Despite never touching the ball, NFL head coaches make or break games, teams, and franchises as a whole. With 7 new head coaches entering the 2025 season, and several others fighting to keep their jobs, the league is full of uncertainty and intrigue on the sidelines. The NFL is the ultimate what have you done for me lately league and here’s how all 32 NFL head coaches stack up heading into the 2025 season.
32. Brian Schottenheimer – Dallas Cowboys
Career Record: N/A (First season)
Cowboys Head Coach Since 2025
It’s never a great sign when a coach’s very hiring raises more eyebrows than excitement. That’s exactly the case with Brian Schottenheimer, a long-time NFL assistant whose elevation to head coach feels less like a strategic decision and more like a move to keep Jerry Jones firmly in charge. Schottenheimer has held just about every offensive coaching title imaginable over the past two decades: Jets OC, Rams OC, Seahawks OC, Jaguars passing game coordinator, and more, but his resume has always been more about longevity than results. His offenses have rarely finished in the top tier of the league, and his reputation has settled somewhere between “solid veteran” and “safe fallback.” This wasn’t a bold hire, and it’s hard to be optimistic about a coach who wasn’t even on the radar for 31 other teams.
31. Brian Callahan -Tennessee Titans
Career Record: 3-14
Titans Head Coach Since 2025
Brian Callahan’s first season in Tennessee didn’t reveal much… except that he’s not the next Sean McVay. After being a longtime Bengals offensive coordinator and disciple, Callahan inherited a roster in the middle of a full teardown and managed just three wins in 2024, largely with Mason Rudolph and Will Levis under center. That’s not a great foundation, but it’s also not a fair measuring stick. Now comes the real evaluation window. The Titans selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, handing Callahan a high-upside quarterback to groom and a chance to build something from the ground up. His background as an offensive coordinator suggests he’s well-equipped for the challenge, but with young QBs, there’s rarely a grace period – especially with how much turnover has happened in Tennessee over the past few years.
30. Kellen Moore – New Orleans Saints
Career Record: N/A (First season)
Saints Head Coach Since 2025
For years, Kellen Moore was seen as a future head coach, until that future started to feel like it might never come. Moore’s star dimmed after being pushed out by the Cowboys and failing to make a splash with the Chargers. Then came a stop in Philadelphia as offensive coordinator, where he rode the Eagles’ wave to a Super Bowl ring and, finally, landed his shot in New Orleans. At just 36, Moore enters the job with only seven years of NFL coaching experience and no clear proof he can manage the full scope of a franchise. Still, there’s potential here. Moore gets to rebuild an offense in desperate need of vision, and if he can make whoever the Saints quarterback is look good, his reputation could grow quickly.
29. Mike Vrabel – New England Patriots
Career Record: 54-45
Patriots Head Coach Since 2025
After Jerod Mayo’s short-lived tenure, New England pivoted to a more proven option, and Vrabel certainly fits the bill. He turned the Titans into a consistent playoff contender and won Coach of the Year in 2021, despite rarely having elite rosters. His teams were physical, disciplined, and often more than the sum of their parts. Of course, toward the end in Tennessee, the parts got leaner and the wins stopped coming. For New England, the hire makes sense, maybe too much sense. It’s comfortable, familiar, and safe. But for a team trying to chart a new course, comfort might not be enough.
28. Brian Daboll – New York Giants
Career Record: 18-32-1
Giants Head Coach Since 2022
Brian Daboll’s tenure with the Giants has been… interesting. That surprise playoff berth in 2022, complete with a road win over the Vikings, felt like the start of something. Two years later, it’s looking more like an anomaly. To be fair, injuries and roster turnover haven’t helped. But the regression has been alarming, and Daboll’s resume doesn’t offer much insulation. If things don’t turn around in 2025, Daboll could easily be out the door.
27. Aaron Glenn – New York Jets
Career Record: N/A (First season)
Jets Head Coach Since 2025
In an era where teams race to hire the next offensive prodigy under 40, the Jets took a different route, one rooted in experience, steadiness, and leadership. Aaron Glenn isn’t some fast-rising play-calling savant. He’s a football lifer with a 14-year playing career and over a decade on the sidelines, having served under respected voices like Mike Pettine, Sean Payton, and Dan Campbell. A former Pro Bowl cornerback for the Jets, he returns not as a nostalgia hire, but as a steadying hand for a franchise that’s veered between chaos and collapse since before some of his players were born. His Detroit defenses weren’t always elite by the numbers, but they were timely, physical, and built around smart player development, three things the Jets could desperately use. Glenn’s job won’t be easy, but unlike many first-year head coaches, he already knows what dysfunction looks like, and more importantly, how to avoid it.
26. Dave Canales – Carolina Panthers
Career Record: 5-12
Panthers Head Coach Since 2024
After reviving Baker Mayfield in Tampa, Canales was signed to do the same with Bryce Young. However, Year 1 under Dave Canales didn’t exactly rewrite the Panthers’ trajectory, but to be fair, it also didn’t bury it. Hired for his quarterback-friendly track record, Canales inherited a Bryce Young project that was already trending toward disaster. And after a brutal start, Canales benched Bryce Young, but that turns out to be the best move because when Young came back, he looked good. Now in Year 2, Canales must prove he can generate real development and if Bryce Young takes a second step forward and the offense starts to resemble something coherent, Canales could develop the Panthers into a legit team.
25. Liam Coen – Jacksonville Jaguars
Career Record: N/A (First season)
Jaguars Head Coach Since 2025
“Duuuval!” Liam Coen might not have been Jacksonville’s first choice, but he now holds the most important job in the building: getting Trevor Lawrence back on track. The former Rams assistant’s only full NFL season calling plays came in 2023, and while the results weren’t headline-worthy, they were enough to suggest potential. If Coen can stabilize the quarterback position, everything else falls into place. If not, the team risks wasting another season of Lawrence’s rookie-deal window, and potentially setting back his development even further. There’s real pressure attached to this pairing, but also real upside. Coen brings fresh perspective and a chance to reset. The question is whether he’s ready for the weight that comes with it.
24. Raheem Morris – Atlanta Falcons
Career Record: 29-47
Falcons Head Coach Since 2024
Raheem Morris is one of the rare head coaches who’s technically getting a second chance, but with a 14-year gap between opportunities. Brought in to reset the culture in Atlanta and maximize a win-now roster, Morris inherited a team that looked competitive on paper and then unravelled in practice. The most painful moment came late in the season: a late-game clock management fiasco in Week 17 that likely cost them a playoff spot. That said, Morris is undeniably respected by his players and brings emotional intelligence to the job — an underrated quality in a locker room that needed fresh energy. But respect alone doesn’t get you into January. In short: Morris needs to tighten up the small things before the big picture slips away.
23. Mike McDaniel – Miami Dolphins
Career Record: 28-23
Dolphins Head Coach Since 2022
Mike McDaniel has brought a jolt of energy to the Dolphins. But with back-to-back late-season slides and zero playoff wins, the question now shifts from “how fun is this?” to “how far can it go?” In fairness, McDaniel’s offense has shown elite-level output when Tua Tagovailoa is healthy, but that is the catch: The entire system is delicately constructed around a quarterback with limited physical tools and a durability record that keeps coaches up at night. If Miami wants to make the leap from electric to elite, McDaniel will have to find answers beyond the whiteboard, particularly in January. Until then, he’s the coach of a team that no one enjoys facing… but no one fears in the playoffs.
22. Jonathan Gannon – Arizona Cardinals
Career Record: 12-22
Cardinals Head Coach Since 2023
Jonathan Gannon inherited a teardown project in Arizona, and two seasons in, he’s managed to keep the franchise from spiraling. While the record still leaves much to be desired, the Cardinals showed measurable progress in Year 2, particularly on defense, where Gannon’s fingerprints were more visible. Arizona jumped from near the bottom of the league in points allowed to the middle of the pack, despite a roster still thin on elite talent. Offensively, the story is more complicated. Kyler Murray returned to health but not necessarily to form. If Gannon can take another step and get more from Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr., he might turn a job that once looked doomed into one worth extending.
21. Kevin Stefanski – Cleveland Browns
Career Record: 40-44
Browns Head Coach Since 2020
Kevin Stefanski might be the most competent coach the Browns have had since their reboot in 1999. He brought stability to a famously unstable franchise, engineered two playoff trips in five years, and won the team’s first postseason game in over a quarter century. But despite flashes of success, Stefanski’s tenure has never fully taken flight. Some of that isn’t his fault, the Deshaun Watson experiment has tied a weight around the team’s potential (a trade Stefanski didn’t make, but now must coach through). In 2025, I’m interested in seeing how he’ll do with the mess of a QB room that contains an injured Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders.
20. Shane Steichen – Indianapolis Colts
Career Record: 17-17
Colts Head Coach Since 2023
Shane Steichen has walked the tightrope about as well as anyone could in Indianapolis. Two seasons in, he’s balanced rookie quarterback development, roster volatility, and front-office dysfunction without everything falling apart, no small feat in a franchise that’s lived in turbulence since Andrew Luck’s retirement. He managed a winning record with Anthony Richardson under center despite the young quarterback completing under 55% of his passes and missing time. But the margins are getting thinner. Indianapolis has yet to find consistency on defense, and general manager Chris Ballard continues to swing and miss on impact additions. The latest curveball: the signing of Daniel Jones. In truth, Steichen feels like the kind of coach who could thrive in a stable environment. Unfortunately, the Colts are still anything but. If 2025 becomes another year of quarterback roulette, Steichen may find himself tasked with building a foundation on quicksand, again.
19. Ben Johnson – Chicago Bears
Career Record: N/A (First season)
Bears Head Coach Since 2025
I get putting a first year head coach at 19 seems a little wild, but Ben Johnson has all the tools to be great. Johnson’s offensive resume speaks for itself. He helped breathe new life into Jared Goff’s career in Detroit, crafting a scheme that leaned into timing, rhythm, and pre-snap confusion. Under his watch, the Lions became one of the league’s most efficient and creative attacks, despite lacking a superstar quarterback. Now, Johnson may have landed his dream scenario: a young QB with a ton of potential in Caleb Williams and countless offensive weapons like DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet to name a few. Now the real test begins: can Ben Johnson be more than just the smartest coordinator in the room? Can he become the leader of an organization starving for stability and capable of finally developing a quarterback the right way?
18. Mike Macdonald – Seattle Seahawks
Career Record: 10-7
Seahawks Head Coach Since 2024
Out was the charismatic, freewheeling Pete Carroll. In came the calm, tactical former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Seattle posted its first double-digit win season since 2020, and while not every victory was pretty, the arc of the season bent toward progress. What he brings is structure, a no-fluff identity, and the ability to adjust. Those are cornerstones of sustained success. The next step is finding out if he can build upon new QB Sam Darnold’s 2023 progress and if he can keep Cooper Kupp relevant.
17. Zac Taylor – Cincinnati Bengals
Career Record: 46-52-1
Bengals Head Coach Since 2019
Zac Taylor has delivered something rare in Cincinnati: relevance. He’s overseen a franchise turnaround, helped end a decades-long playoff drought, and came within one drive of a Super Bowl win. That alone earns him a place in team history. But in the here and now, it’s fair to ask: how far can he really take this group? Now with a healthy Burrow, a generational receiver duo in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and now in 2025, he’s expected to deliver more than stability. He’s expected to win.
16. DeMeco Ryans – Houston Texans
Career Record: 20-14
Texans Head Coach Since 2023
DeMeco Ryans’ second year was a rollercoaster of NFL reality: expectations rise fast, and grace periods don’t last long. After an impressive rookie season that saw the Texans return to the playoffs, 2024 delivered a mixed bag of offensive regression, growing pains from C.J. Stroud, and a confusing midseason identity crisis. Yet somehow, Houston still walked away with a division crown and a playoff win. That’s a testament to Ryans’ poise and leadership. His defense remained one of the league’s toughest, and his locker room never wavered, even as the offense sputtered. That’s why he made the tough call to move on from offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Ryans still commands respect and controls what he can. But as the pressure mounts in Year 3, respect won’t be enough, results will have to follow.
15. Todd Bowles – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Career Record: 53-65
Bucs Head Coach Since 2022
Tampa Bay didn’t just survive the post-Tom collapse; they punched back. And in the two years since Brady walked away, Bowles has won more playoff games without him than he did with him. The same coach who spent years grinding out ugly defensive battles with the Jets now oversees a pass-heavy attack built around Baker Mayfield, of all people. Now the offense has another level with rookie first round receiver Emeka Egbuka. Bowles isn’t flashy. But what he’s done in Tampa deserves more credit than it gets.
14. Pete Carroll – Las Vegas Raiders
Career Record: 170-120-1
Raiders Head Coach Since 2025
Pete Caroll retired… or so we thought. After 14 years of leading the Seahawks and a gap, he’s now taking over a Raiders franchise desperate for structure and credibility, two things Carroll has delivered everywhere he’s been. He has 10 playoff appearances, a Super Bowl ring, and just four losing seasons so say what you want about his quirks or old-school style, Carroll knows how to win. Now he’s walking into the AFC West with Geno Smith. And while Geno has shown he can be competent, bringing a middle-tier quarterback into a division featuring Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert feels like showing up to a gunfight with a water pistol. Carroll will restore pride and toughness in Vegas. That much is certain. But if this experiment doesn’t go beyond 9-8, we may look back and wonder if the Raiders hired a stabilizer when they really needed a spark.
13. Sean Payton – Denver Broncos
Career Record: 170-105
Broncos Head Coach Since 2023
After the kind of start that would’ve broken lesser coaches (a 70-20 humiliation in Week 3 of the 2024 season), Payton responded like the champion he is. Since that disaster, he’s righted the ship: a winning record, a playoff berth, and a clear plan at quarterback. He’s brought structure, identity, and accountability to a locker room that had none. In just two seasons, the Broncos have gone from disjointed mess to a team that plays with purpose.
12. Dan Quinn – Washington Commanders
Career Record: 55-47
Commanders Head Coach Since 2024
Dan Quinn was never supposed to be the guy in Washington. The Commanders were supposed to swing for the fences, chase a visionary, make the kind of bold hire that says “new era.” Instead, they went with the safe pick. The recycled pick. The guy with a .500-ish record and a blown 28-3 lead on his resume. In 2024, Quinn orchestrated one of the most impressive turnarounds in recent memory. Under his guidance, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels emerged as a bona fide leader, propelling the Commanders to a dynamic offense that wasn’t afraid to take chances. The results spoke volumes: not only did the team finish the regular season well above expectations, but they also clinched two hard-fought playoff wins. The challenge now? Prevent Daniels from having a sophomore slump.
11. Sean McDermott – Buffalo Bills
Career Record: 86-45
Bills Head Coach Since 2017
Sean McDermott has done everything but win a championship. He’s modernized a broken franchise, developed an elite quarterback, built top-10 defenses, and so on. . But when the lights are brightest, the Bills dim. And at this point, McDermott’s entire legacy is trapped in that purgatory. And as sharp as McDermott is defensively, Buffalo’s biggest January moments still seem to belong to somebody else. With Josh Allen still in his prime, now is the best window to win a ring.
10. Nick Sirianni – Philadelphia Eagles
Career Record: 48-20
Eagles Head Coach Since 2021
Sirianni is an interesting one because it was not long ago that people made fun of him for yelling at fans. Nick Sirianni entered 2024 on the hot seat. He ended it with a Super Bowl ring. In fact, since arriving in Philly, he’s done nothing but win. Four seasons. Four playoff appearances. Two Super Bowl berths. One ring. And it’s not crazy to say they might win a second straight Super Bowl this year. It’s time to stop questioning Nick Sirianni.
9. Mike Tomlin – Pittsburgh Steelers
Career Record: 183-107-2
Steelers Head Coach Since 2007
Mike Tomlin has 17 straight non-losing seasons. He made playoff berths with Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph. He’s squeezed more wins out of flawed rosters than anyone. But lately, consistency has started to feel like a ceiling. The Steelers keep punching playoff tickets, only to exit before the second round. And 2025 feels no different with 41 year old Aaron Rodgers who’s coming off an Achilles tear. If nothing changes, Pittsburgh might finally face the question no one’s wanted to ask: What does a post-Tomlin Steelers era even look like?
8. Matt LaFleur – Green Bay Packers
Career Record: 67-33
Packers Head Coach Since 2019
Matt LaFleur didn’t just survive life after Aaron Rodgers, he thrived. Two years in, and the Packers have seamlessly transitioned to a new era, hitting double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons and doing it with a roster full of young players. He’s clearly built a strong program. He wins in the regular season. He develops talent. But at some point, he’s going to need to elevate this roster if we want to talk about the Packers being Super Bowl contenders.
7. Jim Harbaugh – Los Angeles Chargers
Career Record: 55-25-1
Chargers Head Coach Since 2024
Jim Harbaugh returned to the NFL to compete for a championship. In Year 1, the Chargers went 11-6, made the playoffs, but then they lost against a rookie quarterback and first-year coach. Still, it’s hard to overstate how different the Chargers looked in 2024 with Harbaugh. The culture flipped overnight. The run game got a heartbeat. Because with Harbaugh, the floor is high. But in the AFC West, Harbaugh is going to need to be nearly perfect. The foundation is already set. Now he just needs to help turn Herbert’s potential into production.
6. Dan Campbell – Detroit Lions
Career Record: 44-35-1
Lions Head Coach Since 2021
Dan Campbell didn’t just change the Lions, he practically rewired their DNA. What started as a meme turned into a movement. Kneecaps were bitten, culture was built, and Detroit became a 15 win juggernaut of a team. But as the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the Lions were stunned by a hungry Commanders team on their own turf. Now, Campbell’s two trusted coordinators are gone including Ben Johnson, who’s now plotting against him from inside the division. The defense needs to stay healthy because the margin for error just got thinner. 2025 will be Dan Campbell’s biggest test yet.
5. John Harbaugh – Baltimore Ravens
Career Record: 172-104
Ravens Head Coach Since 2008
In a league where the average shelf life for a head coach is less than four years, Harbaugh has spent nearly two decades surviving trend shifts, roster overhauls, and quarterback revolutions. He’s done it all while maintaining the Ravens’ identity: ruthless, flexible, and always in the mix. Whether it’s leaning into analytics, trusting the run in a pass-happy era, or building a nasty, complex defense year after year, Harbaugh adjusts. But since winning it all in 2012, the Ravens have made the playoffs in eight of eleven seasons… and are just 2-7 once they get there. Still, the Ravens aren’t stuck. They’re still dangerous. And as long as Harbaugh’s on the headset, they’ll never fall far. If the Ravens stay healthy and Lamar stays hot, don’t be shocked if 2025 is the year the Ravens win the Super Bowl.
4. Kyle Shanahan – San Francisco 49ers
Career Record: 70-62
49ers Head Coach Since 2017
Kyle Shanahan is football’s most gifted play designer, a conductor who turns average quarterbacks into Pro Bowlers. When everything clicks, his 49ers look like an unstoppable machine. But when it doesn’t, the wheels come off in spectacular fashion. In 2024, they came off hard. The injuries piled up, the depth wasn’t there, and for the fourth time in eight seasons, Shanahan lost double-digit games. He made two Super Bowls without an elite quarterback. He rebuilt San Francisco from the ground up. He’s modernized offense across the league. But for all his tactical brilliance, the one thing Shanahan still doesn’t have is a ring. If Kyle Shanahan wants to be remembered like his father, he’ll need to finish what he started. Because scheme doesn’t raise banners. Wins do.
3. Kevin O’Connell – Minnesota Vikings
Career Record: 34-17
Vikings Head Coach Since 2022
Kevin O’Connell keeps beating expectations and rewriting the rules as he goes. First, he turned a shaky Vikings roster into a 13-win team in Year 1. Then in 2024, he won 14 games without his handpicked rookie quarterback, making a playoff run out of Sam Darnold of all people. That’s the thing with O’Connell. You give him chaos, he gives you points. He thrives in the gray areas. But flexibility can only take you so far. The next phase is sustainability. O’Connell now has a roster built to compete deep into January: weapons everywhere, a defense that’s found its teeth, and a young QB he actually chose. There are no more excuses. If O’Connell can finally pair his offensive creativity with postseason execution, he’ll be a problem for everyone else.
2. Andy Reid – Kansas City Chiefs
Career Record: 273-146-1
Chiefs Head Coach Since 2013
You could argue Andy Reid has nothing left to prove. And you’d be right, but that’s not why he’s still here. He built a dynasty in Kansas City out of brilliance, trust, and total command of his craft. Mahomes is the engine, but Reid is the architect. What truly separates him is emotional intelligence: knowing when to push, when to trust, when to let his players be themselves. In an ego-driven league, he’s the rare coach who leads without demanding the spotlight.
1. Sean McVay – Los Angeles
Career Record: 80-52
Rams Head Coach Since 2017
Sean McVay redefined what it means to be an NFL offensive mastermind, and he did it before turning 35. His innovative schemes, relentless energy, and uncanny ability to elevate quarterbacks put him in the conversation with the game’s all-time coaching elite. But for years, McVay’s success was intertwined with the presence of Aaron Donald, arguably the greatest defensive player ever, whose dominance freed up McVay’s offense to flourish on the biggest stages. Their partnership delivered the Rams’ long-awaited Super Bowl title in 2022. 2024 was McVay’s proving ground without Donald, and he passed with flying colors. The Rams captured their fourth division crown under his leadership and notched their eighth playoff win. Rather than panic when his defensive titan retired, McVay helped orchestrate a draft haul that turned heads. Rookie Jared Verse earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Braden Fiske and Kamren Kinchens instantly became reliable defensive playmakers. On offense, McVay faced the challenge of guiding a veteran Matthew Stafford at 37, whose prime years are behind him. Sean McVay’s journey hasn’t been without hurdles, but his trajectory remains crystal clear: a future Hall of Famer whose imprint on the Rams and the league will be felt for decades.
If you enjoyed this article please follow us here on MSN! Thank you for reading and have a great day!
Here’s a recent article another writers of ours recently did on Every NFL Team’s Worst First Round Draft Pick Of The Last 10 Years
