The next NFL coaching cycle is shaping up to be particularly dramatic, mainly because of two big names: Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh. The first was mom on her future with the Patriots as he closes out the worst season of his storied career, while the latter has taken steps to potentially make a long-rumored jump into college football.
Besides Belichick and Harbaugh, however, there are plenty of other candidates to land new jobs who already have head coaching experience. Here’s a look at some of the best “retread” opportunities, or potential 2024 hires who have already held top positions:
Note: Any current head coach who gets fired this offseason would obviously also be eligible for this list, including Ron Rivera of the Commanders. However, for the purposes of this exercise, only current non-HCs were considered.
7. Vic Fangio
Actual job: DC Dolphins | Last HC job: Broncos (2019-2021)
Miami’s defense has certainly improved under his leadership, entering Week 18 ranked 9th in yards allowed per game. It has also been seriously distorted in some key places this year. And we’re only two years removed from him going 17-31 as Denver’s leader. He’ll surely get a glimpse or two, but at 65, he might be better suited to stay in a coordinator role.
6. Raheem Morris
Actual job: Rams DC | Last HC job: Buccaneers (2009–2011)
The Rams no longer have an elite defense, but Morris helped lead Sean McVay to another playoff run after a roster deconstruction before 2023, and he oversaw L.A.’s “D” when the club won the Super Bowl in 2021. He was only 32 years old. when he got his first chance at a top job in 2009, and he is widely respected for his leadership.
5. Steve Spagnuolo
Actual job: DC Chiefs | Last HC job: Rams (2009-2011)
Like Vic Fangio, and even current head coaches such as Dennis Allen and Todd Bowles, Spagnuolo, 64, might be better off as second-in-command, focused solely on defense. After all, he only went 10-38 as coach of the Rams years ago and earned his three Super Bowl rings as coordinator. But he’s now overseen three top-10 defenses in the past four years — the best stretch of his career — and the Chiefs “D” carries KC’s latest playoff push even more than Patrick Mahomes.
4. Steve Wilks
Actual job: 49ers D.C. | Last HC job: Cardinals (2018)
Wilks had just one year as Arizona’s leader in 2018, when the team went 3-13 with Josh Rosen under center. He fared much better with a struggling Panthers team in 2022, going 6-6 on an interim basis before owner David Tepper replaced him with Frank Reich, who of course has since been fired himself . Wilks allows San Francisco to play with the same tenacious edge it possessed under DeMeco Ryans, helping Kyle Shanahan put the 49ers on another path to the NFC title game.
3. Dan Quinn
Actual job: DC Cowboys | Last HC job: Falcons (2015-2020)
Excited as a candidate to return to a top job for years, Quinn is poised to finish 2023 after leading the Cowboys to three different top-five finishes as a defensive scorer, even with star corner Trevon Diggs out of the lineup. table due to injury this year. . He also has a winning record as a head coach, going 43-42 in over five years in Atlanta, including reaching the Super Bowl in 2016. Quinn is highly regarded as a leader, so the only concern is whether he’s adaptable enough to build an entire team.
2. Jim Schwartz
Actual job: BrownsDC | Last HC job: Lions (2009–2013)
The longtime coordinator led just one winning season in five years as Detroit’s coach, but he also led the franchise’s first playoff bid in more than a decade, bringing an edge physical to an otherwise listless team. Since then, he has helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl as a DC, helped lead the Titans to a 12-win season as Mike Vrabel’s lead assistant during ‘s Coach of the Year season the latter, and is currently helping the Browns to an improbable playoff run. appearance while overseeing one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL. Schwartz’s hard-nosed approach may be old school, but his resume warrants another upward search.
1. Brian Flores
Actual job: VikingsDC | Last HC job: Dolphins (2019–2021)
It’s pretty obvious that the Dolphins made the right choice in replacing Flores with Mike McDaniel, who unlocked Tua Tagovailoa in an offensive-minded league. But that doesn’t take away from Flores’ ability to maximize certain talents, which he did in Minnesota, keeping the injury-riddled Vikings in the playoffs much longer than expected. Although he only finished 24-25 in Miami, he also guided the Dolphins’ first consecutive winning seasons since 2002-2003. At 42 years old, with four Super Bowl titles under his belt as Bill Belichick’s understudy, it would be a shock if he didn’t get another serious shot at a job.