Doug Marrone Marrone was the offensive coordinator for New Orleans Saints from 2006-08 under Payton. Press Taylor is our third rookie offensive coordinator so far as he returns to work with Doug Pederson in 2022. While he didnt meet with the team a second time, inexperience played a part. Smith spent three years as the OC at Butler between 2007 and 2009. Five candidates come to mind. NFL teams seeking a head coach love finding someone who can build a strong rapport with the quarterback. Miami won five games in his first season at the helm, landing Tua Tagovailoa. His only previous experience as an OC came in 2009 with the Bills. Unlike every other option available, whatever team wants to pull the future Hall of Famer out of television must pay a staggering price. For those hoping that the Dallas Cowboys might try to bring in a fresh-faced, creative offensive coordinator to replace Kellen Moore might have been surprised by the announcement that Brian Schottenheimer would be getting the role. The Los Angeles Rams have hired former New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to lead their offense in 2023. When the Cowboys offense was healthy, they were one of the best in the NFL, so expectations should be high for what Moore will be able to accomplish with this talented Chargers roster. He did the same with Matt Corral at Ole Miss the past 2 years, and will get one more shot this fall with Gabriel. He uplifts people around him. DeMeco Ryans, age 38, became a defensive quality control coach just two years after retiring from the NFL. There does finally seem to be some positive buzz towards Bieniemy becoming an NFL head coach, so perhaps 2023 will finally be the year. Eric Bieniemy is one of our top NFL coaching candidates every year. The Cardinals continued to round out their new coaching staff by bringing in Drew Petzing as their OC. He might have one again this season with LSU transfer Max Johnson. We support responsible gambling. The best offensive coordinators in college football are-#1. Skip Navigation. Phillips is the son of Wade Phillips and the grandson of Bum Phillips. He held various positions on the Vikings offensive staff from 2014-2019 finishing as wide receivers coach, and then went to the Browns first as a tight ends coach and then the quarterbacks coach. He now oversees a stingy Saints defensive backfield. Bryan Manning. The 38-year-old is one of the most important coaches in the entire AFC North. Now we come to the fifth rookie NFL offensive coordinator in the form of Frank Smith. Paying $20-plus million per season and sacrificing a first-round pick is a hefty price, but there will likely be multiple clubs willing to pay it. Weiss joined. Currently, the top assistant to Eric DeCosta, Hortizzs time as director of scouting and now player personnel make it very likely he becomes a GM this spring. Mind you, even if we included NFL-bound tight . Before hiring Zac Taylor, the Cincinnati Bengals interviewed Shane Waldron in 2018. While much of the success for the Buccaneers Super Bowl and the elite offense is given to Tom Brady, Leftwich proved in 2019 that he can design a very productive passing attack even when the quarterback, Jameis Winston, turns the ball over at a league-high rate. Editors note: Our annual Top 25 preview week continues with a ranking of the best offensive minds in the game. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn emerged as one of the first-time NFL coaching candidates in 2022, interviewing with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints. Prior to arriving in Denver, Outten was the tight ends coach of the Packers for three seasons. But that fateful 2011 season, which saw Manning undergo season-ending neck surgery before Week 1, Indianapolis finished 2-14 and landed the No. The Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and each of them came away impressed by Moores football IQ and ingenuity (Tom Pelissero). Formerly the San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive line coach, LaFleur brought him to Green Bay in 2019. About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12, Matt Hayes is a national college football writer for Saturday Down South. However, the move to hire Ejiro Evero as the defensive coordinator worked out perfectly. The Bengals defense is also great situationally, holding the opposition to a 51.2% red-zone touchdown rate (6th in NFL). Kendall Briles, Florida State Jim Chaney, Tennessee Tony Elliott, Clemson Dan Enos, Miami David Yost, Texas Tech Andy Ludwig, Utah Rich Rodriguez, Ole Miss Derek Dooley, Missouri Ruggiero isnt the loudest or most demonstrative guy on the sideline or in the meeting room, but he has few peers drawing it up and finding weaknesses in defenses. With Prescott back under center, the Cowboys lead the NFL in Estimated Offensive Points per Game (39.0) and rank second in total ypg (424.3) in the last three weeks. Kafka has previously worked with the Chiefs as an offensive quality control coach (2017), quarterbacks coach (2018-21), and passing game coordinator (2020-21). Strangely, Urban Meyer wasnt held to the same standard for coaching at a program with massive cultural problems and a lack of discipline. All of that is without touting his work as an NFL executive. After one season as an operations assistant, Waldron spent three years as a grad assistant at Notre Dame before joining Belichicks coaching staff as an offensive quality control coach (2008) and then tight ends coach (2009). In the past 3 seasons, Utahs offense has become more dynamic and QB Cameron Rising last year developed into the best QB in the Pac-12. But Harbaughs interest in an NFL return feels genuine. Interest in Steichen will go beyond his work in Philadelphia. Its all translating to success early in his coaching career. During his best years at Stanford, Shaw was one of the top NFL coaching candidates but he remained loyal to the program. He started as a student assistant at Georgia Tech and then served as a grad assistant (2010-11), learning under Paul Johnson. Dan Pompei of The Athleticwent in-depth on Brian Callahans rise up the coaching ranks and why so many of the quarterbacks he has worked alongside love being coached by him. With Alexander on injured reserve this season, Gray has helped Rasul Douglas (claimed off Arizona Cardinals practice squad) and 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes lead a defense allowing just 210.6 passing yards per game from Week 6-17. However, Everos success and his time spent learning from Fangio, Mike McCarthy and McVay should provide him with more stamps of endorsements than some of the other top NFL coaching candidates. Ultimately, that was a somewhat failed experiment. OBrien was a Patriots assistant coach from 2007-2011 and now returns to coach Mac Jones, whom he worked with at Alabama. Tampa Bay finished fourth in Football Outsiders DVOA in 2020 and is eighth this season despite missing multiple starters for a majority of the year. Callahan also spent six years working with the Broncos in various roles between 2010 and 2015. After serving as the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles (2016-17), the Super Bowl champion landed with the Minnesota Vikings as offensive coordinator. Whether its a head coach looking to fill out his staff or a team looking to hire a new defensive coordinator or offensive coordinator. He now oversees the teams pro and college scouting departments, identifying future NFL talent and potential players for the Chargers to target in free agency or via trade. The 49ers will have a new offensive coordinator for the 2022 season. . As NFL Networks Tom Pelissero notes, the Philadelphia Eagles spoke to Mayo about their head-coaching before the 2021 season and came away extremely impressed by his leadership traits. Jim Caldwell:The former Colts and Lions head coach should have been on every team's list last year and should remain on those lists this cycle. Buffalo rated No. The Detroit Lions made the news official that they were poised to . Brown joined Sean McVays staff in 2020, working with the running backs in his first year on the NFL sidelines. Broncos quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak throws a pass before a game against the Raiders on Nov. 20, 2022. That's. For the Saints to even seriously entertain allowing another team to hire Payton, it will likely cost a first-round pick. Even if you removed what he is doing right now in Dallas from the evaluation, hed be among the best NFL coaching candidates in 2023. Buffalo's offense remained one of the NFL's elite in 2022, Dorsey's first year calling plays. A year removed from the situation, Flores will again be among the NFL coaching candidates receiving consideration. However, its important to remember that Shane Steichen has a massive role in the offense. He took the interim offensive coordinator title in 2019 with the Chargers. He made my life as easy as possible. As Freeman interviewed Parker . Now that there's tape on Tyler Huntley, I think the Bengals win this. Bobby Slowik, 49ers offensive passing game specialist: He comes from a family of coaches and has had his hands on a lot in that organization. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hiring Seattle Seahawks QB coach Dave Canales as their new offensive coordinator. After going through the head-coaching interview process multiple times now, Glenn is well-positioned to become a head coach in the coming years. Dolphins passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2022-present) Jaguars offensive coordinator/interim head coach (2021) Lions offensive coordinator (2019-2020) Lions interim head. Bieniemy also isnt responsible for the dropped passes that turned into interceptions. After spending a decade playing pro football at various levels, Louis Riddick transitioned into a front-office role in 2001 after a brief stint as a player in the XFL. The former LSU offensive coordinator helped a Joe Burrow-led squad win the national championship after a historic season in 2019, but has bounced around a bit since then. 9, Nick . Lets dive into our 2022 NFL coaching candidates. (2019-2022) TE Coach/Special Teams Coordinator for Miami . Now in his third year as the Cowboys offensive coordinator, Moore has more of the experience he lacked previously. With the defensive improvements Philadelphia has made tied to Gannons glowing reputation around the league and his defensive mind, hell be an NFL head coach very soon. Whether its this offseason or following another run in 2023, Callahan has earned a chance to become a head coach. Glenn will have ringing endorsements from both Payton and Dan Campbell, significant additions to his resume. Things went poorly at Florida, largely because Mullen simply couldnt recruit. Ganoon is seizing on his opportunity. Pep Hamilton, Texans QB coach/passing game coordinator: Hamilton has been able to guide Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert. Matt LaFleur has promoted offensive line coach and run game coordinator Adam Stenavich to his offensive coordinator in 2022. During the 2022 season, Weiss shared the offensive coordinator duties with Sherrone Moore, who has been in that role for two seasons and also coaches the offensive line. Thats 39.6 TDs per season and that number includes the 2020-shortened COVID season, when Ohio State played only 6 regular-season games. Widely viewed as one of the best talent evaluators in the NFL, Ireland will be a hot GM candidate in 2022. Matt Eberflus, Colts DC: Eberflus leads the most opportunistic defense in the NFL that just shut down Bill Belichick's Pats. The younger brother of Lincoln Riley, Garretts offenses at SMU the past 2 seasons his first 2 as an OC were No. All Rights Reserved. A year later, David Bakhtiari and Corey Linsley earned first-team All-Pro honors. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports By John Owning Jan 31, 2023 I hope you take some time to sit with Browns insight and perspective today: pic.twitter.com/SfjaJ6PO6x. 2. If Wilson lands his dream job anywhere, Leftwich is a name to monitor to be his head coach. O'Brien is best known for his failure as the Houston Texans . Coaching salaries are skyrocketing, following in lockstep with increasing NFL revenue that results in higher player salaries. The Seattle Seahawks replaced outgoing OC Brian Schottenheimer with Waldron for the 2021 season. Caden Prieskorn, Memphis. Hes a known proven winner over the years.. Bennett went from 8/6 TD/INT ratio in 2020, to a 29/7 in 2021. Published on: January 20, 2023 12:20 AM EST. But Byron Murphy Jr. (62.4 passer rating allowed when targeted) and Robert Alford (PFFs 18th-graded cornerback) are thriving this season. 1 on the big board of NFL coaching candidates in 2023, but there is an elephant in the room. Canada has spent several seasons as OC of various college football programs. Ken Dorsey, Bills QB coach/passing game coordinator: Dorsey has been the point-person for Cam Newton and Josh Allen during their respective top seasons. Hackett and Jets head coach Robert Saleh worked together for two seasons in 2015 and 2016 as part of Gus Bradleys staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Just a few years after earning five Pro Bowl trips and three All-Pro selections with the Arizona Cardinals, Adrian Wilson joined the front office. As head . So well also take a look at potential names for NFL fans to keep an eye on as its a safe bet at least one of them will be named an NFL head coach this spring. Renowned for his defensive acumen, experience and leadership, Fraziers history of coaching defenses speaks for itself. Josh McDaniels, Patriots OC: How things went down in Indianapolis can give a lot of team owners justifiable pause. Jerry Gray joined Green Bay as its defensive backs coach in 2020, immediately going to work with cornerback Jaire Alexander. Mike McDaniel, 49ers OC: McDaniel is a Shanahan disciple who's collaborated with Kyle to find creative ways to get playmakers the ball. In 1 year at Tennessee, his offense set multiple school records. After reviewing the All-22 Coaches Film and placing a few phone calls to my coaching buddies around the league, I've come up with a list -- presented in reverse order below -- of the top 10. The Bears will be in the market for one, and the Vikings may. The 45-year-old joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2019m taking over as cornerbacks coach after coaching defensive backs in Indianapolis (2016-17) and Dener (2018). There are plenty of intriguing names to know. Stenavich will be the NFCs third rookie OC in 2022. (Dorsey) is an extremely hard and efficient worker. He served as the passing game coordinator for the Bears in 2020, having been the quarterbacks coach for the previous four years. Jerry Gray, Packers DBs coach/passing game coordinator: Gray could wind up being a top DC name if a head coach job doesn't happen. But Trent Baalke might get in the way. Ken Dorsey has stepped up to be the Bills offensive coordinator following the departure of Brian Daboll. After the departure of Josh McDaniels to the Raiders, the Patriots seemed to use a combination of Bill Belichick, Matt Patricia, and Joe Judge to run the offense last season. AP Brian Johnson It feels unlikely that the Jets will go down the road of young, unproven. Rams top-15 plays of 2022: No. Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich It would admittedly be a little awkward if the Cowboys turned around and hired Byron Leftwich right after being the last team he faced. Sarah McLachlan) "The Christmas Song" --Nat King Cole "All I Want For Christmas Is You" --Mariah Carey "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"-- The Jackson 5 This list is final for 2021 and we will consider adjustments in 2022. After McDaniels left for the first time following the 2008 season, O'Brien took over play-calling duties and . He has been with the organization since 2006 and worked closely with Drew Brees during that time. December 22, 2022 5:32 am ET. Moore, who was only on the market for one day after being dismissed, will go from working with Dak Prescott to Justin Herbert. Give him the right offensive coordinator and Quinn will do well overseeing a defense and serving as the CEO on the sideline. A finalist for the Broncos position that went to Hackett, Quinn crushed interviews. It worked so well as an assistant at Auburn, LSU and FSU, and as head coach at FSU, when he had the right quarterback. Mike LaFleur Another offensive coordinator who ended up getting fired after the 2022 season was Mike LaFleur of the New York Jets. Theres another element that separates Payton from the other top NFL coaching candidates. As a result, Payton can demand one of the largest contracts ever for an NFL head coach at least $20 million per season and hell likely get it because of how coveted he is. Korn has been essential in the development of star QB Grayson McCall. He already brings the defensive mind and ability to make adjustments that teams need to prioritize. You need the right leader in that role because youve got to be able to handle multiple responsibilities, not just call offensive plays. What makes it a near certainty that hell be hired is how close he came in 2021. Thats why 6 of the top 10 offensive coordinators in the SDS annual rankings, and 13 of 25, are head coaches. The team blew its chance at a Super Bowl and never quite recovered. Hamilton deserves another shot to call plays and should be interviewed for multiple OC vacancies. Stenavich will likely be an NFL head coach candidate in 2023, but he has earned an OC tag next year. Just as importantly, his track record as a player and coordinator demonstrates his leadership and communication, which are crucial to fulfilling the CEO role for a head coach. He served as the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator in 2020, working alongside Justin Herbert in a record-setting rookie season. If Nathaniel Hackett becomes a head coach in 2022, Adam Stenavich becomes the favorite to take over as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. Whatever people thought of Bieniemy before the season shouldnt change. He also comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree (2009-15 w/ Patriots). By 2021, he was receiving head-coaching buzz and that league-wide interest has ramped up since. Anarumo has also been doing this for years and with defensive-minded coaches gaining more recognition, he is emerging as one of the NFL coaching candidates who is likeliest to receive multiple interviews. In a recent article discussing the top assistants in college football, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg highlighted Sean Lewis as one of the sport's 13 most impressive offensive coordinators. 6. Lets take a look at the OCs for each of the 32 NFL franchise and their coaching background before becoming coordinators. He took over a complete rebuild in 2019, coaching a roster that the front office built to lose games. Todd Grantham (DC) $1.8 million. Things looked bleak for him early this season, working with a young team that had multiple rookie starters and additional second- or third-year players. You may read on to know more about these coaches. Following two seasons working as the Bears quarterbacks coach, DeFilippo might get one final shot to call plays for an NFL team given his connections across the league. The Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator search remains ongoing two weeks after they fired Todd Downing from the post.. Now that the Titans have general manager Ran Carthon in place, attention . Getty Joe Brady coaching with the Panthers in 2021. It might be in Pittsburgh with Colbert set to retire. Just two decades after he was a top draft prospect, Morgan is now one of the best NFL GM candidates available in 2023. In his first year as a starter, Young became the first Alabama QB to win the Heisman. Needless to say, he is doing a phenomenal job with this group. A three-time CFL champion, Brady will get interviews in. Now, the Cowboys defense is even better and the differences between before he took over vs now are staggering. Six candidates who might help the Rams run the ball better. Jim Leonhard, University of Wisconsin defensive coordinator: The former safety has been a star coordinator at Wisconsin and turned down an opportunity with the Packers last season. Before joining the Titans for the 2022 season, Kelly worked with the Houston Texans between 2014 and 2021 with the last three seasons as offensive coordinator. Before arriving in Cleveland, Van Pelt spent time with the Buccaneers, Packers, and Bengals as either quarterbacks or running backs coach. The San Francisco 49ers went 44-19-1 with three seasons of 11-plus wins and one Super Bowl appearance. A member of the Mike Leach coaching tree, Holgorsen has a fantastic offensive mind and unique play calling audacity. I enlisted a similar set of coaches, executives, agents and league sources in an anonymous polling over this past week-plus to cultivate the best list I could. His work with Ian Book and Jack Coan the past 4 years has raised his coaching profile. It's a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option. Ronald Curry, Saints QB coach: In one season he's coached Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian to a 7-7 record so far. Mike Kafka makes it six rookie NFL OCs in the NFC. There . Ultimately, the 63-year-old remained in Buffalo as its assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. OTHER CANDIDATES. I took the Niners on Thursday night. Anyway, we have listed some of the best offensive coordinators in the game that are worth mentioning. His offenses have ranked in the middle of the pack through the first two years in Cleveland. Its a change that carried over into 2022 with Philly boasting one of the top offenses all season. Some say it's tied with Oregon for the best . Jerod Mayo last played in the NFL in 2015, stepping away from the field after years of injuries. Read also: Top 15 Best Defensive Coordinators in College Football in 2022. In 7 years as Oklahoma OC/head coach, his Sooners QBs threw 269 TDs (38.4 per season), won 2 Heisman Trophies (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray), added another finalist (Jalen Hurts) and 2 NFL No. Or will they? For NFL teams seeking a young defensive-minded coach, Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has accelerated the coaching ladder quickly. New Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker's rsum is long and varied, part of what made him an alluring candidate to Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. Ireland is also years removed from those comments, having spent the last seven seasons as the Saints assistant GM & college scouting director. The team struggled under his direction, but there were bigger problems in Miami. Teryl Austin, Steelers senior defensive assistant/secondary coach: The longtime defensive assistant was one of the names most repeated to me for this exercise. Lets dive into the best head coach, general manager and coaching candidates in 2023. The college coaching carousel is stopped and that means its time to focus on NFL coaching candidates who will be generating plenty of buzz this offseason. Even on a day when Rutgers football welcomed its 2023 recruiting class, head coach Greg Schiano can't escape questions about the most important open position currently on his coaching staff. Top offensive coordinator candidates for New York Jets. He could be headed to the Twin Cities. This will be Phillips first time as an offensive coordinator. Eric Washington, Bills DL coach: Washington was Carolina's DC before joining Sean McDermott in Buffalo, and he operates one of the deepest DLs in all of football. Shane Waldron spent four seasons working with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams (2017-20). Bieniemy is a key part of what the Chiefs have going. Has been the lead recruiter on six on the 18 players that FSU has committed in its 2022 recruiting class, including four four-star recruits. Beginning as a pro scout (2001-04), he worked his way up the ladder to become Washingtons director of pro personnel (2005-07) before joining the Philadelphia Eagles. After one season as a grad assistant on Urban Meyers staff at Ohio State, Bowen spent the next three years at Kennesaw State before making the jump to the NFL in 2016 with the Houston Texans (2016-17) before becoming the Titans outside linebackers coach. Arizona promoted him to director of pro scouting (2019-20) before he became vice president in 2021. He will now take the number one passing offense from Kansas City to Washington with Sam Howell likely QB1. While the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts became the first NFL teams looking for a new coach, weve now seen the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos join them. While knowing how to interact and handle with the media might not seem like one of the most important abilities, it helps shape a teams image and how fans feel about the club.