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Dan Graziano, senior NFL national reporter
A week and a half into the 2024 NFL offseason coaching cycle, seven head coach jobs remain open. In fact, the only one that has been filled is in New England, where Jerod Mayo was appointed to the unenviable task of succeeding Bill Belichick. It has been a wild cycle already, with longtime, successful coaches such as Belichick, Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel being let go. And the chatter swirling around in places like Pittsburgh, Dallas and Philadelphia make it sound as though the high-level turnover isn't done.
For now, though, we want to stay focused on the jobs that are currently open. And with a couple of weeks' worth of calls, texts and conversations with people around the league in the books -- and recognizing that all of these situations are still fluid -- we wanted to go on record with some predictions for how these hirings are going to turn out. Let's pick some landing spots for the top coach candidates, starting with Atlanta.
Jump to a opening:
ATL | CAR | LV | LAC
SEA | TEN | WSH
Former coach: Arthur Smith, let go hours after the end of the regular season, his third season with the team
Known candidates: Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Bengals OC Brian Callahan, Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, Ravens DC Mike Macdonald, Ravens DL coach Anthony Weaver, 49ers DC Steve Wilks, Lions DC Aaron Glenn, Lions OC Ben Johnson, Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce
My prediction for the next Falcons coach: Bill Belichick. I think he is the clear favorite here unless another job opens that has a quarterback already in place and offers him a chance to win those 15 games he needs to pass Don Shula in short order -- perhaps Dallas. Atlanta has already interviewed Belichick.
If Belichick doesn't end up in Atlanta, the candidate I have my eye on is Glenn, who has a connection with Falcons GM Terry Fontenot from their time together in New Orleans.
Former coach: Frank Reich, let go 11 games into his first season with the team
Interim coach: Chris Tabor
Known candidates: Chris Tabor, Ejiro Evero, Mike Macdonald, Ravens OC Todd Monken, Buccaneers OC Dave Canales, Brian Callahan, Ben Johnson, Rams DC Raheem Morris, Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, Texans OC Bobby Slowik, Dolphins OC Frank Smith
My prediction for the next Panthers coach: Brian Callahan. Industry insiders are finding this a tough one to call, since there's skepticism about the willingness of candidates to work for impatient team owner David Tepper. I expect this hire to be an offensive-minded coach whose task will be getting the most out of 2023 top-pick quarterback Bryce Young, who struggled in Year 1 with a 33.4 QBR (29th in the NFL). It has been thought for a while that Johnson -- who has been Joe Burrow's coordinator in Cincinnati for the quarterback's entire career -- is Carolina's top choice, but he could have better offers.
Slowik is a hot name with several interviews lined up, but he has also been a coordinator for only one year, and some teams may prefer more experience. Callahan hasn't been the playcaller in Cincinnati, but he has a lot of responsibility in the offense and has been instrumental in the Bengals' success in recent years. And he has the experience that Tepper could be looking for this offseason. The work Callahan did with Jake Browning this season after Burrow's season-ending right wrist injury has caught teams' attention.
The Panthers are also looking for a new GM after firing Scott Fitterer, but it sounds like they want to get the coach in place first.
Former coach: Josh McDaniels, let go midway through his second season with the team
Interim coach: Antonio Pierce
Known candidates: Pierce, Bills DC Leslie Frazier
My prediction for the next Raiders coach: Antonio Pierce. The Raiders haven't done many interviews yet, as they're also still looking for a GM and seem to be prioritizing that hire. I have heard Jim Harbaugh's name connected here a bit, and I definitely expect the Raiders to do more interviews than the ones they've already done.
But Pierce has the very fervent and public backing of the Raiders' players, most notably star edge rusher Maxx Crosby. After letting go of popular interim coach Rich Bisaccia two years ago in favor of the failed McDaniels experiment, team owner Mark Davis could give the players what they want this time around. Pierce went 5-4 as the interim coach after serving as the team's linebackers coach in 2022 and the first half of 2023.
Former coach: Brandon Staley, let go late in his third season with the team
Interim coach: Giff Smith
Known candidates: Smith, Leslie Frazier, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, Raiders DC Patrick Graham, Mike Macdonald, Todd Monken, Chargers OC Kellen Moore, Steve Wilks, Brian Callahan, Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn
My prediction for the next Chargers coach: Jim Harbaugh. There is a ton of smoke around this situation. Harbaugh is known to be a fan of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, and the Chargers are a team desperate for both attention and wins as they work to establish a foothold in Los Angeles. Unless Michigan can entice Harbaugh to stay put, this feels like the most likely landing spot for the onetime 49ers coach.
The Chargers are also looking for a GM after firing Tom Telesco, but they could be waiting to see whether they land Harbaugh before deciding which way to go at that spot.
Former coach: Pete Carroll, let go after the regular season ended after 14 seasons with the team
Known candidates: Ejiro Evero, Patrick Graham, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Frank Smith
My prediction for the next Seahawks coach: Mike Vrabel. I know, he hasn't even shown up on the Seahawks' interview list yet. And sure, Quinn has a connection to Seattle from his time as its defensive coordinator under Carroll. The Vrabel thing is a bit of a hunch, though I do have several sources who share the same hunch and the idea that he could be a sneaky late entry into this pool.
It's almost certainly a coincidence that the Carroll news broke the day after the news that the Titans had fired Vrabel. But it's also possible that the opportunity the current high-level candidate list offers is part of the reason Seattle decided now was the time to make a change.
Former coach: Mike Vrabel, let go after the regular season after six seasons with the team
Known candidates: Brian Callahan, Mike Macdonald, Antonio Pierce, Giants OC Mike Kafka, Panthers OC Thomas Brown, Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, Eagles OC Brian Johnson, Dan Quinn, Bobby Slowik
My prediction for the next Titans coach: Aaron Glenn. I've been told by a couple of people close to this situation to keep an eye on Glenn as a strong candidate. The Titans are casting a wide and diverse net, and this is one of the tougher ones to call at this point, but Glenn has appeal as a former player, as a part of what Dan Campbell has built in Detroit and as the coordinator who graded out the best of any on either side of the ball in a recent NFLPA poll of players. He will get a head coach job sooner rather than later, and he could be the guy the Titans pick to work with GM Ran Carthon on their rebuild.
Former coach: Ron Rivera, let go the day after the regular season ended, his fourth season with the team
Known candidates: Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, Mike Macdonald, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Anthony Weaver, Bobby Slowik
My prediction for the next Commanders coach: Ben Johnson. New Commanders owner Josh Harris already landed his top target for GM in Adam Peters. Many people around the league believe Harris has been focused on Johnson as his top choice for coach, though there are some who think Slowik and Macdonald are still possibilities.
Harris' process so far has been thorough but not slow. I believe he really wants Johnson, and he and Peters are in position to make that happen -- even if it's just about getting an agreement in place that can't be finalized until after the Lions' season ends.
2024 NFL coach hiring predictions, candidates for open jobs - ESPN
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