There were a ton of stellar head coaching jobs in the NFL this year, but also a lot of poor ones. Let's power-rank all 32 head coaches once more. Being a head coach in the NFL is one of the hardest jobs in sports, and it's why there seem to be 5-8 openings every single cycle.
It's not a shock, as coaching 53 grown men has to have it's tough times. Well, the 2024 NFL regular season brought a ton of notable coaching jobs that other teams surely envy. There were also some disastrous head coaching jobs that saw some get fired in the season.
Let's power rank all 32 initial head coaches one last time in the 2024 regular season.
NFL Power Rankings: Final head coach rankings of the 2024 regular season
32. Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots
It was hard to like much of anything from the brief Jerod Mayo era in New England. The Patriots parted ways with Mayo earlier this week, and while some thought he was dealt a tough hand, he also didn't show a whole lot to indicate he knew how to lead an NFL team.
Being that the Pats also seemed to strike gold with Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL Draft, I would tend to agree with the move to replace Mayo and bring in someone who may have a better plan of how to develop Maye properly. Mayo could get another shot to be a head coach down the line, but this was not a good head coach in the 2024 NFL Season.
31. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Matt Eberflus just did not seem to ever put it together for the Chicago Bears. After their Thanksgiving Day debacle against the Detroit Lions, Eberflus was let go, and it was the right move and perhaps a bit overdue. The Bears will now embark on the most crucial offseason of their franchise's history, and I am not sure Eberflus is even going to get a defensive coordinator position for 2025.
Someone who simply might not be a good head coach in the NFL may have to restart his coaching career in the NFL. The Matt Eberflus Bears were a painful watch.
30. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Dennis Allen has never broken through as a competent head coach in the NFL. He has now coached the Oakland Raiders and the New Orleans Saints during his time in the NFL, and he found little success at either stop. It might be the end of the road for Allen as a head coach in the NFL going forward.
29. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
I tend to not be too tough on Brian Daboll given the roster he was dealing with, but it's not like Daboll did himself any favors in 2024, either. Somehow surviving into 2025, Daboll and the Giants have to probably turn into a playoff team if the former Coach of the Year wants to keep his job beyond next season.
28. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Squandering a team with a ton of roster talent, Doug Pederson was let go by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags broke out in 2022 and won the AFC South, but the collapse ended up beginning about halfway through the 2023 NFL Season, and it's been a mess ever since.
27. Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans
I am not sure if there was any 'good' to take from the 2024 Tennessee Titans. They do hold the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but that's about it. The Titans shockingly fired GM Ran Carthon earlier this week but might not have the right head coach in place with Brian Callahan.
26. Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders
Two things can be true here; Antonio Pierce was a terrible head coach, but the Las Vegas Raiders' roster was also terrible. There was regression across the board in 2024, the first full year that Pierce was a head coach in the NFL. He was fired earlier this week in a move that had to be made.
25. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski will be brought back in 2025. While I do believe Stefanski is a very good head coach, as he's got the past success to show for it, some might think that it could be time for fresh blood in Cleveland. The Browns have to get the QB position in a decent spot this year and look to move on from Deshaun Watson as quickly as they possibly can.
24. Robert Saleh, New York Jets
Another head coach that does not deserve a lot of blame, Robert Saleh was the glue that held the New York Jets together. The Jets did get worse after he got fired, and while he could be higher on this list, he did not have a slam-dunk tenure as their head coach and may have to wait another couple of years before earning another gig.
23. Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
A team that did not win as many games as their roster talent indicated, Raheem Morris did buck the trend of the Atlanta Falcons going 7-10. They went 8-9 in 2024 but were 6-3 at one point. The rapid regression of Kirk Cousins definitely hurt them, but Morris did not exactly show a ton to inspire confidence in his abilities for the long-term.
He has to hope that Michael Penix Jr ends up being a legitimate franchise QB.
22. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
I am not sure what there is to like about the Indianapolis Colts at this point, but I will say that Shane Steichen being able to win eight games with Anthony Richardson as his primary starter is quite impressive. Steichen isn't a great head coach, and his GM, Chris Ballard has done him no favors, but there are quite a few coaches who are better at what they do.
21. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Mike McDaniel can't really prevent Tua Tagovailoa from getting hurt. He's a very sharp offensive mind but does seem to lack the tough edge that the best head coaches in the NFL have. I don't think he did a bad job by any means in 2024. GM Chris Grier is going to have to invest more into their offensive line and may also want to invest into a more high-end backup QB as well.
19. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers have some work to do this coming offseason. Re-investing into the trenches is a great place to start, and I would also add that paying Brock Purdy top-dollar would be a bad idea.
18. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
Mike McCarthy is a solid head coach that knows how to win games. It's not his fault that Dak Prescott needed hamstring surgery and missed most of the season. I would retain McCarthy if I were the Cowboys' front office, but he does have a tendency to fall short when the playoffs roll around.
17. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
A pretty average head coach at best, Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals were able to finish with a 9-8 record despite being 4-8 with just five games to play. The Bengals missed the playoffs but have finished with a winning record for the fourth year in a row, so I guess that's something.
16. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Another 'eh' coaching job from Mike Tomlin keeps his record of non-losing seasons alive, but the Pittsburgh Steelers lost four in a row to end the season and have the same QB issues they have had for years now. At some point, something has to give. I am not sure Mike Tomlin is an elite head coach anymore.
15. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans had a down year and still went 10-7 and won the AFC South. They'll be fine for the long-term, but the main area of concern for this team is getting better along the offensive line in 2025 and beyond.
14. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Jonathan Gannon and the Arizona Cardinals doubled their win total from 2023. This team is a sneaky pick to breakout in 2025 with the right players around them. Gannon and his staff are on the right track.
13. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
Going 10-7 in your first year as a head coach is impressive, but the Seattle Seahawks won't go anywhere worthwhile until they find a franchise QB and improve their offensive line. Macdonald seems to be the right man for the job, though.
12. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have again won the NFC South and are on their way to the playoffs. They really haven't skipped a beat since Tom Brady retired. The defense could use another pass rusher and some secondary help in my opinion, but this is a darn good football team.
11. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
It's clear that the Green Bay Packers need another year. They have a ton of young talent, and a QB that falls into that category, but they are not going to contend with the truly elite teams in the NFC this year. Matt LaFleur is a stellar head coach, but you kind of feel like the Packers were going to be a bit better this year based on how they ended the 2023 NFL Season.
10. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens have to show up in the playoffs at some point, right? Right???
Lamar Jackson might win his third NFL MVP award, and if the Ravens don't figure something out in the postseason soon, Jackson is going to turn into this generation's Peyton Manning, while Patrick Mahomes turns into Tom Brady.
The personal accolades are great, but the postseason success in recent years just isn't there.
9. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
Right on the edge of being an elite head coach, I do believe Nick Sirianni does benefit from having one of the best rosters in the NFL. There always seems to be some degree of drama going on with the Eagles, and Sirianni tends to be right in the middle of it, but he knows how to win football games and did that yet again this year.
8. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Sean McDermott is a very good head coach, but I am not sure he'll ever be an elite head coach, and if the Buffalo Bills have yet another playoff heartbreak and do not make the Super Bowl, I could see a scenario where McDermott is shown the door.
The Bills play the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card Round, and I am not sure the Bills won't be in a close game. We'll see if McDermott can take the next step as a head coach and make some tangible progress in the postseason.
7. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay again coached his tail off, and he was able to help dig the Los Angeles Rams out of a 1-4 start. Heck, they even rested some starters in Week 18 because they had already clinched a playoff spot. One team I would hate to see in the playoffs, McVay and the Rams simply know how to win big football games.
He won't win Coach of the Year, but there may not be a more well-rounded head coach in the NFL than Sean McVay.
6. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers did have a lot in place for Jim Harbaugh, but this team won five games in 2023 and won 11 games in 2024. Harbaugh enjoys success wherever he goes to be a head coach, and the LA Chargers are no exception. The Bolts will add some offensive talent this offseason and could rise into the contender status.
5. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
So many people wrote off Sean Payton, Bo Nix, and the Denver Broncos. Heck I saw some predictions that had this team winning three games in 2024!
Winning 10 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2015, it's abundantly clear that the Broncos and Payton are on the right track one again, and Bo Nix could end up being an elite QB one day. He threw the fifth-most touchdown passes in the NFL this year with 29.
4. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders messed around this year with a rookie QB and won 12 games. They'll play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the NFL playoffs. While they are a year early and won't make a deep playoff run, Quinn and the rest of his staff coached their tails off this year, period.
In his second head coaching stop, Quinn seems to have something special brewing. He'll get a ton of votes for Coach of the Year.
3. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
When the Minnesota Vikings had to turn to Sam Darnold as their starting QB, I bet most people thought they would win six, maybe seven games in 2024. How about 14? In contention for the no. 1 seed until their Week 18 loss, the Vikings might not make a deep playoff run this year, but we have to acknowledge just how good of a head coach O'Connell is. The Vikes drafted JJ McCarthy in 2024, so his long-term future in the NFL is probably very bright given he'll have some stellar coaching to learn from.
2. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs just know how to win games. They went 15-2 in 2024 and earned the top seed in the AFC. Yes, they did rest starters in Week 18, but the Chiefs proved to be the best late-game team in the NFL this year. That does go a long way even if they were not winning games decisively.
The Chiefs are probably again headed to the Super Bowl, which could be annoying depending on who you ask. Reid wraps up yet another high-quality coaching job in the NFL.
1. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions earned the no. 1 seed in the NFC this year with a 15-2 record and some brutal injuries on the defensive side of the ball. However, despite all those injuries, the Lions kept winning games, and it just goes to show just how strong of a culture Dan Campbell built. I am sure he rubs people the wrong way sometimes with his strong personality, but it's working.
The Lions earning this bye could also give them enough time to get a couple of other players back from injury. It would be hard to not give the Coach of the Year to Dan Campbell.