The NFL’s head coaching carousel has gradually turned into a NASCAR racetrack. Coaches are being hired and fired within the same year as teams’ patience continuously runs thinner each season.
As we’ve seen in the past, head coaches can make or break a team’s success. That includes both ends of the spectrum: long-term dynasties such as Bill Belichick’s 24-year Patriots tenure, or short-term failures like Frank Reich’s 11-game implosion with the Panthers this season.
This upcoming 2024 season, eight NFL teams have taken the leap of faith by replacing their head coaches in hopes of finding their new prized leader. It’s difficult to know which of these new hires will eventually pan out or jump back in the carousel line. Nevertheless, we’ll do our best to predict just that.
Here are our grades for all eight 2024 head coach hires.
New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo
While obtaining your experience under one of the NFL’s greatest coaches may seem like an ideal situation, Belichick’s coaching disciples have historically struggled after moving on from him. New head coach Jerod Mayo isn’t technically moving on to a new team, but something tells me the same results are looming.
Presumably, Mayo won’t be an exact replica of Belichick and “The Patriot Way,” which is a positive. His defense will most likely be strong, and players will rally for him. But how exactly will his coaching style be different from Belichick’s final years in New England? Offensively, the Patriots have struggled mightily since Tom Brady’s departure. The hiring of a defensive coach doesn’t inspire much confidence that this team will mesh well in an ever-changing offensive league.
Grade: C
Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce
Antonio Pierce had the interim tag removed, and he’s officially been named the Las Vegas Raiders’ new head coach. In most cases, hiring an inexperienced defensive head coach is a red flag in today’s offensively driven league, but in the case of Pierce, things seem different.
While Pierce’s 5-4 record may be uninspiring, it truly does not tell the full story. The Raiders boasted one of the NFL’s best defenses to end the year, and they enjoyed energized performances at all three phases of the game. It’s very clear that Pierce is a players’ coach and has full support from the entire locker room and fanbase. While riding the end-of-year momentum may be a risk, it would have seemed unreasonable to not give Pierce an opportunity. With the right offensive coordinator and an inspired roster, this Raiders team will be ready to compete sooner rather than later.
Grade: B
Inside the #Raiders locker room with HC Antonio Pierce… and just watch how Davante Adams is locked in on what he's saying.
The ending here is also great.
Pierce has brought a new energy to Vegas.pic.twitter.com/xolGcoJiLr
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 6, 2023
Tennessee Titans: Brian Callahan
The Tennessee Titans decided to move on from Mike Vrabel in hopes of modernizing their offense. The hiring of former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their new head coach will do just that. Callahan’s past success with quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford, Derek Carr, and Joe Burrow should create excitement for this franchise and current second-year quarterback Will Levis.
If there was one team that desperately desired an offensive influx, it was the Titans. With Vrabel and longtime running back Derrick Henry moving on, we will now see a Titans team utilize the strengths of its young quarterback talent rather than an offense centered around its running back. This Titans team required an offensive mind due to their surroundings within the division. Each AFC South rival is led by an exciting young quarterback and a strong offensive head coach or coordinator. The Titans realized this and made the correct move by emphasizing the development of their young quarterback.
Grade: A
Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh
The Los Angeles Chargers hiring Harbaugh was the best possible outcome. Although he’s been away from the NFL for a decade, his experience and winning history are a breath of fresh air for this struggling franchise.
When analyzing this Chargers roster, it’s very clear they are built to win immediately. Justin Herbert is one of the NFL’s elite young quarterbacks who’s had to cope with incompetent head coaching and three different offensive coordinators in his four-year career. Harbaugh will bring stability and discipline to a franchise that struggled to get over the hump, even with a top-10 roster at times. The one ambivalence is just how Harbaugh’s outdated style of offense will go over with the team and perform in a very different era of football.
Grade: A-
What's it like for Jim Harbaugh to get to work with Justin Herbert?
"It's why I've been waking up daily going, 'I got to bring it.'"
Jim Harbaugh talks about why he's making the move to the #NFL, Justin Herbert and what's happening with his chickens!#BoltUp #Chargers pic.twitter.com/Aru02dscT1
— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) February 2, 2024
Carolina Panthers: Dave Canales
Canales flew under the radar this cycle, accumulating little attention despite an influx of head coach and coordinator vacancies. Amidst excitement surrounding prized offensive coordinators Ben Johnson and Bobby Slowik, Canales quietly had an incredible year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a rejuvenated Baker Mayfield, earning himself a head coaching job.
Canales was also the man who aided Geno Smith to a Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year award with the Seattle Seahawks. It’s perplexing how such a talented offensive mind was disregarded, but full credit goes to the Carolina Panthers for swooping in swiftly and securing his services. Canales will be tasked with turning around a two-win Panthers team and giving life to No. 1 pick Bryce Young. His limited head coaching experience is worrisome, although his offensive expertise is proven, and that’s extremely critical in the NFL.
Grade: A+
Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris
This is a reunion of sorts as Morris returns to the Atlanta Falcons just four years after his five-year tenure with the team. This Morris signing comes with mixed emotions as he is a defensive head coach, which we’ve seen fail multiple times recently. Thankfully, Morris has brought along with him Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Zac Robinson as his offensive coordinator.
With the NFC South becoming such a poor division, Morris’ impact on this weak Falcons defense, along with Robinson’s creativity, makes for a promising offense. This Falcons team will be competing for the top of the division immediately. The concerns come long-term, as defensive head coaches typically begin to sputter when losing their star offensive coordinators. Just ask this year’s Seahawks how that went.
Grade: B
Seattle Seahawks: Mike Macdonald
The Seattle Seahawks moved on from the NFL’s oldest head coach, Pete Carroll (71), to the youngest head coach, Macdonald (36). Although vastly different in age, both coaches obtain the same principles and defense-first mentality. Macdonald helped the Baltimore Ravens’ defense become the No. 1 unit in points allowed this season, and they also tied for first in takeaways.
It’s clear that Macdonald is a defensive guru, and he’ll be surrounded by a young Seahawks defense loaded with talent. The concern? The NFC West boasts two offensive geniuses: San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. Meanwhile, Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon will likely be pairing electric quarterback Kyler Murray with a generational wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. Macdonald’s defense will need to be great, as they’ll consistently play elite offenses. He and the Seahawks will have a pivotal decision in the offensive coordinator hiring.
Grade: B-
Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn
After the Washington Commanders parted ways with head coach Ron Rivera, the rumors immediately began to swirl. Which offensive guru would the Commanders and new general manager Adam Peters pair with a potential franchise quarterback at pick No. 2? Well, the team has answered those questions slowly but surely. Ben Johnson and Bobby Slowik returned to their current teams, leaving Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the new man in charge.
Despite his defensive background, Quinn isn’t the worst possible head coaching hire. He has experience as a head coach and also transformed Dallas’ defense into one of the league’s best on an annual basis. With that said, one red flag is his struggles as the Atlanta Falcons coach following their iconic Super Bowl collapse against the New England Patriots. Then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s departure from the Falcons following that loss on the national stage left Quinn’s Falcons as a below-.500 team in his final years.
Most recently, the Commanders hired Kliff Kingsbury as their offensive coordinator. Kingsbury has not shown much growth or improvement since his first tenure as a coach in 2019. Pairing a struggling offensive coordinator with a failed head coach seems like a complete recipe for disaster.
Grade: D
Let the speculation begin: Kliff Kingsbury coached Caleb Williams last season. Williams was a standout QB at Gonzaga High School in Washington, D.C. The Commanders currently hold the No. 2 overall pick and are in striking distance of the No. 1 pick that belongs to Chicago. https://t.co/P9uZYvY648
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 5, 2024
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