25 future NFL head coaches

If Kliff Kingsbury can get a head coaching job in the NFL, the only thing keeping Riley in college is his desire to be there. Riley was the handpicked replacement to Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, and it’s been a great run so far. In both of his full seasons with the Sooners, they have gone 12-2 and have made the playoffs both times. He’s only 36, so he’s going to get plenty of offers.

Campbell has been on the NFL’s radar the last couple of offseasons, at least according to murmurs. In fact, he reportedly got an offer from the Jets to come in for an interview last offseason, but he declined. Maybe he wants to do more with the Iowa State Cyclones. The program doesn’t have a long history of success, so it’s impressive that he’s gone 8-5 in his last two seasons.

It seems a little odd that Rhule’s name gets brought up as a potential NFL head coach, but it keeps happening. He’s spent only one season on an NFL staff, as an assistant offensive line coach for the Giants, but maybe the league likes his perseverance. He turned around the Temple Owls in only three seasons and then got the Baylor Bears to a bowl game after a ton of turmoil at the university.

Shaw has a lot of experience on NFL staffs, which is why he’s often rumored to make the jump. In fact, the only reason he hasn’t gotten a job yet is probably a lack of desire on his part. Shaw took over for Jim Harbaugh went he went off to the NFL, and he’s kept the Stanford Cardinal looking good, as he’s never failed to play in a bowl game. Shaw is still only 47, so there’s time for him to eventually try his hand at the NFL.

Kelly, on the other hand, is 57, so it may be now or never for him. He’s always had a “pro style” team, so it would make sense for an NFL team to give him a shot. Even with Kingsbury getting a job, the NFL is not quick to accept change. Kelly has been coaching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for several seasons, and he’s taken them to a BCS title game and the playoffs. There’s not really a bigger job he can take in college, so if he gets restless, the NFL would be the move.

This is a bit of speculation, as Day just got his first full-time head coaching job. However, it’s with the Ohio State Buckeyes, so you know people think highly of him. Day has also spent two seasons in the NFL as a quarterbacks coach, so he has ties to the league. Given that he’s only 40 and already coaching the Buckeyes, it seems likely that either he becomes an Ohio State legend on par with Woody Hayes or he leaves for the NFL at some point.

There’s a chance Mullen will follow in the footsteps of another Florida Gators coach Steve Spurrier and join the NFL. He had a great run at Mississippi State, which got him the Florida gig. That makes sense, given that he was the offensive coordinator for two title teams there. Mullen’s first season with the Gators was a smashing success, but he’s also unlikely to leave Gainesville too soon. Still, in a few years, he could make the move to the pros.

In three years at Southern Mississippi, Monken turned around the Golden Eagles, and he gave them an exciting offense in the process. However, instead of moving to a bigger college team, he took the offensive coordinator gig with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This year, he’s the coordinator in Cleveland for the Browns. If Baker Mayfield and Co. have a big year, Monken is going to be a hot candidate this offseason.

Quarterback is the most vital position in the NFL, so a lot of quarterbacks coaches eventually become head men. DeFilippo has been a quarterbacks coach for several franchises, including the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles. Last year he didn’t really fit as offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings, so he got fired. If he rebounds with the Jaguars this season, though, his stock will soar in the blink of an eye.

Andy Reid is an offensive genius, so anybody who gets the nod from Reid basically is tapped to be a future head coach. Just look at Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy. Bieniemy is in line to be the next offensive mind to serve under Reid and get a head coaching job. He was the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs’ insane offense in 2018. Sure, a lot of that is Reid, but it speaks well of Bieniemy’s potential as well.

Speaking of Matt Nagy, Helfrich is now his offensive coordinator. His potential as a future head coach also comes from his time in college. Helfrich was the coach of the Oregon Ducks for four seasons. In one of those campaigns, he took the Ducks to the title game. While his ties to Chip Kelly doesn’t mean as much as it used to, Helfrich has a good gig in the NFL and actually, has proven head coaching success.

Leftwich has something going for him, and that’s the fact he had a legitimate career as a quarterback in the NFL. That certainly hasn’t hurt guys like Frank Reich and Doug Pederson. Leftwich got a taste of being an offensive coordinator last season with the Arizona Cardinals, but it was hard to glean his potential in that disaster. This year he’s the coordinator and playcaller under Bruce Arians with the Buccaneers. We’ll get a real chance to see what he can do with an offense.

The joke this offseason was that anybody who has ever shaken hands with Sean McVay, head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, got an interview for a job this summer. Well Kromer and McVay have probably done more than shaken hands. Kromer is the Rams running game coordinator and offensive line coach, and he has a ton of experience coaching offensive lines. He also technically has head coaching experience in the NFL, as he was an interim coach for six games with the Saints.

Guys who coach under Sean McVay, take two. Waldron will be the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach this season. If that’s not enough, Waldron doesn’t just have McVay’s blessing. He also used to be on the staff of the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick. All that, and he’s only 40. You can pretty much lock Waldron in as a future NFL head coach.

All this talk of offense, where’s the love for the defensive minds? It’s right here! After years as a linebackers coach in the NFL, Martindale took over as defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. It went really well, as Martindale is already considered one of the best coordinators in the NFL. Plus, his nickname is “Wink,” which is fun.

Frank Reich got a lot of love for his coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts and what the team did on offense, but Eberflus did some incredible things with that defense. The Colts had not been known for defensive success, but they had it under Eberflus. Before that he spent several seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Missouri Tigers in the world of college.

John DeFilippo was hired this offseason to try and turn Jacksonville’s offense around, but the Jags need no such help on defense. It’s been going strong under Wash since he took over as the defensive coordinator in 2016. He’s also been a defensive line coach for teams like the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After playing several years in the NFL, Richard shot up the coaching ranks with the Seattle Seahawks, eventually getting the role of defensive coordinator. He was partially responsible for the rise of the Legion of Boom secondary. Currently, he’s the defensive backs coach with the Dallas Cowboys, but he’s basically the co-defensive coordinator with Rod Marinelli. Richard is only 39, so he’s got plenty of time left to get another promotion.

OK, so we’re diving back into the Rams coaching staff, but this time on defense. Barry is the team’s linebackers coach but also the assistant head coach. He’s also been the defensive coordinator in Washington and Detroit, though some complained that he got the gig with the Lions because he’s the son-in-law of then-head coach Rod Marinelli.

Speaking of nepotism, it’s a real driving force in the NFL. Not to say that these guys don’t necessarily deserve their gigs. Look at Kyle Shanahan. You may recognize the last name Kubiak, as Klint is the son of longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak. Klint just got his first substantive gig, as he’s the new quarterbacks coach of the Minnesota Vikings. However, the 32-year-old has been coaching in some capacity since 2010. With the leg up he’s gotten, and with his age, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kubiak become a head coach eventually, even if it takes a decade or so.

On the flip side, there’s Clements, who is 66. Hey, Vic Fangio just got his first head coaching job at 61. Clements has been coaching in the NFL since 1997, mostly as a quarterbacks coach. Right now he’s the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Arizona Cardinals. If the Air Raid does take hold in the NFL, Clements could be a guy who finally gets a gig from that.

Being an offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh seems to be a stepping stone to becoming a head coach. Just look at Bruce Arians and Todd Haley. Fichtner could be the next guy to make that leap. He’s been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Steelers since 2018, so he’s still new at the job. However, he’s been coaching in Pittsburgh in one capacity or another since 2007.

Bielema once was a vaunted coach who seemed to be on the rise. He led the Wisconsin Badgers to three straight Rose Bowls. Then he moved to Arkansas for more money, and he struggled mightily. Not all is lost though. Bielema was brought in by Bill Belichick last year to be a “defensive consultant,” and now he’s the defensive line coach. The combination of his success with the Badgers and the Belichick seal of approval means there is still hope for Bielema.

Hamilton is actually currently a head coach…in the XFL. Yes, once the XFL starts playing, Hamilton will be the coach and general manager of the DC Defenders. Hey, a gig is a gig, and if he does well, it’ll boost his NFL stock. Hamilton has ties to Jim Harbaugh, having spent time with Stanford back in the day and with Michigan the last two years. That being said, he was an offensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts for three years and interviewed for the Oakland Raiders job in 2014.

We’ll end with an outside-the-box choice. Dickenson played quarterback for several years, mostly in the CFL. That's also where he’s begun his coaching career, and it’s gone swimmingly so far. Dickenson has been the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders for the last three seasons. They’ve gone to the Grey Cup, the CFL’s version of the Super Bowl, in all three years, winning once. Maybe Dickenson will get the chance to make the jump from Canada to the NFL.