Coaching Carousel: The 9 Strongest Head Coach Candidates for NFL Vacancies

It's that time of year again. Over the past few days, we’ve seen a flood of coaching talent hit the market. 

The Atlanta Falcons fired Raheem Morris, the Cleveland Browns parted ways with Kevin Stefanski, the Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Pete Carroll and the Arizona Cardinals let go Jonathan Gannon. And on Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens parted ways with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons.

Those moves are in addition to the in-season firings of New York Giants coach Brian Daboll and Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan. 

Who are the best candidates to fill these NFL head-coaching vacancies? My list may not include some of the reported top candidates around the league, such as Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Bills OC Joe Brady and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, but they’re my top nine candidates.

[ Ranking the 7 NFL Head Coaching Vacancies ]

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9. Commanders former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury

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 dealing with injuries. 

Despite all that, the 46-year-old Kingsbury is a well-respected offensive mind — and that never goes out of style.

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)

8. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph

It’s wild that Denver's current defensive coordinator used to be the team’s head coach — as recently as 2018. Joseph, 53, isn’t the buzziest candidate. His 11-21 head-coaching record during his Broncos tenure is what hampers his candidacy even now. 

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

7. Packers DC Jeff Hafley

The Green Bay defense hasn’t quite been the same since the injury to star edge rusher Micah Parsons, but that doesn’t mean Hafley hasn’t done a strong job. It stands to reason that — much like an offense will struggle after losing a QB — the defense would decline following the loss of its most important player. 

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

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)

6. Rams DC Chris Shula

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

5. Chargers DC Jesse Minter

Much of what I just said about Shula is true about Minter. There’s 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. 

And then there’s 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 — safety Derwin James Jr. That’s proof of a smart coach who NFL teams can build around.

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)

4. Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak

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

There’s no such thing as "Offensive Coordinator of the Year," but for me, it would come down to Kubiak and the Patriots’ 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.

3. Vikings DC Brian Flores 

Just about everyone spent the past few seasons talking about head coach Kevin O’Connell 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’s top QBs fits. 

For multiple reasons, his time as the Dolphins' 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) that alleged racial discrimination. 

Would an NFL organization hire him as head coach in the middle of that? I hope so.

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)

2. Former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski

Stefanski's firing by Cleveland might've been the best thing for him.

He will instantly be a hot commodity. There really aren’t many top offensive minds available, which works in Stefanski’s favor. And there aren’t many organizations that are as much of an institutional failure as the Browns, which — again — works in his favor. But Stefanksi proved competent, even as his roster eroded in part because of the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade. 

1. Former Ravens coach John Harbaugh

John Harbaugh is the best coach available on the open market. And the Baltimore Ravens are the best opening.

But when the Ravens lost the AFC North title game in Week 18, it should have been clear to everyone that Harbaugh wasn’t the best coach for Baltimore anymore — even if he is now the best coach for basically every one of the other six teams with an opening.

Harbaugh’s résumé is excellent. He’s a Super Bowl champion. He’s a former Coach of the Year. He drafted and developed a pocket passer in Joe Flacco (out of Delaware!?). And then he drafted and developed a dual-threat quarterback in Lamar Jackson (out of Louisville). His head coaching record is 180-113. His postseason record is 13-11.

Harbaugh doesn’t fall in the category of Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll — older coaches who maybe have seen the game pass them by. No, Harbaugh has many good years left. He’ll make his next team a contender.

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

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