Under-the-Radar Head Coaching Hires That Make Too Much Sense to Happen
The NFL playoffs are underway, but there's always more than just the games going on in the NFL. This time of year, that means it's the annual NFL coaching hiring cycle.
The New England Patriots have already made a decision on who will lead their team this season, bringing in longtime Patriot and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. But the drama-meter on this year's goings-on skyrocketed when the Dallas Cowboys announced that Mike McCarthy would not be returning in 2025.
With six teams still looking for a coach, plenty of potential candidates are being discussed—usual and unusual alike. Rex Ryan is shamelessly lobbying for another shot with the New York Jets—for all the good it's doing him. Bill Belichick already has a job (In college. Don't Ask. I don't get it either). And if Belichick's not old enough for you, multiple teams may be interested in Pete Carroll.
It's a trap that NFL teams fall into all the time—hiring more "proven" candidates who wind up proving why they aren't still at the job that made them, you know, "proven." Too few organizations are willing to gamble on young coordinators who, while long on knowledge and potential, are short on experience.
OK, a couple will--for the hottest names. Ben Johnson will be a head coach in 2025. Aaron Glenn may join him (The Lions? Who Knew?). But more often than not, head coaching searches follow a predictable path.
However, for every coaching vacancy out there, there's a candidate who would inspire shrugs (at best) from the fan base. Hirings that would be blasted by many in the media.
And coaches who could pay off big down the road.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Miami Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver
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"Under the radar" is a relative term in this article—many of these young coaches already have or will interview for head coaching jobs this cycle. Others have had interviews in the past but just never quite got over the hump.
Generally speaking, it's wise in today's NFL to hand the reins of a team over to an offensive-minded head coach. Most of the names mentioned here will hail from that side of the ball. But when your team finished the season dead last in the AFC in defense, it might be a good idea to consider going with a head coach who specializes on that side of the ball.
The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to know that—more than one of the interviews the team has conducted (or will conduct) has been with a defensive coordinator—Steve Spagnuolo of the Chiefs and Aaron Glenn of the Lions have already reportedly been interviewed, and Minnesota's Brian Flores is also on their list of candidates.
Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is not—but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be.
Weaver has just one year as a coordinator in the NFL, but over a decade as an assistant and seven seasons as a player. Despite significant injuries and more than a few roster deficiencies, Weaver's Miami Dolphins defense was fourth in yards allowed, ninth against the pass and sixth in third down conversion percentage.
Weaver is smart enough to know what he doesn't know. He'd bring in a bright young offensive coordinator to work with Trevor Lawrence and a young Jaguars offense that isn't short on talent. That would free him up to focus on a defense that surrendered almost 390 yards and 25.6 points per game last year.
Chicago Bears: Atlanta Falcons OC Zac Robinson
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It would take less time to mention the coaches the Chicago Bears haven't interviewed this year than to mention the ones they have or will. The Bears have interviewed nine candidates so far and have nine more in the hopper.
Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson isn't on that list—but an argument can be made he should be.
The Falcons missed the postseason in 2024, but even with what's left of Kirk Cousins running the offense most of the year, the team was still sixth in yards per game. Before working with the Falcons, Robinson was an assistant with the Rams and a private quarterback coach before that.
That's all well and good, but it's that time with Sean McVay that should appeal to the Bears—because as young as he is (38), his coaching tree is already bearing fruit.
"The McVay coaching tree already has impressive branches with Matt LaFleur in Green Bay and Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota," Tom Pelissero of NFL.com wrote. "It's very early, but Robinson is a high-level thinker who's detailed, organized, demanding and charismatic—traits that usually lead to an opportunity sooner than later."
Given some of the names on Chicago's wish list (Pete Carroll, Ron Rivera, Mike McCarthy), the Bears appear inclined to go with a bigger name—likely in part to appease their fanbase.
But Chicago's first and only priority should be finding a coach who can develop Caleb Williams. As is happens, developing quarterbacks is what Robinson does.
It can be argued Michael Penix Jr. looked better in a few starts than Williams did all season.
Dallas Cowboys: Philadelphia Eagles OC Kellen Moore
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"Under the radar" is definitely a relative concept for the Dallas Cowboys. Team owner Jerry Jones is known for being a great many things—quiet and reserved are not among them. Every big name available in this coaching cycle will be mentioned in connection with the Dallas job.
But the Cowboys don't need to lure Bill Belichick away from whatever he's doing at North Carolina. They don't need to lure Pete Carroll out of retirement. And for the love of all that is good and pure, the Cowboys don't need the circus that would be Deion Sanders in Dallas.
Seriously. No. Just no.
What the Cowboys could use, however, is a familiar face. A coach that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is familiar with.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is the most prominent name on this list—he's been an OC the past six seasons, including four in Dallas. As Matthew Holleran wrote for Blogging the Boys, those four seasons were among the best of Prescott's career.
"Under Moore, the Cowboys were consistently one of the best offenses in football," he said. "The 35-year-old did plenty of good things during his time in Dallas, but arguably the best thing he did was get the most out of Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott had two of the best seasons of his nine-year career with Moore as his offensive coordinator. Even with an injury-shortened season in 2020 and undoubtedly the unluckiest year of his pro career in 2022, Prescott was one of the NFL's best during the four years Moore was Dallas' OC."
There's nothing Jones wants more than a fourth Super Bowl. He's not getting one without Prescott playing at an elite level. And Moore has already demonstrated he can get that level of play out of him.
Sorry, Prime Time.
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Las Vegas Raiders: Carolina Panthers DC Ejiro Evero
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To be clear, were the Las Vegas Raiders to hire Ejiro Evero as their next head coach, the fanbase would likely riot. The same folks who cheered Antonio Pierce would jeer Evero. And that's justified to an extent—the Carolina Panthers fielded the worst defense in the entire NFL last year.
However, before we go any further, let's get one thing straight—it's hardly Evero's fault that Carolina's defense struggled. Carolina's edge-rushers were a menagerie of maybe in 2024, and by the end of the year the team's starting linebackers were Sal the Nacho Vendor and Mike the Parking Lot Attendant.
Despite those struggles, Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters that he never considered making a change at DC in 2025.
"Yeah, I've played against this defense," Canales told reporters. "I've played against it in Seattle with the Rams for a bunch of years. I played against it twice last year. I know what this defense will look like. And I'm committed to that; Ejiro's committed to that."
It's not just Evero's defensive acumen that makes him an attractive coaching candidate, though. He's something of a coaching unicorn—over 17 NFL seasons, Evero has coached defense, offense and special teams. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams as a secondary coach—and passing game coordinator.
The Raiders need help in every facet of the game. An experienced assistant in his first head coaching gig surrounded by young, up-and-coming assistants would admittedly be another unconventional hire.
But hiring a retread to run a rebuild is a good way to spend the next three years in the Jeff Fisher zone.
Hey, Fisher is only 66. Maybe the Raiders can lure him away from his role as commissioner of Arena Football One.
That's not made up. I think.
New York Jets: Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady
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OK, this one may be stretching "under the radar" a little—Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is a relatively hot name in this coaching cycle. But given the 15-plus interviews the Jets either have already conducted or will conduct, just about everyone is on their radar anyway.
Just please—stop with the Rex Ryan talk. Jets fans have suffered enough. It hasn't been that long since we saw a bombastic ex-coach leave broadcasting to return to coaching after a long hiatus.
Ask the Raiders how that worked out.
Brady has had something of a roller-coaster NFL career—a red-hot name after running the offense for arguably the best single-season college football team in history, Brady hitched his wagon to Matt Rhule in Carolina and wound up a fired scapegoat for Rhule's failures. Brady ended up in Buffalo, where he took over as offensive coordinator midway through the 2023 campaign.
Now, having Josh Allen under center makes an offensive coordinator's job easier, but despite a less-than-stellar wideout corps, the Bills are one of the NFL's highest-scoring offenses and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
While speaking to reporters, Allen made it clear he hopes that Brady remains in his current role in 2025.
"He's been fantastic," Allen said. "You know, coming into that situation last year... It's not easy to switch play-callers midyear, and he came in and from that day on, if you look at our splits, our success that we've had as a team, it's noticeable. He's one of the most positive guys in the building. He's always got juice and energy for the guys. I think that's something that we love and appreciate about him. He's as real as they come."
That's the icing on the cake—not only do the Jets get better, but the Bills get worse.
New Orleans Saints: Houston Texans OC Bobby Slowik
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This last one will draw an eye roll or two among some who will argue Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik isn't really "under the radar." This writer would counter that the percentage of Americans who know who the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans is isn't especially large.
Plus, it's my column. So there.
Slowik's stock had faded a bit as the season wore on—the Houston offense struggled down the stretch, in part because Slowik can at times be too insistent on early-down runs. But in Houston's Wild Card Round thrashing of the Los Angeles Chargers, Slowik flipped the script—and the Texans eviscerated one of the league's best defenses.
The willingness to deviate from "the plan" is what separates good coaches from great coaches. That isn't to say that Slowik is a great coach—but he's just 37 and has mostly excelled since getting his first coordinator gig with DeMeco Ryans in 2023. Slowik also has 11 years of NFL experience and ties to Kyle Shanahan.
Frankly, how the Saints treat this coaching hire is almost as important as who they hire. The Saints are on the precipice—a franchise that needs to decide whether to rebuild or jump with both feet into the abyss that is the Jeff Fisher zone.
Hire a young offensive coach like Slowik. Be patient while the team pulls itself from salary-cap purgatory. And then reap the rewards when the young offense he helped build finally clicks.
Or, do the same thing as the past few years, break out 11 rolls of duct tape and hope Slowik can scheme a flawed team to 10 wins and the postseason.
Whatever works.
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