Top names to watch during the 2024 NFL coaching cycle

Black Monday actually kicked off Sunday night when the Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith hours after a season-ending 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The Washington Commanders fired Ron Rivera early Monday morning, making five current head coach vacancies across the NFL (along with the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders who all had interim HCs), although a few other jobs may open in the next couple of days (New England, Tennessee).

As the NFL’s coaching cycle heats up, here are some of the top names to keep an eye on as team begin conducting interviews:

Jim Harbaugh, head coach, Michigan Wolverines

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Harbaugh is “absolutely” interested in taking an NFL job next season, depending on the outcome of Monday’s national championship game against Washington. He has a 10-year, $125M contract extension from Michigan that he has yet to sign, and some have speculated he could make more in the NFL. 

Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions

Johnson is arguably the hottest name on the coaching circuit right now thanks to his work with the Lions, who have the No. 3 offense and No. 5 scoring offense in the NFL, their first division title since 1993 and won 12 games for just the second time in franchise history. Johnson is believed to be the top candidate of the Carolina Panthers, but it’s uncertain that the interest is mutual.

Todd Monken, offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens

In his first season as OC, Monken worked wonders in revamping Baltimore’s offense, helping the team improve from 16th in total yards to sixth and 19th in scoring to fourth. He’s also helped quarterback Lamar Jackson become more comfortable as a pocket passer. Jackson is the reported front-runner for the MVP, and unlike when he won the award in 2019, Jackson has relied more on his arm than his legs this season (he’s averaged 21 more yards passing and nearly 30 fewer yards rushing per game than in 2019). 

Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers

While pretty much everything in Carolina was a dumpster fire in 2023, the defense was the lone bright spot. The Panthers ranked fourth in total defense and third in passing defense, and they allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game and the fourth-fewest touchdown receptions. Evero was a top candidate for the Broncos job last season before they hired Sean Payton, and he could drum up some interest again this year.

Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys

One of the top defensive coordinators in the league, Quinn has turned the Cowboys defense into one that’s consistently among the best in the NFL. Dallas has had a top-10 scoring defense in each of Quinn’s three seasons with the team, including this season when the team ranked fifth in points allowed and total defense. Quinn has prior head-coaching experience in which he made multiple playoff appearances and coached in a Super Bowl, and a team could make a strong push to pry him away from the Cowboys.

Steve Wilks, defensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

In his first season with the 49ers, Wilks’ defense allowed the third-fewest yards, sixth-fewest passing yards, seventh-fewest rushing yards and ninth-fewest points per game. San Francisco was also tied for the fifth-most sacks and takeaways. Wilks had one bad season as the head coach in Arizona, but he put up a 6-6 record last season as the Panthers interim coach, and many around the league believe it’s just a matter of time before he gets another shot at a head-coaching job.