Grading the NFL Head Coaching Hires in 2024

The annual NFL head coaching cycle has concluded, and it’s time for some early reactions to the new hires. While we all anticipate the Super Bowl, and the upcoming alt football season, the next NFL season will have some interesting head coaching story lines to watch. Here, I graded all the new hires based off how I think their hire will help or hinder a team’s success.

Jerod Mayo- New England Patriots: B+

Hiring from within might be the best decision Robert Kraft and the rest of Patriots brass could’ve made, and when franchise legend Tom Brady approved of the idea, it certainly made things look better for Mayo heading into next year. The Patriots needed someone to steady the ship while keeping their Patriot Way alive and well, and having a guy who’s got experience with the organization going back to 2008 certainly helps. I think it’s a good short term hire, but Mayo has to do something to quickly turn around the team if he wants to stay even a fraction of the time Belichick did.

Brian Callahan- Tennessee Titans: B-

The Titans had some changes to make after what has been a disappointing few years in the Music City, and they poached a guy with some amazing potential, especially on offense. Where Mike Vrabel wanted to focus on the run game and having a strong defense, Callahan hopes to revitalize a dead offense. Callahan faces an uphill battle with limited offensive weapons, but this off-season could be a big chance for Callahan to showcase what his plans are for the team. Personally, I want to see him develop young guys and push the Titans to the playoff hopeful status, and do that quickly. One thing to consider, was with Brian, came Bill his father one of the best offensive line coaches in the game.

Antonio Pierce- Las Vegas Raiders: A

In a football coach, one of if not the most important thing to look for is a personality that meshes well with the locker room. Right away when Pierce took over as interim head coach, he had full support from his players, and the team all of a sudden played much harder for their coach, and stole a few games from better teams. Pierce coached a 63-21 win against the Chargers. (Though he probably wants to forget the 3-0 loss just days before.) Pierce will have some growing pains as a coach, but so did Dan Campbell of the Lions. If I’m the Raiders, I’d give him a fairly long leash and keep the players happy.

Jim Harbaugh- Los Angeles Chargers: A-

Jim Harbaugh is the type of guy that can come into an organization and completely change the culture. This guy took the 49ers to a Super Bowl in his coaching career, and took Michigan to a national title. His coaching ability is hardly rivaled in the football world, and combined with a playoff caliber roster, I think they make the playoffs in year 1 of the Harbaugh experiment. No more holding Herbert back, no more misusing talent, this may look like a genius hire in a few years.

Dan Quinn- Washington Commanders: D-

It’s no secret the Commanders wanted Detroit Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson to be their next head coach. One problem: You always have to have a good backup plan, because we were told Ben Johnson spurned the teams that wanted to hire him as head coach to stay with the Lions. However it since has been said that Washington pivoted after Ben Johnson’s interview went poorly.

NFL insider says Ben Johnson 'didn't interview particularly well' https://t.co/NJruprLlZ2 pic.twitter.com/3flxY7WG87

— Commanders Wire (@Washington_Wire) February 2, 2024

Washington decided to hire Dan Quinn instead, which is a real head scratching move. Dan Quinn’s only real success in the NFL came when he had an amazing roster with the Falcons in 2016. He would never return to the playoffs as a head coach. As the defensive play caller of the Dallas Cowboys he benefited from amazing talent, that often times helped bail out poor decisions, or lack of adjustments. We saw this in the epic collapse of the Cowboys defense in the playoffs when they gave up 48 points to Jordan Love. I don’t see him lasting very long in the nation’s capital.

Dave Canales- Carolina Panthers: B-

The Carolina Panthers absolutely sucked last year, and one of the main reasons was the poor coaching job from Frank Reich. Canales is a so-called “QB whisperer” which seems like it was enticing enough, because Bryce Young is really raw. His development is the biggest benchmark for Canales’s first year as the head coach. Win some games, develop Bryce, and he’ll stay for at least another year. Anything is better than rock bottom, so as long as they have a mediocre, but not terrible season, things are already going to be better.

Raheem Morris- Falcons: B+

Raheem Morris is just the type of talent I want to see leading a Falcons team that has the talent to win, but has been held back the past few years. While it was previously speculated that Bill Belichick was the favorite to land the job in Atlanta, Morris’s signing makes a lot more sense. If he utilizes his talent, and helps the team find stability at QB, I think he has some real staying power. Morris also knows how to help a defense succeed. He was the head of the Rams Super Bowl winning unit a few years ago. It might take a bit, but I think Morris is Atlanta’s guy.

Mike Macdonald- Seattle Seahawks: B

One of the biggest surprises of the coaching carousel was Pete Carrol leaving the Seahawks’ coaching staff. It’s a big ask to go into an organization and succeed the greatest head coach in franchise history, but defensive minded Mike Macdonald is up to the task. He accepts a position with a playoff hopeful squad, and should be enough to help guide them there. His defensive wizardry is his biggest strength, but he’s not shown anything on the offensive side of the ball. Macdonald has to prove his worth as a coach on both sides of the ball in order to be successful. This hire is a could be better, could be worse situation.

In summary, the NFL will look very different from a coaching perspective

The NFL lost some of their longtime coaches in Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick this off-season, and now we get to see what their replacements will do. I think following these new coaches is going to be a very interesting task this upcoming season. Ultimately, any one of these coaches could disappoint, or come out of nowhere and succeed. We’ll be staying tuned, as will the entire sports world.

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