{"id":394201,"date":"2026-01-06T00:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T00:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/394201\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T00:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T00:18:13","slug":"coaching-carousel-the-8-strongest-head-coach-candidates-for-nfl-vacancies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/394201\/","title":{"rendered":"Coaching Carousel: The 8 Strongest Head Coach Candidates for NFL Vacancies"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s that time of year again. Over the next few days, we\u2019ll see a flood of coaching talent hit the market \u2014 along with a handful of vacancies. The Atlanta Falcons<\/a> fired Raheem Morris, the Cleveland Browns<\/a> parted ways with Kevin Stefanski, the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a> moved on from Pete Carroll and the Arizona Cardinals<\/a> let go Jonathan Gannon. Those moves are in addition to the in-season firings of New York Giants<\/a> coach Brian Daboll and Tennessee Titans<\/a> coach Brian Callahan.<\/p>\n

Who are the best candidates to fill these NFL<\/a> head-coaching vacancies? My list may not include some of the reported top candidates around the league, such as Chiefs<\/a> offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Bills<\/a> OC Joe Brady and 49ers<\/a> defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, but they\u2019re\u00a0my top eight candidates.<\/p>\n

8. Commanders<\/a> offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury<\/p>\n

Kingsbury is a former NFL (and college) head coach who struggled in his first go-round. With the Cardinals from 2019 through 2022, Kingsbury went 28-37-1. He is also coming off a rough season in Washington, with Commanders QB Jayden Daniels<\/a> dealing with injuries. Despite all that, the 46-year-old Kingsbury is a well-respected offensive mind \u2014 and that never goes out of style.<\/p>\n

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Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has not been shy about his interest in becoming an NFL head coach again. (Photo by David Berding\/Getty Images) <\/p>\n

7. Broncos<\/a> defensive coordinator Vance Joseph<\/p>\n

It\u2019s wild that Denver’s current defensive coordinator used to be the team\u2019s head coach \u2014 as recently as 2018. Joseph, 53, isn\u2019t the buzziest candidate. His 11-21 head-coaching record during his Broncos tenure is what hampers his candidacy even now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But Joseph has run an incredible defense at basically every stop of his career. That\u2019s how he got the first shot as a head coach and that\u2019s why he\u2019ll get another. But much like former Lions<\/a> OC Ben Johnson did recently, Joseph should sit tight and wait for the right opportunity.<\/p>\n

6. Packers<\/a> DC Jeff Hafley<\/p>\n

The Green Bay defense hasn\u2019t quite been the same since the injury to star edge rusher Micah Parsons<\/a>, but that doesn\u2019t mean Hafley hasn\u2019t done a strong job. It stands to reason that \u2014 much like an offense will struggle after losing a QB \u2014 the defense would decline following the loss of its most important player.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But look back at 2024 when Hafley first stepped into the role. His unit jumped to sixth in points allowed and fourth in takeaways.\u00a0The guy is absolutely obsessed with coaching<\/a> \u2014 his love for the game is real. And I could see him excelling as a head coach with the right offensive coordinator.<\/p>\n

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Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has extensive NFL experience as an assistant and was the head coach at Boston College from 2020 to 2023 before joining Green Bay. (Photo by Larry Radloff\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) <\/p>\n

5. Rams<\/a> DC Chris Shula<\/p>\n

By many metrics, Shula\u2019s unit is a top-10 defense. Yes, he has 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse<\/a> making splash plays, but Shula has built a solid overall unit, one that just may contribute to a Super Bowl<\/a> run. His r\u00e9sum\u00e9 should only get more impressive as the Rams advance in the playoffs. (I think they could very well win the Super Bowl.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

4. Chargers<\/a> DC Jesse Minter<\/p>\n

Much of what I just said about Shula is true about Minter. There\u2019s a lot of buzz around both defensive coordinators in L.A. But I like Minter best. He has worked at the NFL and college levels for both Jim and John Harbaugh. So the pedigree is impressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the matter of the Chargers’ defensive stats: sixth in points allowed (20.1), fifth in yards allowed (288.1), eighth in EPA\/play (-.12) and 12th in defensive success rate (41.6). Minter has done all that with only one household name \u2014 safety Derwin James Jr.<\/a> That\u2019s proof of a smart coach who NFL teams can build around.<\/p>\n

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Chargers DC Jesse Minter celebrates with cornerback Donte Jackson after an interception against the Eagles at SoFi Stadium. (Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) <\/p>\n

3. Seahawks<\/a> OC Klint Kubiak<\/p>\n

Kubiak has put together a really compelling season in terms of 1) managing quarterback Sam Darnold<\/a> through ups and downs, 2) elevating Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a> into the conversation as the league\u2019s best receiver and 3) building a physical offensive line around complementary running backs Kenneth Walker<\/a> and Zach Charbonnet<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no such thing as “Offensive Coordinator of the Year,” but for me, it would come down to Kubiak and the Patriots<\/a>\u2019 Josh McDaniels. Kubiak has been that good as a complement to Seahawks defensive-minded head coach Mike Macdonald. For that reason, Kubiak could easily step out on his own.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Vikings<\/a> DC Brian Flores\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just about everyone spent the past few seasons talking about head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell and the Vikings’ offense. But it was the defense that kept Minnesota afloat in 2025 by way of impressive talent development and deployment. Flores might have been the best coach on this team this season. He put together a defense that gave the league\u2019s top QBs fits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For multiple reasons, his time as the Dolphins<\/a>‘ head coach might hurt him. Not only did he seem to lose Miami’s locker room at the end of his tenure, he then filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL (which is still ongoing<\/a>) that alleged racial discrimination.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Would an NFL organization hire him as head coach in the middle of that? I hope so.<\/p>\n

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Vikings DC Brian Flores produces one of the league’s top defensive units year in and year out. (Photo by Elizabeth Flores\/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images) <\/p>\n

1. Former Browns<\/a> coach Kevin Stefanski<\/p>\n

Stefanski’s firing by Cleveland might’ve been the best thing for him.<\/p>\n

He will instantly be a hot commodity. In fact, I see him as the top commodity in an otherwise so-so crop of candidates. There really aren\u2019t many top offensive minds available, which works in Stefanski\u2019s favor. And there aren\u2019t many organizations that are as much of an institutional failure as the Browns, which \u2014 again \u2014 works in his favor. But Stefanksi proved competent, even as his roster eroded in part because of the disastrous Deshaun Watson<\/a> trade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna<\/a> spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at\u00a0@henrycmckenna<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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