8. John Harbaugh, New York Giants
John Harbaugh is one of the most decorated coaches in the NFC, historically speaking, and was arguably the top prize of the head coaching carousel in 2026.
The Giants fired Brian Daboll during the 2025 season, and set their sights on getting another veteran coach in the building who could help raise the proverbial floor for such a young team overall. The problem with projecting the Giants in 2026 is not with Harbaugh as a coach, but the health of his roster.
Harbaugh has built a strong reputation for his years with the Baltimore Ravens, but there's also a reason why the Ravens moved on after the 2025 season. He's got to prove that the luster from the Super Bowl win in 2012 hasn't completely worn off, and that he's capable of leading a team to postseason glory once again.
7. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Kevin O'Connell is another head coach who could easily be considered one of the top 3 or 4 coaches in this conference. The Vikings have pretty much overachieved every single year he's been at the helm, and he's done more with less at the quarterback position than a lot of coaches in the conference.
The Vikings won 9 games last season despite their issues at the QB position, and O'Connell is a huge reason for that. He is one of the best game managers in the NFL, and he's one of the best at getting his players to rally around his vision.
When you think of what it means for a guy to be a "player's coach", Kevin O'Connell could be the picture next to that term in the dictionary. He deserves a ton of credit for Sam Darnold's individual success, putting him in great positions week after week and rehabilitating him as a starter in the NFL.
If only the Vikings had kept him around...
O'Connell was the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings to 14 wins, but he needs to figure out the QB position once again and get his team to the next level in the postseason.
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