Why Every New NFL Head Coach Got Hired

Bills owner Terry Pegula’s statements during his press conference didn’t inspire much hope. What does though is the offensive statistical output in Buffalo under Joe Brady’s tenure, which is exactly why he got the job over external candidates. Josh Allen has talked about how comfortable he feels in Brady’s offense, and the metrics reflect that. Buffalo’s fielded two and a half consecutive years of top-two EPA per play offensive units thanks to him. While Allen handles the pass attack, Brady does wonders in the ground game also. The Bills want to maintain their identity as an offensive powerhouse, and Joe Brady is the key.

Mike Lafleur to the Cardinals

Offensive success following those who’ve so much as sat in the same room as Sean McVay has conditioned teams to prioritize poaching the Rams’ staff. While the prospect of the infusion of offensive genius in Arizona seems too good to pass up, it perhaps blindsided the organization from the upside that the other coordinator, Chris Shula, could provide. What makes this hire stick out more is the fact that LaFleur wasn’t even the play-caller for the team. Of course, play-calling isn’t the only thing that makes a good head coach, but it is a big part of the equation. Nevertheless, the Cardinals aren’t shying away from the league norm, they want the hotshot McVay tree candidate, hence the Mike LaFleur hire.

Kevin Stefanski to the Falcons

Atlanta got tired of seeing their offensive firepower go to waste. As such, they hired someone’s who’s offensive coaching was going to waste. Now, hopefully, both sides can see their efforts maximized. Kevin Stefanski’s been trotting out attacks that are much more than the sum of their parts. In spite of talent deficiencies, his men often punched above their own weight. Simultaneously, Drake London, Bijan Robinson and a great o-line continually did their part and made splash plays, but were ultimately hindered by a lesser scheme. Will the dreams of a top 10 offense finally be reached in Atlanta? That remains to be seen.

Jesse Minter to the Ravens

Following the departure of Mike MacDonald, Baltimore’s defense has been the victim of slow starts and poor coaching. With Jesse Minter now leading the charge, perhaps the Ravens can regain their strong defensive identity. Although, besides the defensive side of the ball, Minter’s connections to the Harbaugh tree can amount to a great bond with the team as a whole. His culture will likely mesh well with the locker room, and his knack for how to use the cards he’s been dealt spells a bright future for Baltimore.

Todd Monken

While we can say that Todd Monken was the only candidate left who actually wanted to coach the Browns and call it a day, there’s more under the surface. Owner Jimmy Haslam’s insistence on keeping Jim Schwartz as DC soured a lot of other candidates. The belief was that Monken would fulfill those wishes and retain Cleveland’s DC. In the end though, Schwartz was still left dissatisfied, and decided to part ways with the organization following their head coach hire. Regardless, Browns fans can be still look forward to what Monken has to offer. He’s a tough coach that raises the team’s floor, and could provide some stability within the offense. Most importantly, he’s built a repertoire as a developer of quarterbacks, which fulfills one of Cleveland’s biggest needs.

Klint Kubiak to the Raiders

The run-first offense that Klint Kubiak specializes in fits perfectly with what Las Vegas needs. Ashton Jeanty was able to muster up 975 yards behind a horrible blocking scheme and turnstile offensive line. With Klint Kubiak in charge he’ll continue getting the bulk of the team’s carries. Hopefully, those touches will be of much higher quality. Furthermore, by extension, the rise of Jeanty and the run game would benefit the Raiders’ first overall pick at QB. If they want to see sustained success, Vegas needs to set everything up well for their rookie signal-caller.

Jeff Hafley to the Dolphins

Physicality and resilience were traits that Miami unfortunately lacked during most of Mike McDaniel’s regime. Though a shift in attitude was taking place, the Dolphins still opted for a full reset rather than retaining McDaniel. Enter Jeff Hafley, who comes from a Packers organization that values physicality and big men in the trenches. His defense in Green Bay became champion caliber with him at the helm. His scheme mixed with his past experiences as head coach (albeit at the collegiate level) made him one of the top candidates of this cycle.

Robert Saleh to the Steelers

Most could tell the decision to fire Mike Vrabel would come back to haunt the Titans. Fast forward nearly two years since it was announced Tennessee let him go, the Titans are at the bottom of the food chain, and Mike Vrabel is in the Super Bowl. They sorely missed the culture that put an emphasis on toughness and accountability that Vrabel fostered. Now, they hope to replicate that culture with Robert Saleh. Of course, it’s not just culture that Saleh brings to the table. However, it is what the Titans need right now, otherwise they’ll continue their franchise’s state of aimless play.

John Harbaugh to the Giants

Stability, that’s what’s key. New York has been among the basement dwellers of the NFL for quite some time. Save for a Cinderella run in 2022 that amounted to more long term harm than good, the Giants have had little to root for. While John Harbaugh may not be the most optimal candidate for bringing a Lombardi back to Metlife, he’ll be able to steer the ship towards the right direction. Harbaugh raises the squad’s ceiling, and for that alone the Giants are willing to take the chance on him.

Mike McCarthy to the Steelers

It’s unclear as of yet what the Steelers front office truly believes is right. The team needs a rebuild badly, because the roster in house isn’t getting them to a Super Bowl. However, Mike McCarthy isn’t exactly the best option for a rebuild either. That isn’t to say he wouldn’t be able to lead the team to a proper restructure. However, the ceiling feels capped with McCarthy at the helm. They already had a floor raiser in place with Mike Tomlin, and it always amounted to a trip to Cancun at the end. Ultimately, McCarthy won’t allow the team to be a bottom feeder, even if it may be necessary to bite the bullet for a year or two. Instead, the Steelers will likely be a bellow average squad, but not a first overall pick candidate.