After ‘Black Monday’ bloodletting, sports pundits enumerate the candidates who may become new head coaches for next season
The end of the NFL regular season marks its annual bloodbath, when the coaching carousel spins faster than the news cycle can keep up.
The grim day is often called “Black Monday,” which has come and gone, and with it a flood of accomplished coaches suddenly looking for work. Familiar names, once fixtures on sidelines, are now free agents in a league that rarely waits long to fill a vacuum.
Who was fired this past week?
This winter’s purge was especially dramatic. The Atlanta Falcons dismissed Raheem Morris. The Cleveland Browns cut ties with Kevin Stefanski. The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Pete Carroll, while the Arizona Cardinals ended the Jonathan Gannon experiment. And then came the stunner: After 18 seasons, the Baltimore Ravens parted ways with John Harbaugh. Those exits followed in-season firings of New York Giants coach Brian Daboll and Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan, leaving seven head-coaching vacancies and a leaguewide sense that change is the only constant, ESPN reports.
The body count continues to rise as the Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniels, the worldwide sports leader announced on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Who are the probable candidates to fill the vacancies?
So who’s next? While buzz has swirled around popular names like Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Bills OC Joe Brady and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, the best candidates aren’t always the loudest ones. Sometimes, the most compelling hires are hiding in plain sight.
At the back of the list is Kliff Kingsbury, Washington’s former offensive coordinator. His first head-coaching run in Arizona was uneven, producing a 28-37-1 record, and his 2025 season with the Commanders was derailed by injuries to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Still, offensive creativity never goes out of style, and Kingsbury remains a respected schematic mind at just 46 years old.
Vance Joseph finds himself in a similar redemption arc. The Broncos’ defensive coordinator already knows what it’s like to sit in the big chair in Denver — and how unforgiving it can be. His 11-21 record as head coach still follows him, but Joseph’s defenses have consistently been excellent. With patience and the right opening, a second chance feels inevitable.
Other coaching candidates
Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley represents the classic riser. His unit took a step back after losing Micah Parsons, but that regression was understandable. In his first season running the Packers’ defense, Hafley’s group finished sixth in points allowed and fourth in takeaways. Coaches around the league rave about his obsession with teaching, and with the right offensive partner, his head-coaching ceiling is high.
The Rams’ Chris Shula and Chargers’ Jesse Minter are cut from similar cloth: modern defensive architects thriving in Los Angeles. Shula has built a top-10 unit anchored by Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, while Minter has somehow turned a roster light on star power into one of the league’s most efficient defenses. Minter’s Harbaugh pedigree — working under both Jim and John — only strengthens his case.
A possible diamond in the rough
Offensively, Seahawks coordinator Klint Kubiak might be the most impressive coach no one talks about enough. He steadied Sam Darnold through turbulence, elevated Jaxon Smith-Njigba into elite territory and built a punishing run game around Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. If there were an “Assistant Coach of the Year” award, Kubiak would be a finalist.
Brian Flores remains one of the league’s most fascinating candidates. His Vikings defense tormented elite quarterbacks all season, and his tactical brilliance is undeniable. The lingering shadow of his Miami tenure — and his ongoing lawsuit against the NFL — complicates his candidacy, but on pure coaching merit, Flores belongs near the top.
Just ahead of him is Stefanski, whose firing in Cleveland may ultimately help his reputation. Amid roster decay and the fallout from the Deshaun Watson trade, Stefanski still managed competence. In a league starving for proven offensive minds, he won’t be unemployed for long.
The most sought-after coach, ironically, just got fired
At the top, unsurprisingly, is John Harbaugh. A Super Bowl champion. A Coach of the Year. A developer of both Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson. His résumé speaks for itself. Baltimore may have needed a new voice, but Harbaugh hasn’t been passed by the game. For any of the remaining teams with openings, hiring him would be less about rebuilding — and more about contending immediately.
The carousel never stops. It only asks one question: Who’s ready when it comes back around?