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5 NFL Coordinators Who Deserve Head Coaching Jobs

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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There’s always a game of musical chairs for NFL head coaches. Here are five coordinators who may be running in circles looking a promotion.

Last season, seven head coaches were replaced around the NFL. All but two came to their new teams after serving as an offensive coordinator the prior season in the league.

Doug Pederson joined the Philadelphia Eagles after a stint as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Adam Gase moved to Miami to run the Dolphins after serving as the play-caller in both Denver and Chicago.

Hue Jackson was another guy who served as the offensive guru. He ran that side of the ball for the Cincinnati Bengals before moving to their in-state rivals, the Cleveland Browns. Ben McAdoo and Dirk Koetter traveled even less distance as they were promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.

As usual, there will be several more jobs open after the 2016 season and as history shows, the first person most teams look to would be someone who held the coordinator title. Last season there was a huge run on offensive guys, but there has also been several years where defensive coaches were in high demand.

Whatever side of the ball it is, here are five guys who should be in line for head coaching gigs in 2017 based on the work they are doing in 2016.

Jul 29, 2016; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan reacts during training camp at the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

5. Kyle Shanahan, Offensive Coordinator — Atlanta Falcons

Teams like to find that next young up-and-coming star at the coaching position. The New Orleans Saints did it with Sean Payton and it paid off with a Super Bowl. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried it with Raheem Morris and it wound up imploding.

Despite the mixed reviews, there’s still something to be said for finding a young guy who can potentially coach a franchise for the next 15-plus seasons. If that’s the guy your team wants, they should look at the son of a Super Bowl winner in Kyle Shanahan.

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At just 36 years old, Shanahan is still young enough to be the shot-caller for decades to come. That doesn’t mean he lacks experience, though, as he started his assistant coaching career at age 25. He served as an offensive quality control coach for the Bucs before moving to Houston as the wide receivers coach and quarterback coach for the Texans.

He eventually was promoted to offensive coordinator and has held that title for the Texans, the Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns and now the Atlanta Falcons. He has nine years experience just in the role of offensive coordinator for these franchises.

In his second season in Atlanta, Shanahan has quarterback Matt Ryan playing some of the best football in his life and is keeping teams off-balance with his two running backs, Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman.

Also, remember that he was the one in Washington calling plays when Robert Griffin III looked like the new face of the NFL. Shanahan should get a shot and it would be surprising to see him be unsuccessful as a head coach.

May 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz speaks with the media during OTS

4. Jim Schwartz, Defensive Coordinator — Philadelphia Eagles

How is it that a guy who has a 29-51 record as a head coach makes this list? Simple, because despite his poor stint as the head coach for the Detroit Lions from 2009-13, Jim Schwartz can coach up any defense.

Everywhere he goes, the defenses look great. He was in Baltimore coaching linebackers for the Ravens in the late 90s. He spent 10 years in Tennessee, eight of which he was the defensive coordinator for Jeff Fisher and his tough defense.

After that successful run, he was given the job as the head coach in Detroit and things got off to a horrific start, going 2-14 in 2009. He followed that up with a wonderful rebound season, going that 10-6 year. His team was looking like they were heading in the right direction, but his rough personality seemed to wear thin and things got worse from there.

Schwartz has since seen his stock rise after a solid year in 2014 as the defensive coach for the Buffalo Bills. What made him look best about that job was the team’s defensive struggles after he left in 2015. He further cemented his status as a quality coach with the resurgence being shown by the Philadelphia Eagles so far in 2016. He has his guys playing hard and they look like one of the more improved defenses in the NFL.

That alone should get him one more shot as the top dog somewhere.

Sep 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan talks with head coach Jason Garrett on the sidelines during the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

3. Scott Linehan, Offensive Coordinator — Dallas Cowboys

Another former head coach, Scott Linehan has proven that he can be quite the play-caller on offense throughout his lengthy coaching career.

In 1987 Linehan got started as a coach in high school. Not a head coach, but an offensive coordinator. After one year he turned that into a receiving coach position at the University of Idaho before climbing through the NCAA ranks for the next several seasons. He never made it to head coach in college, but his work as the offensive coordinator in Louisville was enough to get him hired on in the same role with the Minnesota Vikings and eventually the Miami Dolphins.

He earned a job coaching the St. Louis Rams and his first time being the big boss started out with an 8-8 season. After that he won just four of the next 17 games he coached before being fired. He has since spent time coaching offenses again, and has called plays for the Dallas Cowboys for three straight seasons. He helped lead the team to a 12-4 record in 2014 while calling the plays that led to DeMarco Murray being the best rusher in the NFL that year.

In 2015 he was without his star quarterback, Tony Romo and the record reflected as much. Linehan was still impressive as he helped get running back Darren McFadden to just his second ever 1,000 yard season with 1,089 yards rushing. He did this in just 10 games as the starter.

So far in 2016, he looks to have repeated that success as rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott is far and away the leading rusher in the league. What’s so impressive about that is he came to Dallas known as a pass-first head coach, but he has adapted to the players he has, and has done so beautifully.

Sitting at 5-1 with rookies Dak Prescott (quarterback) and Elliott doing so much damage shows that Linehan is a guy who should have his number called once some vacancies open up.

Nov 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. encourages the defense before the start of the game against the New York Jets at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

2. Ken Norton, Jr., Defensive Coordinator — Oakland Raiders

Back to the guys looking for their first job as a head coach. Ken Norton, Jr. has served as the linebackers coach for the USC Trojans and the Seattle Seahawks. He also spent one season as the assistant head coach for the Trojans in additton to his role as the linebacking tutor.

Last season, he got his first job as a coordinator with the Oakland Raiders. Their defense plays with an edge, just like the linebackers did for him while he was a member of the Seahawks staff.

Norton is a known tough guy, a reputation that comes from being the son of former heavyweight champion boxer, Ken Norton. His father was one of the only guys to ever defeat the great Muhammad Ali.

Jr. also made a name for himself professionally. He was a three-time Super Bowl Champion who excelled as a linebacker for both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. The three-time Pro Bowl player recorded 1,130 tackles in his career and added 12.5 sacks, five interceptions and two touchdowns.

Players respect him for the way he conducts himself as well as for what he did during his time on the field. Norton would be an excellent choice for any team looking for a change in direction.

Aug 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) talks with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the second half at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Bears 23-22. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

1. Josh McDaniels, Offensive Coordinator — New England Patriots

New England Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels has a rare combination of youth and failed experiences to learn from. At just 40 years old, the future is bright for the guy leading one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Yet, he does have quite the learning experience under his belt. In 2009 he was hired to coach the Denver Broncos and led the team to an 8-8 season. His arrogance and several poor personnel moves doomed him in year two and McDaniels was fired after a 3-9 start to the 2010 season.

He then headed to the St. Louis Rams for one season as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He reunited with the team that made him popular in 2012, the Patriots. It was smart of him to return to where he had success and learn even more at the feet of one of the greatest ever in head coach Bill Belichick.

One thing Belichick taught McDaniels is that just because you failed once, doesn’t mean you will again. After going 36-44 as the Cleveland Browns coach in the 90s, Belichick was able to make his second chance count.

He now has served as the Boss for the Patriots for 17 seasons and has four Super Bowl wins in six appearances. Of course, nothing suggests that McDaniels could be as good of a coach as Belichick, but his work with the offense this season while Tom Brady was sidelined along with the fact that his boss capitalized on a second chance make it a gamble worth taking.

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