Every year, NFL fans want to know who the hot head coaching candidates are around the league. With training camp for the 2025 season underway, why not get ahead of the curve and identify some breakout coaches for next year’s hiring cycle?
Of the seven new NFL head coaching hires made in 2025, five are first-time hires. Retread hires are not as likely in the NFL as they are in other major sports, so it is important to know which coaches are on the rise.
For the sake of this exercise, I will not include coaches with previous NFL head coaching experience. This means that notable coordinators like Brian Flores, Kliff Kingsbury, and Steve Spagnuolo are ineligible to make the list. However, there’s a strong chance they may get head coaching jobs down the line.
Arizona Cardinals
Drew Petzing, Offensive Coordinator
Entering his third year as the offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, Drew Petzing has a lot to prove. However, NFL teams have seen enough promise out of him to believe he could be a rising star.
Before their bye week in 2024, the Cardinals were 6-4 and in prime position for a playoff opportunity. With Petzing calling the shots, they placed fifth in Offense+ last season, and he got an interview for Chicago’s head coaching opening this offseason. If Arizona can turn that potential into wins, Petzing will get a lot more looks in the 2026 cycle.
Atlanta Falcons
Zac Robinson, Offensive Coordinator
Like Arizona, the Atlanta Falcons started incredibly hot but cooled off as the 2024 season continued. Part of that was due to Zac Robinson’s performance as their offensive play-caller.
Robinson, 38, comes from the highly regarded Sean McVay tree, having been the Rams’ passing game coordinator in 2022 and 2023 before his promotion in Atlanta. He has a big opportunity to become a strong head coaching candidate if the Falcons’ passing game performs well with Michael Penix Jr. now under center.
Baltimore Ravens
Todd Monken, Offensive Coordinator
Defensive coordinator Zach Orr deserves a shoutout, as he’s only 33 years old but helped lead the Baltimore Ravens to a top-tier defense in 2024. However, with four head coaching interviews in the 2025 cycle, Todd Monken is clearly a name NFL teams have on the radar.
Imagine if the Ravens had a Todd Monken type of OC earlier in Lamar Jackson’s career pic.twitter.com/XCXltpTqOG
— LamarMuse (@Lamarmusee) July 21, 2025
Monken’s Ravens had the second-best Offense+ grade in the league last year, and Lamar Jackson has been a first-team All-Pro in two of the three seasons he’s been offensive coordinator. With an incredible run game and a dynamic passing attack, he’s elevated Baltimore’s offense to another level.
Buffalo Bills
Joe Brady, Offensive Coordinator
Joe Brady has been deemed a future NFL head coach since 2019, when he won the Broyles Award as the best assistant coach in college football. Then LSU’s wide receivers coach in their championship run, overseeing Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, Brady has grown a lot since jumping to the NFL level.
A rocky stint as the offensive coordinator in Carolina dimmed his shine a bit, but Brady has helped Josh Allen secure an MVP and elevate his game even further. The Bills placed fourth in Offense+ and scored the second-most points in the NFL last season. Still only 35, he’ll be a head coach in the league sooner rather than later at this rate.
Carolina Panthers
Ejiro Evero, Defensive Coordinator
It hasn’t been easy going for Ejiro Evero as a defensive coordinator. He took on the role as Denver’s defensive coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett’s disastrous lone season as their head coach and was not retained. He’s been the DC for the Carolina Panthers for what will be three seasons this fall and hasn’t had much to work with.
Despite this, Evero is still highly regarded around the league. He’s 44 years old and has worked under some of the best, including Vic Fangio, Wade Phillips, and Jim Harbaugh. With Carolina’s investment in their defensive line this offseason, Evero could show the world his full potential.
Chicago Bears
Declan Doyle, Offensive Coordinator
The Chicago Bears made waves by hiring Ben Johnson as their new head coach this offseason. Lost in the shuffle was the hiring of Declan Doyle, who is one of just two coordinators in the NFL younger than 30 years old.
Doyle has spent much of his coaching career under Sean Payton, having started in the NFL as an offensive assistant under him in New Orleans. When Payton came out of retirement, he recruited Doyle as his tight ends coach in Denver. His rise up the coaching ranks has been meteoric, and working with Johnson could also be huge for his career.
Cincinnati Bengals
Dan Pitcher, Offensive Coordinator
In Dan Pitcher’s first season as the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive coordinator, Joe Burrow led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. Previously, their quarterbacks coach, Pitcher, came from a scouting background but transitioned into coaching in 2016 and has risen up Cincinnati’s ranks ever since.
A former quarterback at Colgate, Pitcher has plenty of tools to work with going into 2025. With their dynamic wide receiver duo, a solid pass-catching tight end and an electric young running back, the Bengals should make plenty of noise on offense. That will be a great look on Pitcher if they do.
Cleveland Browns
Tommy Rees, Offensive Coordinator
Still young at just 33 years old, Tommy Rees has four seasons of experience as an offensive coordinator going into his new role with the Cleveland Browns. The former Notre Dame quarterback became OC at his alma mater at just 27, jumping to Alabama in 2023 before Nick Saban’s retirement that following offseason.
Rees has his work cut out for him going into 2025. Cleveland doesn’t have a starting quarterback yet, and their group of weapons in the passing game is relatively thin. However, a halfway respectable performance from their offense would be a massive feather in his cap.
Dallas Cowboys
Dave Borgonzi, Linebackers Coach
Dave Borgonzi has been a linebackers coach under Matt Eberflus since 2018, going back to their days in Indianapolis. He had a three-year stint in Chicago when Eberflus was their head coach, and he jumped to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason.
Borgonzi’s time in that role has seen him oversee the growth of players like Shaquille Leonard, Zaire Franklin, Bobby Okereke, Roquan Smith, and TJ Edwards. It will be interesting to see his influence on the plays of Kenneth Murray Jr. and DeMarvion Overshown in Dallas.
Denver Broncos
Davis Webb, Passing Game Coordinator
After retiring as a player in 2022, Davis Webb immediately joined the coaches’ ranks as the Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks coach. After two seasons in that role and overseeing Bo Nix’s strong rookie year in the process, Webb got the passing game coordinator title added to his name going into 2025.
When Davis Webb is a head coach somewhere in the NFL in a few years, he’ll be able to show his players what happens if you get in Davis Webb’s way: pic.twitter.com/J6V6eLbpbh
— Honest NFL (@TheHonestNFL) January 10, 2023
Webb is entering just his third season as an NFL coach, but he’s 30 years old with a boatload of upside. Working under Sean Payton has done wonders for his coaching career. If the Broncos continue to perform like they did last year on offense, Webb will only continue to climb the ranks.
Detroit Lions
Hank Fraley, Offensive Line Coach
The Detroit Lions lost much of their coaching staff with both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn leaving their coordinator roles for head coaching gigs elsewhere. Despite that, they retained a key assistant this offseason in Hank Fraley.
In addition to their offensive line coach, Fraley will now be Detroit’s run game coordinator starting in 2025. Under his tutelage, the Lions have consistently had one of the best offensive lines in the league, and he’s helped send Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, Taylor Decker, and Jonah Jackson to Pro Bowls for the first time in their careers.
Green Bay Packers
Jeff Hafley, Defensive Coordinator
Poor defensive play has hurt the Green Bay Packers during much of Matt LaFleur’s tenure as their head coach. That changed in 2024 after the appointment of Jeff Hafley as their new defensive coordinator.
The former head coach at Boston College, Hafley, turned Green Bay’s defense into a top-ten unit, returning most of its starters from a group that ranked 23rd the year before. If the Packers continue to develop on defense, he’ll be highly in demand when head coaching interviews pick up.
Houston Texans
Nick Caley, Offensive Coordinator
With Bobby Slowik out the door, the Houston Texans turned to Nick Caley as their new offensive coordinator this offseason. He comes from the Sean McVay tree, having been the Rams’ passing game coordinator last season.
Caley was most notably the tight ends coach in New England during part of Rob Gronkowski’s tenure with the team. The Texans have a healthy offense to start 2025, which was a big issue for them last year. If they can put together a strong performance, Caley will likely get head coaching looks the way Slowik did in 2023.
Indianapolis Colts
Alex Tanney, Passing Game Coordinator
After spending nine seasons as a journeyman backup quarterback, Alex Tanney entered the coaching ranks in 2021. He’s risen his way up the ranks quickly, starting off in Philadelphia and climbing to quarterbacks coach before taking the passing game coordinator job with the Indianapolis Colts.
KEEP READING: Daniel Jones Predicted To Beat Out Anthony Richardson in Highly Anticipated Colts’ QB1 Battle
Tanney stems from the Nick Sirianni tree that has already turned Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore into head coaches. If Tanney can fix Anthony Richardson or revive Daniel Jones’ career as a starting quarterback, he’ll be highly sought after in league circles.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Grant Udinski, Offensive Coordinator
Only 29 years old, Grant Udinski spent the previous three seasons in Minnesota climbing the ranks as an assistant coach under Kevin O’Connell. The promotion came as somewhat of a surprise this early, but it shows how highly he’s viewed in the NFL.
Udinski’s aggressive work ethic had the Vikings organization raving about him leading up to his departure for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Working with another strong offensive mind in Liam Coen should only continue to help his standing around the league.
Kansas City Chiefs
Dave Toub, Special Teams Coordinator
Both the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive and defensive coordinators are former NFL head coaches, making them ineligible for this list. However, their special teams coordinator, Dave Toub, is one of the greatest coaches of the so-called “third phase.”
Since joining the Chiefs in 2013, Toub has had six players make Pro Bowl appearances on special teams. He was previously the special teams coordinator in Chicago, overseeing Pro Bowlers like Devin Hester, Robbie Gould, Brendon Ayanbadejo, and Johnny Knox.
Las Vegas Raiders
Conner McQueen, Offensive Quality Control Coach
Conner McQueen is currently one of the more interesting assistant coaches in the NFL. A protégé of Lincoln Riley, McQueen spent the previous two seasons as the offensive coordinator for Incarnate Word, leading one of the top offenses in the FCS.
Incarnate Word OC Conner McQueen – Progressive Install
– 1st Install = Base
– 2nd Install = Tempo
– 3rd Install = MotionUIW Clinic https://t.co/fXU1sUuQcX
Complete List of THSCA Clinics 50% Off https://t.co/2W2B107yQl pic.twitter.com/e5H3G0kkPw
— James Light (@JamesALight) December 19, 2024
McQueen is only 31 years old and has plenty of room to continue to climb the ranks as an offensive mind. Working under a legendary head coach like Pete Carroll with the Las Vegas Raiders should only strengthen his resume.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jesse Minter, Defensive Coordinator
Before Jesse Minter’s arrival as defensive coordinator in 2024, the Los Angeles Chargers ranked in the bottom ten in Defense+ for three consecutive seasons. Once he arrived, they placed fourth in the entire league.
Minter was an excellent defensive coordinator at Michigan for Jim Harbaugh from 2022 to 2023, and he kept that reputation in his move to the NFL. He’s one of the top defensive minds in the game today and feels like a future head coach sooner rather than later.
Los Angeles Rams
Aubrey Pleasant, Passing Game Coordinator
Aubrey Pleasant has an interesting background, as he’s coached on both sides of the ball during his time in the NFL. The passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 was promoted to assistant head coach in 2024.
The Rams have a talented defensive line but didn’t invest too much in their secondary this offseason. If Pleasant can get the most out of a makeshift unit in 2025, he could end up promoted to a defensive coordinator job elsewhere in the next coaching cycle.
Miami Dolphins
Anthony Weaver, Defensive Coordinator
Offensive coordinator Frank Smith also deserves recognition here, because when the Miami Dolphins get clicking on offense, they’re very tough to stop. However, going with the more proven commodity in Anthony Weaver makes sense.
Weaver interviewed for the head coaching vacancies in Chicago and New Orleans in the 2025 coaching cycle. He’ll have his work cut out for him this year with the Dolphins’ lackluster secondary, but he’s a bright enough defensive mind that he should be able to elevate the unit.
Minnesota Vikings
Wes Phillips, Offensive Coordinator
Wes Phillips is the son of Wade Phillips and the grandson of the late Bum Phillips. Needless to say, coaching runs in his blood. However, while both of his relatives focused on the defensive side, he’s seen his coaching success come on the offensive side of the ball.
In addition to his father, Phillips worked under the likes of Sean McVay, Jason Garrett, and Jay Gruden before arriving in his current role with the Minnesota Vikings. He’s been Kevin O’Connell’s right-hand man since 2022, and he seems due for more consideration for a head coaching gig down the stretch.
New England Patriots
Thomas Brown, Passing Game Coordinator
Thomas Brown has had a rollercoaster ride throughout his NFL coaching career. He was a highly-touted assistant under Sean McVay before getting an offensive coordinator job with the Panthers that only lasted one season. He went to Chicago as a passing game coordinator, becoming their interim OC and head coach as his colleagues got fired.
Brown now heads to the New England Patriots as their passing game coordinator and tight ends coach. He’s had some roadblocks on his journey to becoming a formidable NFL head coaching candidate, but he’s back on track to climb the ranks once again.
New Orleans Saints
Scott Tolzien, Quarterbacks Coach
Most notably a journeyman backup quarterback for a few years, Scott Tolzien became a coach in 2019 and has been climbing up the ranks. He spent the last two seasons as the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach before leaving this offseason to take the same role with the New Orleans Saints.
Tolzien gets to work with the Saints’ unproven quarterback room in hopes of molding one of them to become their franchise quarterback. It’s no easy task, but if he can do that, he’ll surely get offensive coordinator looks and continue the upward momentum he’s seen in recent years.
New York Giants
Shane Bowen, Defensive Coordinator
Heading into his fifth year as an NFL defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen has an opportunity to make some noise with the New York Giants this season. Additions like Abdul Carter, Jevon Holland, and Paulson Adebo only strengthened a unit that had some star power to begin with.
A serious head coaching look might not come for Bowen this year, as Brian Daboll enters 2025 on a relatively hot seat. His best-case scenario would be for him to stay on as a defensive coordinator past this season, either with the Giants or elsewhere, as he continues to prove his worth as a bright defensive mind.
New York Jets
Tanner Engstrand, Offensive Coordinator
The New York Jets made a tremendous call bringing Tanner Engstrand over from Detroit after they hired Aaron Glenn to be their new head coach. The former passing game coordinator for the Lions was Ben Johnson’s second in command and now has the chance to call plays for an NFL offense.
This excerpt from @ZackBlatt on Jets new OC Tanner Engstrand should make Jets fans feel good heading into next season. (especially coming off Nate Hackett!!) And the offense should be fun and dynamic with Fields in the fold. The running game w/ him & Breece could be electric pic.twitter.com/WEfEYKPVnA
— Scott Messina (@TheScottyMoose) March 10, 2025
Granted, expectations for the Jets and their offense aren’t exactly high going into 2025. But Engstrand has shown more than enough promise to indicate he’ll be able to elevate their unit, whether it’s this season or in years to come.
Philadelphia Eagles
Kevin Patullo, Offensive Coordinator
Since coming over from Indianapolis in 2021, Kevin Patullo has gotten three promotions in five years from the Philadelphia Eagles. After a successful stint as their passing game coordinator in a Super Bowl-winning season, he’s tasked with replacing new Saints head coach Kellen Moore as the offensive coordinator.
Patullo bounced around the league for a bit in the 2010s but started climbing the ranks more after landing as an assistant coach under Frank Reich. He comes from the same tree that roots up to Doug Pederson and has had Reich, Nick Sirianni, Shane Steichen, and Moore promoted to NFL head coaching roles. He’s in good hands.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Teryl Austin, Defensive Coordinator
Teryl Austin is an unconventional choice looking at this list, seeing as though he’s the oldest coach on it at 60 years old. However, his know-how as a defensive mind is undeniable and could earn him a head coaching promotion sometime in the next few years.
Austin led the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense to an NFL-best turnovers forced in 2024. They’ve consistently been in the top half of the league since he became their defensive coordinator in 2022. Going into his ninth year as an NFL defensive coordinator, he’s a safe bet to get a good performance out of his players.
San Francisco 49ers
Leonard Hankerson, Wide Receivers Coach
A third-round pick as a wide receiver in 2011, Leonard Hankerson had a brief playing career before becoming a coach in 2016. In that time, he quickly rose from being a high school wide receivers coach to becoming the wide receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
Under Hankerson’s watch, Brandon Aiyuk turned from a strong complementary weapon to an All-Pro talent. He played a role in Jauan Jennings’ development from a backup into having a 975-yard campaign in 2024. His wide receivers’ performance and relationship with Kyle Shanahan give him promotion potential in the near future.
Seattle Seahawks
Jay Harbaugh, Special Teams Coach
The son of Jim Harbaugh and the nephew of John Harbaugh, Jay Harbaugh spent 2015 through 2023 moving up the ranks at Michigan for his father. Rather than follow his father to Los Angeles, Harbaugh took a job as the Seattle Seahawks’ special teams coach under Mike Macdonald, who spent time coaching under both of his relatives.
We’ve seen the sons of NFL head coaches get jobs just about everywhere in the league. Though Harbaugh’s special teams unit in Seattle had some growing pains last year, he’s still just 36 years old and has plenty of years of coaching left ahead of him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josh Grizzard, Offensive Coordinator
Josh Grizzard was the passing game coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, when Baker Mayfield placed third in the NFL in passing yards and tied for second in passing touchdowns. With Liam Coen now the head coach in Jacksonville, Grizzard gets the chance to call plays in Tampa Bay in 2025.
Grizzard comes from an interesting background, as he was his high school class’s valedictorian and went to Yale for college. He was the wide receivers coach for the Dolphins in 2020 and 2021, the latter year seeing Jaylen Waddle reach 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie under Grizzard’s tutelage.
Tennessee Titans
Dennard Wilson, Defensive Coordinator
A team captain defensive back at Maryland in his playing days, Dennard Wilson was a defensive backs coach in the NFL for nine seasons, serving in that role for the Rams, Jets, Eagles, and Ravens. Since 2024, he’s been the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans went through growing pains in Wilson’s first season as their defensive coordinator, finishing 22nd in Defense+ in 2024. With offseason additions like Cody Barton, Dre’Mont Jones, Xavier Woods, and Femi Oladejo, there’s reason to believe Wilson has more to work with going into Year 2.
Washington Commanders
Brian Johnson, Passing Game Coordinator
Things looked optimistic for Brian Johnson heading into 2023. He had just been promoted as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles after spending the previous two seasons as the quarterbacks coach in the early years of Jalen Hurts’ development. However, his offense stalled late in the year, and he was fired after just one year in the role.
Luckily for Johnson, he seems to have bounced back as the passing game coordinator for the Washington Commanders. Jayden Daniels had one of the most notable rookie seasons for a quarterback in recent memory under Johnson’s tutelage. With another strong year in 2025, he should be primed to return to an offensive coordinator role in the NFL very soon.
