NFL Confidential: Execs Weigh In on NFL Coaching Carousel and Top Candidates

It's only November, but the coaching carousel in the NFL has already begun spinning. 

The New York Giants became the second team to fire their head coach during the 2025 NFL season, dismissing Brian Daboll 10 games into his fourth season. They joined the Tennessee Titans, who fired Brian Callahan in October, as the only teams with a head coach vacancy. 

Surely, there will be more head coach openings between now and the first week following the regular season. But how many jobs will open? Seven teams made changes at head coach last offseason, and eight teams swapped head coaches in the prior offseason. 

Still, even if the coaching carousel is smaller this year, having the right head coach in place can alter a franchise. Just ask the New England Patriots, who are 8-2 entering Week 11 in Mike Vrabel's first year at the helm after two consecutive four-win seasons. 

So, is there a Vrabel-like candidate waiting to get hired as a head coach this offseason? Which coordinators might be the next Ben Johnson and make the leap to head coach this offseason? Will Bill Belichick receive head coach interest this offseason?

We asked executives and staffers around the league those questions and their thoughts on the coaching carousel for this offseason. 

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Greg Auman: Look for successful coordinators on the opposite side of their head coaches, which gives you Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Hafley is 46 and has head coaching experience from Boston College, and Kubiak and Shula aren’t even 40 yet and come with coaching pedigree. 

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