yards per drive (4th)

Petzing transformed the Cardinals’ rushing game, even before Kyler Murray returned midway through the 2023 season with an ACL tear. Since Murray returned, Arizona has had one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL. He’s not perfect, as his passing concepts and usage of Marvin Harrison Jr. are areas that need work. However, he’ll be just 38 years old in March and with rushing offenses becoming important again in the NFL, Petzing will have suitors.

Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator

Todd Monken joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2013 already having NFL experience as an offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-’18) and Cleveland Browns (2019). He then proved instrumental in helping the Georgia Bulldogs win consecutive national champions (2021-’22). Since his departure, the Bulldogs offense has gotten considerably worse.

Baltimore Ravens offense (2024): 7.0 yards per play (1st in NFL), 8.3 net yards per attempt (1st), 5.8 yards per carry (1st), 47.1% scoring rate (5th), 46.2% third-down conversion rate (3rd), 77.8% red-zone touchdown rate (1st), 38.8 yards per drive (2nd)

Meanwhile, Monken is the architect for the best offense in the NFL right now. Baltimore is hyper-efficient both through the air and on the ground, boasting the best red-zone offense in the NFL and one of the best third-down offenses. He’s unlocked an even better version of two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and proven his system works at both levels and can cater to his quarterback’s skills. The Ravens had one of the top NFL coaching candidates last year (Mike Macdonald) and they could lose another top coordinator in 2025.

Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans offensive coordinator

It hasn’t been a banner year for Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who was one of the most talked about NFL coaching candidates this past season. That came off a massive turnaround for this Texans offense, with improvements in yards per play (4.7 to 5.6), third-down conversion rate (30.32% to 37.93%) and red-zone touchdown rate (47.92% to 54.72%).

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While the Texans offense has taken a step back in 2024, it’s not hard to see why. Houston has arguably a bottom-five offensive line this season with both Joe Mixon and Nico Collins missing at least 3 games apiece. Now, Stefon Diggs is out for the year. The circumstances explain the decline and Slowik’s success in 2023 paired with his years spent under Kyle Shanahan will land him interviews in 2025.

Dennard Wilson, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator

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It’s not often that first-year playcallers who experience immediate success are hired as head coaches the following offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. While Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson is likely to experience that in 2025, he will still be one of the top NFL head coach candidates brought in for multiple interviews.

Tennessee Titans defense (2023): 5.2 yards per play average (12th), 38.5% third-down conversion rate (17th), 32.3 yards per drive (24th), 0.032 EPA per Play (27th)
Tennessee Titans defense (2024): 4.8 yards per play average (3rd), 32.5% third-down conversion rate (3rdd), 25.1 yards per drive (2nd), -0.006 EPA per Play (15th)

Turning 43 in March, Wilson did outstanding work as the Philadelphia Eagles passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach in 2022 when they had one of the best defenses in the NFL. A year later, he coached the Baltimore Ravens defensive backs when they had the No. 1 defense. The track record speaks for itself and it’s only a matter of time until Wilson becomes an NFL head coach.

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Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator

When the Philadelphia Eagles collapsed in the second half of last season, their offense after the Week 10 bye ranked 13th in EPA per Play (0.013) including 17th in Dropback EPA (0.022). It’s what prompted the organization to hire Kellen Moore as play-caller, taking control away from Nick Sirianni.

In 2024, the Eagles offense ranks first in EPA per play (0.087) while averaging the eighth-highest yards per play average (5.8) and yards per drive average (34.9). Philadelphia is also ninth in points per drive (2.38) with the sixth-most red-zone trips (38) among teams that played 10 games. All of this has even happened with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert missing multiple games apiece.

Anthony Weaver, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator

Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, age 44, isn’t having quite as much success as his former Ravens colleague (Dennard Wilson). However, Miami’s defensive play-caller is doing an excellent job squeezing the most production he can out of a defense that has been decimated by injuries. Weaver has also been coaching in the NFL for more than a decade, spending three seasons under John Harbaugh and several years learning from Bill O’Brien. We’d bet he probably doesn’t get hired as a head coach in 2025, but Weaver is making a name for himself this year and head-coaching interviews will come this spring.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

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Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady epitomizes the winding road coaches can go through. He was the talk of the football world in 2019 when he was hired as the LSU Tigers passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. His involvement in one of the best offenses in college football history led Sean Payton’s former offensive assistant (2017-’18) back to the NFL as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator (2020-’21).

Buffalo Bills offense (2024): 5.7 yards per play (10th), 49.1% scoring rate (3rd), 28.9 PPG (5th), 63.8% red-zone touchdown rate (6th), 34.0 yards per drive (10th), 2.76 points per drive (4th)

The Panthers offense was a mess and Brady was fired before finishing his second season. Months later, the Buffalo Bills hired him as Josh Allen’s quarterbacks coach and then promoted him to play-caller in November 2023 to replace Ken Dorsey. He used that offseason to make adjustments and it’s resulted in one of the best NFL offenses in 2024. Brady is only 35 years old and he’s had the benefit of learning from his mistakes and ‘failures’. For the leader of a football team, that’s a valuable experience to have in addition to the offensive mind he offers.

Feedback or questions on NFL coaching candidates can be sent to Matt Johnson on Bluesky.

Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach

There aren’t many NFL coaching candidates these days on the college side. Lincoln Riley’s stock has plummeted dramatically in the past few years and other potential targets (Matt Campbell) seem inclined to stay at the collegiate level. However, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman is a name to watch.

Marcus Freeman coaching record: 29-9 with Notre Dame

Freeman, who turns 39 in January, began his coaching career at Ohio State as a grad assistant (2010) and by 2016 he was a co-defensive coordinator. At both Cincinnati and Notre Dame, he oversaw two of the top defenses in the Power 4. While Freeman doesn’t have any NFL coaching experience, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reported in November that multiple NFL teams have inquired about Freeman in the last two years.

Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator

While Kliff Kingsbury is far from being one of our favorite NFL coaching candidates in 2025, the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator will generate some interest. In one year with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, Kingsbury has helped turn the Commanders’ offense around.

Washington Commanders stats (2023): 5.0 yards per play (24th), 29.4% scoring rate (28th), 93.6 rush ypg (27th), 81.6 QB rating (26th), 35.6% third-down conversion rate (25th), 1.68 points per drive (24th), 26.9 yards per drive (24th)
Washington Commanders stats (2024): 5.9 yards per play (10th), 52.2% scoring rate (1st), 156.9 rush ypg (3rd), 100.9 QB rating (8th), 44.1% third-down conversion rate (6th), 2.76 points per drive (3rd), 36.6 yards per drive (3rd)

Kingsbury, age 45, will still face plenty of skepticism. In the NFL, his offenses have historically fallen off in the second half of seasons and he isn’t well-known for making great adjustments. He also has a career losing record in both the NFL (.432) and college football (.467) despite having high-end quarterbacks (Kyler Murray and Patrick Mahomes) at both levels.