1. Jim Harbaugh
Leading my list is a familiar figure in both the NFL and college football. Jim Harbaugh has been the crown jewel of every coaching cycle ever since he departed from the San Francisco 49ers to coach the Michigan Wolverines in 2015. With a National Championship under his belt, Harbaugh arrives in LA eager to replicate his college success in the NFL. After the disaster that was the Brandon Staley era, I think that Harbaugh’s arrival will bring hope for the Chargers, with expectations of improved leadership, physicality, and offensive prowess. This season will provide clarity on whether Justin Herbert truly belongs among the top quarterbacks in the league.
Photo Cred: Chargers
2. Brian Callahan
Formerly the OC for QB Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, Brian Callahan has been a rising name in head coach considerations for the past couple of years. It’s easy to see why: his influence on Joey B’s development into a top-tier QB is evident, and he helped lead an electric group of playmakers in Cincy. Now, none of those things are guaranteed in Tennessee. Transitioning to a new team means working with different players, such as DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks instead of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Furthermore, Callahan’s ability to guide the growth of quarterback Will Levis, the 33rd overall pick from last year, will be crucial to his tenure in Tennessee.
3. Dave Canales
Completing the top three is new Panthers head coach Dave Canales. His hiring seemed to be rather unorthodox, though it is one I’ve really grown to like. There’s some risk here, just like every head coaching hire, but the one Carolina took with Frank Reich seemed greater. Unlike with Reich, there’s a different type of risk with Canales. No one’s ever given him a head coaching opportunity before, but I do appreciate Carolina going the opposite direction of Reich, especially when they hired a head coach whom the Indianapolis Colts had just fired for valid reasons. Everything that went wrong in Carolina had already shown up at the end of his time in Indianapolis. Despite the lack of prior experience, Canales just successfully guided a Baker Mayfield-led offense to the second round of the playoffs, which is promising. He did this after helping Geno Smith win Comeback Player of the Year in 2022. Additionally, the potential of quarterback Bryce Young, whose ceiling appears higher than both Mayfield’s and Smith’s, provides optimism for the new coach’s tenure.
Photo Cred: Panthers Wire – USA Today
4. Mike MacDonald
Joining the Seahawks as one of the most recent head coaches to be hired this upcoming season, Mike MacDonald got the role following the decision of OC Ben Johnson returning to the Detroit Lions. Despite the timing, the Seahawks’ decision to hire MacDonald, who previously led one of the NFL’s top defenses with the Baltimore Ravens, reflects a solid choice. With youth, ambition, talent, and readiness, he is poised for this new leadership role. However, his defensive background may raise concerns, given the historical preference for offensive-minded head coaches in achieving sustained success. Regardless, MacDonald is ranked ahead of the other defensive HC hires because he lacks clear signs of failure, despite his relatively short track record of success. MacDonald undoubtedly has the upside to coach a quality defense year after year, in the same vein as Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, and Mike Tomlin. There’s optimism surrounding his ability to rejuvenate the Seahawks’ defense in a manner that Pete Carroll couldn’t achieve post-“Legion of Boom.”
5. Antonio Pierce
Antonio Pierce emerges as one of the most intriguing new head coaches. For the first time in quite a while, the Las Vegas Raiders have promoted their interim head coach to the full-time position. However, the track record for interim head coaches transitioning to full-time roles isn’t particularly strong, with only three interims in the past 12 years securing permanent positions. Despite this, Pierce’s leadership qualities are noteworthy. It’s possible that Maxx Crosby’s demand for a potential trade, should Pierce not be retained, influenced the decision to hire him. The Raiders may be inclined to give Pierce a chance if it means retaining their best player. Pierce must now demonstrate why his best player put his faith in him, potentially opening the door for future hires of interim coaches. We all saw the amount of success a guy like Jason Garrett brought when he got promoted. Pierce could potentially rewrite history as well.
Photo Cred: Raiders.com
6. Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn’s ranking fall on my list is influenced by his previous stint as a head coach before, which ended without significant success. While he has demonstrated masterful work as the DC of the Cowboys, there were never any questions about his defensive prowess. Yes, he was overseeing a struggling defense with the Atlanta Falcons, as it paled in comparison to the talent at his disposal in Dallas. His biggest problem as a head coach was the offense never working after OC Kyle Shanahan left for the 49ers. That problem would’ve still existed if they had retained talented OC Eric Bieniemy, as it could then have left Quinn in the same position as before: talented offensive coordinator potentially moving on to become a head coach elsewhere. Well, we don’t have to worry about that anymore, as the Commanders immediately replaced Bieniemy with Kliff Kingsbury, the former Arizona Cardinals head coach from 2019-22. On the bright side, Quinn probably doesn’t have to worry about this offensive coordinator getting poached in future years. Kingsbury consistently led disappointing offenses in Arizona, so Quinn better hope he’s better at the X’s and O’s than in the leadership department.
7. Raheem Morris
Raheem Morris is undoubtedly a skilled defensive coordinator, don’t get me wrong. One could argue that he outperformed his predecessor, former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, during his tenure as the Rams DC. He at least has the Super Bowl ring to show for it. However, my decision to rank Morris so low is due to my high regard for Bill Belichick rather than any criticism of Morris. I believed Belichick would become the Atlanta Falcons’ new head coach after parting ways with New England. If opting for a defensive-minded coach, why not consider the greatest one ever? Nonetheless, Belichick appears to be taking a sabbatical, leaving Morris to return to the team he previously led as an interim head coach in 2020. Atlanta has a win-now roster, assuming Morris can help them get the QB position solved this offseason.
Photo Cred: Atlanta Falcons
8. Jerod Mayo
Among the eight new head coaches, six of whom are assuming this role for the first time ever (minus Harbaugh and Quinn), someone unfortunately finds themselves ranked last. The decision by the New England Patriots to replace the legendary Bill Belichick without entertaining other candidates is baffling to me. However, Jerod Mayo has long been rumored to replace Belichick (one of the greatest head coaches of all time) when he retired/left, with a succession clause even included in his contract extension before the start of the 2023 season. It is worth noting that Belichick’s departure from New England, particularly without quarterback Tom Brady, didn’t conclude as he might have expected it to. Owner Robert Kraft wanted to make a change due to inefficiencies in Belichick’s approach, which I agree with. However, promoting his heir apparent is somewhat puzzling if the goal is to diverge from the “Belichick way.” Perhaps the intention was to address concerns specifically related to his role as a general manager. If Mayo doesn’t involve himself in that area, there may be hope for success in his tenure.
