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NFL coaching hires: Who succeeded, who failed?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:12 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Brad Berreman/Fansided

The NFL head coaching carousel is nearly over, so here’s how the five new hires to this point stack up.

In the less than two weeks since the regular season ended, five of the six current NFL head coaching openings have been filled. The San Francisco 49ers are still seeking a new general manager, so that probably explains their delay, but the top remaining candidates are also still coaching in the playoffs. There is still a chance the Indianapolis Colts make a change, despite reports a week ago that Chuck Pagano would be back as head coach, as owner Jim Irsay has offered no official word.

Time will tell if any of this year’s head coaching hires work out, with on-field results the top criteria and the development of young players also key in some cases.

But we live in an immediate reaction world, with grades handed out to be further analyzed in hindsight. With that in mind, here’s my ranking of the five NFL head coaching hires to this point.

5. Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars

After being a potential destination for bigger names like Josh McDaniels and Kyle Shanahan, the Jaguars ultimately settled on the internal candidate in Marrone. He served as Gus Bradley’s offensive line coach for the last two seasons, before taking over as interim head coach at the end of this season and posting a 1-1 record.

Marrone had a 15-17 record over two seasons (2013-2014) as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, including  a 9-7 mark in 2014. But he clearly miscalculated his chances to become the New York Jets’ head coach by opting out of his contract with the Bills, lost that job to Todd Bowles and had to settle for a lesser position in Jacksonville.

Hiring Marrone might work out for the Jaguars and new organizational head honcho Tom Coughlin. But it’s a very uninspiring move, to say the least.

Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler- USA TODAY Sports

4. Anthony Lynn, Los Angeles Chargers

Lynn climbed the Buffalo Bills’ coaching depth chart quickly this season. He started out as the running backs coach, then added offensive coordinator duties when Greg Roman was fired after Week 2 and took over as interim head coach when Rex Ryan was fired before Week 17.

Lynn was immediately considered the top candidate for the permanent job in Buffalo, but they interviewed other candidates and eventually went another direction. But Lynn remained prominent on the interview cycle and landed with the newly relocated Chargers.

The Bills going away from Lynn point to either a search that yielded an unexpected great candidate of some potential flaws he may have with a permanent promotion. On that note Lynn is trying to assemble a good staff, with a desire to retain Ken Whisenhunt as Chargers’ offensive coordinator and former Jaguars’ head coach Gus Bradley emerging as a top defensive coordinator target.

As the Chargers prepare to move to Los Angeles, and play in a small stadium for two years, Lynn will not inspire an effort to woo a new fan base. Playing in one of the league’s toughest divisions is unlikely to bring immediate on-field success.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

3. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

At 30 years old (31 on Jan. 24), McVay will be the youngest head coach in NFL history. Over the last three seasons as offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins, McVay helped orchestrate a productive offense with the highly ordinary Kirk Cousins under center most of that time.

As a “millennial” head coach, one of McVay’s primary jobs will be to accelerate the development of quarterback Jared Goff. While McVay tries to prove worthy of respect from players, some of which who will be close to him in age, the hiring of the highly-accomplished Wade Phillips as Rams’ defensive coordinator will help that effort.

The track record of very young NFL head coaches is not great. For every John Madden and Don Shula there’s a David Shula, a Raheem Morris, a Josh McDaniels (the first time around as a head coach) and a Lane Kiffin.

McVay has built up a bit of a coaching resume though, with seven seasons as an assistant for the Redskins. He first surfaced as assistant wide receivers coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008, at age-22.

The Rams deserve credit for thinking outside the box by hiring McVay, especially after the mediocre and highly uninteresting tenure of Jeff Fisher. But there’s a lot working against McVay in his first go-round as a head coach, which drops him down this list.

Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

2. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills

The Bills look like a dysfunctional organization from the outside, despite the owners stern refuting of that idea. But they may have lucked into the right man to be their next head coach, as McDermott comes to upstate New York after six seasons as Carolina Panthers’ defensive coordinator.

McDermott also worked as disciple of Jimmy Johnson with the Philadelphia Eagles before taking over as defensive coordinator when Johnson’s health declined. He carried that aggressive scheme with him to Carolina, and routinely adjusted well to the talent he had available during his tenure there.

McDermott comes with a defensive acumen like his predecessor Rex Ryan, but the similarities pretty much end there. After early indications Anthony Lynn would be the Bills’ new head coach, general manager Doug Whaley deserves some credit for leading a search that yielded McDermott.

Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos

The Broncos were forced to search for a new head coach when Gary Kubiak retired after the season. As soon as the Miami Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs, they interviewed and hired Joseph.

Joseph served as Dolphins’ defense coordinator for just one season. But he has a solid resume as a defensive backs coach and the Broncos interviewed him prior to hiring Kubiak two years ago.

Joseph has reportedly already settled on former Chargers’ head coach Mike McCoy as his offensive coordinator, and a big portion of Kubiak’s coaching staff has been let go.

With one of the best defenses in the NFL in place, and some skill position talent offensively, Joseph has already acknowledged his enviable position among new head coaches in the league. If the quarterback situation can be resolved adequately, via an internal competition or an outside acquisition, the Broncos are not far away from a trip back to the Super Bowl next season.

Joseph’s place atop this list is mostly about the “don’t drive the car off the cliff” element to landing with the Broncos. But he is clearly a rising star in coaching circles, who appears to know what he doesn’t know about the side of the ball he isn’t as familiar with.

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