The most important lesson for the 2024 NFL coaching cycle may be about the applicants who were passed over for jobs.
The head-coaching roller coaster of 2024 has finally stopped. Dan Quinn will take over as the Washington Commanders’ next head coach, and three facts about this hiring cycle have come to light.
First off, with four out of the eight head coach positions being held by people of color, this was one of the most diverse slates of new hires the league has ever seen. These include Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots, Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders, Dave Canales of the Carolina Panthers, and Raheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons. That’s a big deal in a league where there have been serious problems with diversity at the top of head coaching trees.
Second, it was not unusual for teams to go to these locations to find their coaches. Pierce and Mayo were the two internal hires. Three (Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers, Quinn, and Morris) were “retread” former NFL head coaches, though it’s important to note that Harbaugh also serves as this cycle’s “star” hiring. Additionally, Mike Macdonald of the Seattle Seahawks, Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans, and Canales were three “hot” coordinator hires.
However, the most significant truth for 2025 may be the third thing we discovered during this spin. It is likely to be the most experienced and well-equipped head-coaching cycle the league has ever seen. Alongside two highly sought-after offensive coordinators (Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions and Bobby Slowik of the Houston Texans), who may have their choice of multiple jobs before it’s all over, will be successful program builders and leaders in the mold of Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Mike Vrabel, and Brian Flores.
Many people should be watching closely during the 2024 season as a result of this reality. Observe the following franchise groupings as being suspicious:
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