NFL coach openings tiers: How do available HC, OC and DC jobs stack up?

It's hiring season in the NFL.

As of Wednesday, several openings remain at head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator around the league. As we saw when Mike McDaniel took his name out of the running for the Cleveland Browns head job and later accepted the role as Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator, some jobs are much better than those with bigger titles.

With candidates surveying their options, below is our tiers of the NFL's job market, from best to worst positions.

Note: Some openings (*) haven't officially been vacated but could depending on how coaching searches progress.

Tier 1 - Can’t Say No

1. Baltimore Ravens head coach

2. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach

3. Buffalo Bills head coach

The stakes are high in Baltimore. The franchise's previous two coaches won a Super Bowl, and a roster that includes two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson should always be in the playoff picture. It's still the best job in the market, however, in part because the talent is there to contend immediately.

The security of Pittsburgh's job makes it slightly more appealing than Buffalo's, which has a whole host of issues following owner Terry Pegula's disastrous Wednesday news conference.

Tier 2 - Top HC candidates for the 2027 cycle

4. Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator

5. Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator

7. San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator

The Eagles have rotated between hits and misses at offensive coordinator the past four seasons, with Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore parlaying successful stints into head coaching roles. Based on that pattern, the next OC will soon be in-demand. 

Packers All-Pro edge Micah Parsons is "flying" through his recovery from a torn ACL, with plans to return by Week 3 or 4. The Bucs offense and 49ers defense are both veteran units with plenty of pieces in place to put their coordinators on the map with big 2026 seasons.

Tier 3 - A head coaching job is a head coaching job

8. Las Vegas Raiders head coach

Since 2002, Raiders coaching hires have averaged 1.7 full seasons. It's historically been a horrible job, but the chance to coach former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the likely No. 1 overall pick, in an offense that includes running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers is an attractive proposition.

Tier 4 - Talent’s there, but so are questions

9. New York Giants offensive coordinator

10. *Ravens offensive coordinator

11. *Bills offensive coordinator

12. *Ravens defensive coordinator

13. *Steelers defensive coordinator

14. *Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator

15. *Bills defensive coordinator

16. *Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator

John Harbaugh's OC hire will have a fun toolkit with quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo. It's unclear which, if any, coordinators for the Ravens, Bills and Steelers will be retained, but all potential jobs carry varying levels of intrigue should openings emerge.

If Jim Schwartz isn't retained, coaching Browns edge Myles Garrett will likely entice any defensive mind. Titans quarterback Cam Ward has tantalizing upside, and Tennessee's OC will be able to shine with head coach Robert Saleh focusing on the defense.

Tier 5 - “Add a couple zeroes, then we'll talk.” 

17. Arizona Cardinals head coach

18. Browns head coach

These will probably result in permanent stains on both coaches' resumes. The money better be good.

Tier 6 - "What do I do, exactly?"

19. *Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator

20. *Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator

If Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley call offensive and defensive plays, respectively, both coordinators will receive little credit should things go well. 

Tier 7 - Building blocks in place

21. Giants defensive coordinator

22. Raiders offensive coordinator

23. *Steelers offensive coordinator

24. *Raiders defensive coordinator

25. *Dolphins offensive coordinator

26. *Titans defensive coordinator

27. Cardinals offensive coordinator

Squint, and you may see glimpses of functional units. The Giants have a strong defensive line, while the Raiders are an offensive line away from having a respectable offense. Stars such as DK Metcalf (Steelers), Maxx Crosby (Raiders), De'Von Achane (Dolphins), Jeffery Simmons (Titans) and Trey McBride (Cardinals) will give their respective coordinators key pieces to build around in Year 1.

Tier 8 - Starting from scratch

28. Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator

29. Washington Commanders defensive coordinator

30. *Cardinals defensive coordinator

31. *Browns offensive coordinator

32. New York Jets defensive coordinator

Good luck. 

It's hard to recommend any of these five nightmarish openings. The best thing that can be said about them is if coordinators orchestrate turnarounds, they'll be hailed as heroes. But chances are they'll leave as villains.