Five NFL teams entered the 2023 season with a new head coach. A year earlier? The number was 10.
Simply put, NFL owners and GMs aren’t as patient with head coaches as much as before. These days, it takes no more than two bad years for a team to decide that it ain’t working with a certain head coach — and that a change is needed.
The next two months won’t be any different. If our calculations are correct, anywhere from a quarter to one-third of the NFL teams will enter 2024 with a brand new head coach.
Here are eight teams that desperately need to make a coaching change — and who they should hire.
Los Angeles Chargers: Bill Belichick
Now that Brandon Staley is gone.. It’s time….
Staley was hired as the Chargers’ new head coach in 2021 after serving as the defensive coordinator for Sean McVay and the LA Rams, who boasted the league’s top defense under his watch in 2020.
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Yet the Chargers’ defense has progressively gotten worse and worse under Staley. His in-game management and overly-aggressive play-calling has been awful — and it’s especially inexcusable for a so-called defensive genius with his background.
The Chargers are too talented to disappoint every year. If and when the New England Patriots part ways with Bill Belichick, Bolts owner Dean Spanos should back up the Brink’s truck in front of his house and offer him whatever cash sum he wants.
Belichick is the greatest coach in NFL history. His in-game management and defensive genius have gone unmatched. Yes Tom Brady is long gone, but the Pats did not win six Super Bowls by fluke under Belichick, either.
Belichick would inherit a defense with superstars Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Derwin James Jr., along with young studs Tuli Tuipulotu and Asante Samuel Jr.
Seeing what he’s done on defense with a bunch of no names in New England, who knows how scary-good the Bolts’ D would be under Belichick?!
Bill would have a true franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, not to mention Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Quentin Johnston as his weapons. Rashawn Slater and Cory Linsley headline a rock-solid o-line, too.
Belichick could come to LA and focus strictly on the defensive side of the ball. GM Tom Telesco knows how to assemble a roster, and the Herbert-led offense wouldn’t exactly require much guidance from Belichick.
The “Chargers gonna Charger” or “Classic Chargers” moments would end here. Belichick would put an abrupt stop to it and make the Chargers a true force in the AFC — one that would give Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs a LOT of problems. It just makes too much sense. Belichick to the Chargers. There isn’t a better situation for him, and the Bolts wouldn’t do any better than, well, the greatest head coach of all time.
Chicago Bears: Jim Harbaugh
It’s time for the Bears to go big-game hunting.
Matt Eberflus was hired as Chicago’s new head coach in 2022 following a stellar run as the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator. But the Bears’ D has been a mess under Eberflus, and he clearly lacks the experience to build a foundation on offense.
Chicago will be in a good spot to get one of the two golden geese in the 2024 NFL Draft — either USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye. They can move on from Justin Fields and pair the new quarterback with a different head coach.
That new coach should be none other than Michigan Wolverines head man Jim Harbaugh.
There’s speculation that Harbaugh could be out at Michigan following in-person recruiting violations as well as the ongoing investigation into the sign-stealing scandal. Those violations led to Harbaugh getting suspended twice here in the 2023 season.
Harbaugh has left his mark at Michigan, but it just feels like time now for him to try something else and come back to the NFL. He was a quarterback for the Bears from 1987 to ‘93 and should be enticed by the idea of fixing the NFL team that turned him pro in the first place.
Everyone remembers how quickly Harbaugh turned around the San Francisco 49ers’ following his arrival in 2011. Imagine what he would do on a Chicago team with a can’t-miss young phenom QB and a plethora of cap space and draft picks.
Harbaugh would cost the Bears a pretty penny, but it’d be worth it. Unless Chicago is somehow getting Belichick, Harbaugh needs to be the one and only candidate atop their head coach wish list. Pure and simple.
New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo
With Belichick likely on his way out of New England, there’s little doubt who should — and will — succeed him.
Former Patriots’ Pro Bowl linebacker Jerod Mayo — the team’s inside linebackers coach since 2019 — has long been rumored to be the succession plan. As he should be.
Belichick built a special winning culture in New England, sure. But his grumpy demeanor, old-school ways of coaching and communicating obviously aren’t working for the players in the post-Tom Brady era.
Mayo has spent more than a decade — as a player and coach — learning “The Patriot Way” under Belichick.
He’s well-respected and greatly admired by his players, and that’s what New England leads: The polar opposite of Belichick.
Young, energetic and passionate defensive-minded coaches like Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans quickly rebuilt the culture and restored team morale with their respective teams. Mayo can easily do the same.
Mayo is the ideal candidate to rebuild the Patriots in the post-Belichick era, and to us, there shouldn’t be any second-guessing this decision.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Frank Smith
The most popular trend for NFL head coaching hires these days? Bringing in a young, offensive-minded coach.
Kyle Shanahan. Sean McVay. Mike McDaniel. Nick Sirianni. Kevin Stefanski. Zac Taylor. Kevin O’Connelll. Matt LaFleur. Prime example of how this trend works perfectly.
The Buccaneers named then-DC Todd Bowles the new head coach following Bruce Arians shocking retirement in 2022.
As great a dude as Bowles is, it’s obvious that he’s an excellent defensive coordinator but just not cut out for a head coaching position. It’s evident that the Buccaneers need to change coaches, and this time, they gotta go with an offense-first guy.
Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, in his second season on the job, is just the guy the rebuilding Bucs need.
Smith and McDaniel were able to fully unlock Tua Tagovailoa and turn him into a superstar. Just look at what the ‘Phins are doing with Tua, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert AND De’Von Achane — and then tell us Smith isn’t ready to be a head coach.
Not sure if the Bucs will want to keep Baker Mayfield or if they’ll look to start over in the offseason.
Either way, the next Tampa head coach needs to be one of the young, hot-shot offensive geniuses. Smith could help Mayfield take his game to another level or simply help develop the Bucs’ next franchise QB.
Carolina Panthers: Kellen Moore
We liked the Carolina Panthers’ idea of pairing Frank Reich with Bryce Young. The former won a Super Bowl 52 championship ring with backup QB Nick Foles and worked with the likes of Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Andrew Luck.
His tenure with the Indianapolis Colts ended on a sour note, sure, but Reich’s previous experience spoke for itself. Of course he was deserving of another head coaching opportunity.
But Reich hasn’t been able to make it work with Young whatsoever. The No. 1 pick of 2023 has been overwhelmed by the increased difficulty the NFL possesses.
Young is struggling to read defenses, and he hasn’t learned to take the easy throws that the defenses are willing to give up. He’s getting way too cute and trying too much with the low-percentage plays, and that largely falls on Reich.
So before Young’s confidence is destroyed any further, the Panthers need to plan for a coaching change. Move on from Reich and hire Chargers’ offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who is more than ready for his first head gig.
Moore churned out a top-five offense as the Dallas Cowboys’ OC and has continued to work his magic with Herbert and the Bolts. We know he can work with young QBs, and the Panthers shouldn’t hesitate to hire Moore before his stock and demand increases any further.
Carolina knows they need to upgrade the weaponry and o-line around Young, but the first task is to bring in a younger head coach to work with Young — and Moore is the perfect candidate to fix him.
Atlanta Falcons: Ben Johnson
Arthur Smith was once praised for squeezing seven-win seasons out of a mediocre Falcons roster in both 2021 and 2022.
But there’s no excuse for the disappointment here in 2023. Not in football’s worst division, and not with an insane set of offensive weapons that any other coach could dream of.
Smith hasn’t maximized the potential of Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts or Desmond Ridder. That is inexcusable. If you use a top-10 pick on Bijan, you make him the focal point of your offense — not your No. 2 RB.
So yes, a head coaching change is needed in Atlanta. Fortunately, the perfect solution exists.
Meet Ben Johnson!
The 37-year-old Johnson has been with the Detroit Lions since 2019. In 2022, he was promoted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator — and the Lions have reaped the rewards ever since.
Johnson and Dan Campbell turned Jared Goff from a so-called “throw-in” from the Matthew Stafford trade back into a Pro Bowler and franchise QB. Johnson has also helped turn Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta into studs.
With Detroit bolstering a borderline top-five offense for the second straight year under Johnson’s guidance, there’s no doubt that he’s playing his way into a head coaching gig. Sorry, Goff and Mr. Campbell.
Johnson built the Lions offense into a machine. Now imagine what he could do with two elite talents in Robinson and Pitts, plus Tyler Allgeier and rising star Drake London. Imagine if Atlanta made an upgrade at QB and paired him with Johnson.
Smith hasn’t cut it in Atlanta, but Johnson most certainly would. The Falcons need to continue with the young, offensive-first coach — only this time they swap out Smith for Johnson. It sounds so easy doesn’t it?!
New Orleans Saints: Brian Callahan
Like Todd Bowles, Dennis Allen has built a reputation as one of the game’s top defensive minds. But as a head coach? Nope, it’s too much for him.
The Saints’ defense remains a machine under Allen, but that’s getting canceled out by a mediocre offense. Allen, obviously, isn’t cut out to be the lead guy.
The Saints’ coaching staff needs an overhaul if they’re to maximize the remaining competitive window with Alvin Kamara, Cameron Jordan, Marshon Lattimore et al. Along with Allen, longtime OC Pete Carmichael needs to go.
New Orleans has to find an offensive-minded coach to help Derek Carr rebound from a frustrating first year in the Big Easy. And the solution resides up north there in Cincinnati.
We’re talking about Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. The 39-year-old, along with Zac Taylor, has turned this longtime losing franchise into a juggernaut thanks to their success with the Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase-led offense.
Callahan began his coaching career back in 2010 with the Denver Broncos, and he was on staff for their Super Bowl 50 championship team. He also had stints as the QBS coach for the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders before joining the Bengals in 2019.
Callahan was Carr’s quarterbacks coach in Oakland back in 2018 — giving the Saints another good reason to hire Bill’s son.
If the Saints do the right thing and go with a guy with an offensive background, they’ll have plenty of options. But Callahan makes the most sense for a New Orleans team that greatly misses Sean Payton’s brilliant mind.
Callahan’s arrival would instantly help the Saints reach their potential once and for all as they continue to slug through another “meh” season in the post-Drew Brees era.
Washington Commanders: Lou Anarumo
The Commanders probably kept Ron Rivera a year way too long — but there’s no changing the past. What Josh Harris and the new Washington ownership can do, however, is make the correct coaching change.
Sam Howell has been far better than expected and probably deserves another year as Washington’s QB — just with a new head coach. The problem is that the Commanders aren’t going anywhere because their defense has become a mess under Rivera and Jack Del Rio.
So while most teams are going with a young offensive-minded coach these days, the Commanders should go in the defensive-background direction.
Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who should be a head coach by now, is the perfect candidate for Washington.
Anarumo joined Taylor’s staff as the Bengals DC in 2019. Slowly but surely, Anarumo turned this not-super-talented defense into one of football’s best. To date, he’s the only DC that has consistently given Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ problems.
He doesn’t have the all-world talent to work with in Cincy, but it’s Anarumo’s crafty schemes that have made the Bengals’ D so dangerous — hence the Super Bowl 56 appearance and consecutive AFC Championship berths.
Howell’s main issue in WAshington is the turnovers, but a defense-first coach like Anarumo would surely help eliminate those.
The main thing, though, is that he’d help this ultra-talented-but-underachieving Washington defense re-emerge as a force that it was back in 2020. Let Anarumo hire his own OC to run the offense, and the results will play out wonderfully in DC.
Which other NFL Teams need a new head coach, and who should they hire?
