Cowboys, Raiders, Saints, Jaguars' Top HC Options After Aaron Glenn's Jets Contract
Four NFL teams have head coaching vacancies remaining after the New York Jets hired Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Wednesday.
With that in mind, here's a look at the top potential options for the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Dallas Cowboys
- Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
- Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh
- Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier
- Colorado head coach Deion Sanders
Las Vegas Raiders
- Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll
- Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
- Former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera
- Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
New Orleans Saints
- New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi
- Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver
- New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka
- Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady
- Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
- Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham
Dallas Cowboys
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Dallas Cowboys
- Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
- Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh
- Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier
- Colorado head coach Deion Sanders
Jon Machota of The Athletic reported on Monday that "the front-runner right now" to become the Cowboys' next head coach is Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Moore was a backup quarterback in Dallas from 2015-2017 and then the team's offensive coordinator from 2019-2022. He's now excelling as the Eagles' OC as Philadelphia looks to make its second Super Bowl in three years.
Ex-Jets head coach Robert Saleh has received much interest in this head coaching cycle despite being fired following a 2-3 start this year, including from Dallas. He didn't fare well with the Jets (20-36), but he was also in a tough organization and in a bad spot for his time there. A fresh start could do him wonders.
Leslie Frazier once engineered a tremendous single-season turnaround as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach, guiding the team from 3-13 in year one to 10-6 in year two. The Vikings went 5-10-1 in his third year, leading to a parting of ways, but he's a successful longtime assistant who deserves another strong look as head coach somewhere.
There were some murmurings regarding mutual interest in Deion Sanders and the Cowboys, although that smoke has died down in recent days. Still, one can't ignore that the Pro Football Hall of Famer and ex-Cowboys great took a 1-11 Colorado team and made it a Top 25 AP poll finisher in two years.
Las Vegas Raiders
2 of 4
- Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll
- Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
- Former Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera
- Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
Per Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic, Carroll is the top option in Vegas now. He may be 73 years old, but the youthful Carroll found tremendous success at USC (two national titles) and the Seattle Seahawks (two NFC titles, one Super Bowl). He'd have plenty of work to do in Vegas, but Carroll would be up for the task.
The Raiders' offense has struggled for quite some time, but bringing in Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken could turn things around.
He's had success in past stops, including with the Tampa Bay Buccaners as their OC from 2016-2018 as well as Georgia's OC from 2020-2022. He's done quite well for himself as the Ravens' OC too, so it's easy to see why the Raiders are interested.
Ex-Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera has gotten a look. The 63-year-old shined in Carolina, leading the Panthers to the playoffs four times from 2011-2019. The Panthers went 15-1 in 2015 en route to an NFC title.
He found some success in Washington, leading the team to an NFC East title in 2020 (albeit with a 7-9 record). It didn't work as well for him in Washington down the stretch, but he has a track record of success overall.
Spagnuolo has won four Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator, three with the Kansas City Chiefs and one with the New York Giants. He got a head coaching shot with the St. Louis Rams following his time with the Giants, but he went 10-38 in three seasons before being fired. That was 14 years ago, though, and Spagnuolo has found much success since.
New Orleans Saints
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New Orleans Saints
- New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi
- Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver
- New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka
- Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
Darren Rizzi, the Saints' former special teams coordinator, went 3-5 as the team's interim head coach after head coach Dennis Allen was fired. He brought some stability to the team after a seven-game losing streak led to Allen being let go and should get a good look.
Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has fared well with his one year in town, turning a team that was 22nd in scoring in 2023 into 10th in scoring defense in 2024. The pressure was on the D to perform this year, especially with the offense taking a big step back. Miami's defense did its part, leading to Weaver getting looks in this coaching cycle, including New Orleans.
New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has been brought in for a second interview. He was officially and unquestionably the team's playcaller for one year (2022), when the team was 15th in scoring. Head coach Brian Daboll took over playcalling at times in 2023 and then did it full time in 2024, and the team was 30th and 31st in scoring.
Kafka is better than the team's performance implies, and it's clear New Orleans is interested, especially given his past work with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2017-2021 (Patrick Mahomes' quarterbacks coach from 2018-2021).
Mike McCarthy may have been let go from his two previous stops in the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, but his teams win more often than not, going 185-123-2 during his time. His teams have made the playoffs on 12 occasions, and he'll be brought in for an interview, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
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Jacksonville Jaguars
4 of 4
- Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady
- Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
- Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham
It's clear the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted a bright offensive mind with their next head coach given the team's interest in Ben Johnson and Liam Coen. But Johnson is now the Chicago Bears' head coach, and Coen is staying as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator.
Now there's chaos in Duval County as the Jags have parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke even though their offseason began 17 days ago.
So it's unclear where Jacksonville goes from here. However, if the Jags still want bright offensive minds, they should look at Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady and Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, whose teams are playing in conference championship games and finished second and fifth in scoring, respectively, in the league.
But there are other good options as well. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores just led the No. 5 scoring defense in football, and he found success in his lone head coaching stop in the Miami Dolphins, leading them to back-to-back winning seasons in 2020 and 2021.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has also gotten a second interview with Jacksonville and should merit serious interest. The 45-year-old has coached in the NFL since 2009 and won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots as their linebackers coach in 2014.
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