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With each NFL offseason comes a slew of head coaches being shown the door. Whether a head coach has failed to make progress in recent seasons or has seemingly hit their ceiling as the leader of an organization, franchises are as impatient as ever and are always looking for the "next best thing" at head coach.
This year, three coaches were fired during the season, and five more coaches have been relieved of their duties following Week 18. With 25% of the league looking for a new direction, this should be a fun and entertaining offseason.
This article lists which coaches were fired and which jobs are open, and hints at potential coaching candidates during the 2024 coaching change cycle.
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Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
Record With Franchise: 9-16
Playoff Record: N/A
Best Season: 6-11
The Josh McDaniels era in Las Vegas was over quickly, and he's now failed in two spots as a head coach. He'll likely be back as an offensive coordinator soon, but it would be surprising if he lands a head coach job ever again.
Report: Josh McDaniels could return to Patriots if Bill Belichick stays https://t.co/7SxrLNNSyn
— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) January 9, 2024
Hired: Antonio Pierce, Former Raiders Interim Head Coach
Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers
Record With Franchise: 1-10
Playoff Record: N/A
Best Season: 1-10
Frank Reich's time in Carolina lasted shorter than McDaniels' tenure in Las Vegas. He was dealt a bad hand with a rookie quarterback and limited offensive talent, and team owner David Tepper is establishing himself as someone who is difficult to work for. Reich hinted at retirement after being let go.
Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
Record With Franchise: 24-24
Playoff Record: 0-1
Best Season: 10-7
Brandon Staley has been criticized for years, and many people believed he should have been fired last season after blowing a 27-point lead in the AFC Wild Card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His time has come to an end after disappointing results with Justin Herbert, but he'll likely land on a staff as an assistant moving forward.
Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Record With Franchise: 21-30
Playoff Record: N/A
Best Season: 7-10
Fans and fantasy football enthusiasts grew tired of Arthur Smith's inability to feature the highly-drafted Falcons skill players. Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London never seemed to be clear focal points in the offense, and Smith went 7-10 in each of the three years he led the team. Expect the 41-year-old to be an offensive coordinator or position coach for a new organization quickly.
Breaking: Falcons have fired HC Arthur Smith after three seasons pic.twitter.com/LaurUUFdwi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 8, 2024
Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
Record With Franchise: 26-40-1
Playoff Record: 0-1
Best Season: 8-8-1
Ron Rivera had a great run with Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers, but he never found real success with Washington. To be fair, he was never given an above-average quarterback, but his defenses were fixtures at the bottom of all stats and rankings over the last two years. For a guy who is supposed to bring a strong defense with him, that would be the nail in the coffin.
Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Record With Franchise: 54-45
Playoff Record: 2-3
Best Season: 12-5
Mike Vrabel was the most surprising firing after the conclusion of the 2023 season, but the Titans have been a disaster in each of the last two years. Vrabel's team lost seven consecutive games to close out 2022 before going 6-11 in 2023. Although his 2019 AFC Championship Game appearance won't be forgotten by Titans faithful, the organization felt it was time to move on.
From The Insiders on #NFLPlus: A look at what led the #Titans to move on from coach Mike Vrabel. pic.twitter.com/FvqCgL9G2m
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2024
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Record With Franchise: 137-89-1
Playoff Record: 10-9
Best Season: 13-3, Super Bowl Win
All good things must come to an end, which means Pete Carroll couldn't coach the Seahawks forever. It seems like Carroll and Seattle mutually agreed to change directions, as the former coach is expected to stay in the organization as a part of the front office. He's the best coach in franchise history, and his two Super Bowl trips will always be appreciated by Seahawks fans. An end of an era.
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Record With Franchise: 266-121
Playoff Record: 30-12
Best Season: 16-0
Bill Belichick will go down as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history after taking New England to nine Super Bowls, winning six. However, it's been ugly as of late in the post-Tom Brady era, so it was time for a change. He'll likely draw interest from other organizations if he doesn't want to hang it up, but for the first time since 2000, the Patriots head coaching job is vacant.
Potential Coaching Candidates
- Ben Johnson, Lions OC
- Bobby Slowik, Texans OC
- Raheem Morris, Rams DC
- Dan Quinn, Cowboys DC
- Mike Vrabel, Former Titans HC
- Eric Bieniemy, Commanders OC
- Frank Smith, Dolphins OC
- Brian Flores, Vikings DC
- Aaron Glenn, Lions DC
- Mike Macdonald, Ravens DC
- Dave Canales, Buccaneers OC
- Brian Callahan, Bengals OC
- Ejiro Evero, Panthers DC
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