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NFL head coaches 2023: Latest news, rumors, interviews on hirings, firings

Five teams have hired a new head coach to lead their franchise for 2023 and beyond. Others have found coordinators for their offense and defense.

The coaching changes started early this season, with the Panthers firing Matt Rhule on Oct. 10. The Colts followed, firing Frank Reich on Nov. 7, replacing him with former ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday. The third change was Denver firing first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett on Dec. 26. After getting a Week 18 win, the Houston Texans fired Lovie Smith just hours later. The Cardinals followed by firing Kliff Kingsbury the next day on Jan. 9.

On Jan. 26, the Panthers announced the hiring of Reich, a former Panthers quarterback, as the next head coach of the franchise. On Jan. 31, the Broncos agreed to a deal with former Saints head coach Sean Payton after his initial retirement following the 2022 season and the Texans hired 49ers coordinator DeMeco Ryans. On Feb. 14, the Colts announced that Eagles OC Shane Steichen will be their next head coach and the Cardinals announced Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon as their next head coach.

Here's everything you need to know about the latest NFL head-coach movement, with news on open jobs, potential open jobs and candidates. Plus, we list offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator positions that need to be filled.

HEAD COACH HIRES

Carolina Panthers

New head coach: Frank Reich
Former head coach: Matt Rhule

Reich, the starting quarterback for the first game in Panthers history in 1995, is now the team's sixth head coach. Owner David Tepper chose Reich, 61, after an extensive search that included nine candidates, including interim head coach Steve Wilks and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

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Denver Broncos

New head coach: Sean Payton
Former head coach: Nathaniel Hackett

After announcing his retirement from coaching after the 2021 season, Payton has returned to the NFL and will be the Broncos' 19th head coach in franchise history. In a deal made on Jan. 31, the New Orleans Saints will receive the Broncos' 2023 first-round pick (No. 29) and 2024 second-round pick for Payton and the Saints' 2024 third-round selection.

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Houston Texans

New head coach: DeMeco Ryans
Former head coach: Lovie Smith

The Texans hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach Jan. 31. Ryans has agreed to a six-year deal and will be the franchise's sixth full-time coach. The Texans also become the first team in NFL history to have hired three consecutive Black coaches.

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Indianapolis Colts

New coach: Shane Steichen
Former coach: Frank Reich

A coaching search that spanned five weeks and combed through 14 initial candidates has finally come to an end. The Colts have announced the hire of Eagles offensive coordinator Steichen to become their new head coach, putting the 37-year old at the helm of a team looking to rebound from a 4-12-1 season and seeking long-overdue stability at quarterback.

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Arizona Cardinals

New head coach: Jonathan Gannon
Former head coach: Kliff Kingsbury

The Arizona Cardinals hired Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach on Feb. 14. The move comes two days after the Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35. The 40-year-old Gannon had been the Eagles' defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. He turned Philadelphia into a top-10 defense in his first year, and this season the Eagles ranked No. 2 in the league while boasting two Pro Bowlers. Gannon received a five-year contract.

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OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOB OPENINGS

Indianapolis Colts

New OC: Jim Bob Cooter
Former OC: Marcus Brady

The new Colts head coach is expected to name veteran NFL assistant Cooter as the team's offensive coordinator, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Cooter, 38, was most recently the Jaguars' passing game coordinator.


OC JOBS FILLED

Arizona Cardinals

New OC: Drew Petzing
Former playcaller: Kliff Kingsbury


Baltimore Ravens

New OC: Todd Monken
Former OC: Greg Roman

The Ravens hired Georgia offensive coordinator Monken as their new offensive coordinator on Feb. 14. Monken, 57, helped guide Georgia to back-to-back national championships.


New England Patriots

New OC: Bill O'Brien
Former playcallers: Matt Patricia/Joe Judge

O'Brien, 53, who spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama, now is back to where his NFL career began in 2007 as a coaching assistant.


New York Jets

New OC: Nathaniel Hackett
Former OC: Mike LaFleur

The Jets ended a two-week search for an offensive coordinator, hiring the former Denver Broncos coach -- a move that will fuel speculation about a potential Aaron Rodgers trade.


Los Angeles Rams

New OC: Mike LaFleur
Former OC: Liam Coen

The Rams are in the process of hiring former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.


Los Angeles Chargers

New OC: Kellen Moore
Former OC: Joe Lombardi

The Chargers are hiring Moore as their new offensive coordinator. The move comes less than 24 hours after the Cowboys released a statement that said Moore and the team reached a "mutual decision to part ways" following an end-of-season review process.


Philadelphia Eagles

New OC: Brian Johnson
Former OC: Shane Steichen

The Eagles are promoting quarterbacks coach Johnson to offensive coordinator, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. He'll replace Steichen, the new head coach of the Colts.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New OC: Dave Canales
Former OC: Byron Leftwich

The Buccaneers hired Seahawks quarterback coach Canales as their new offensive coordinator, the team announced.


Tennessee Titans

New OC: Tim Kelly
Former OC: Todd Downing

The Titans announced Feb. 7 that they have promoted Kelly to offensive coordinator. Kelly spent last season as the Titans' pass game coordinator.


Washington Commanders

New OC: Eric Bieniemy
Former OC: Scott Turner

The Commanders have named Bieniemy as the team's new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. The sides agreed on a two-year deal that includes a "promotion in title, contractual structure" and a pay raise, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

DC JOBS OPEN

Buffalo Bills

Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is taking a year off from coaching, the team announced. Frazier plans to return for the 2024 season, according to the team, but Beane said that they weren't sure if his return would definitely be with the Bills.

When it comes to filling the role, the possibility has been left open for Sean McDermott to call the defensive plays. The team is still working through possibilities and does not have any interviews set up with outside candidates at this time.


Philadelphia Eagles

Former DC: Jonathan Gannon


DC JOBS FILLED

Arizona Cardinals

New DC: Nick Rallis
Former DC: Vance Joseph

Rallis, 29, worked with Gannon in Philadelphia for the past two seasons.


Atlanta Falcons

New DC: Ryan Nielsen
Former DC: Dean Pees

The Falcons hired Nielsen as defensive coordinator, taking him from their biggest rival after he spent last season as the co-defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.


Miami Dolphins

New DC: Vic Fangio
Former DC: Josh Boyer

Former Broncos head coach Fangio has reached an agreement with the Dolphins to be the team's defensive coordinator, a source confirmed to ESPN. Fangio, 64, sat out this season after Denver fired him last January.


Cleveland Browns

New DC: Jim Schwartz
Former DC: Joe Woods


Carolina Panthers

New DC: Ejiro Evero
Former DC: Phil Snow

The Panthers have agreed to terms with Evero to make him the team's defensive coordinator on new head coach Frank Reich's staff. Evero, was the Broncos' defensive coordinator last season.


Denver Broncos

New DC: Vance Joseph
Former DC: Ejiro Evero

Broncos coach Sean Payton is hiring Vance Joseph, the team's former head coach, to be his defensive coordinator.


Minnesota Vikings

New DC: Brian Flores
Former DC: Ed Donatell

The Vikings have hired Flores as their new defensive coordinator, the team announced Feb. 6. Flores spent last season as the Pittsburgh Steelers' senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach after being fired as head coach by the Miami Dolphins following the 2021 season.


San Francisco 49ers

New DC: Steve Wilks
Former DC: DeMeco Ryans

The Niners are hiring Wilks, who was most recently the interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers, as their next defensive coordinator one week after defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans departed to become the Houston Texans' head coach.


New Orleans Saints

New DC: Joe Woods
Former DCs: Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen

The Saints hired Woods their new defensive coordinator. Woods, who was fired as the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator after the 2022 season, will reunite with Saints head coach Dennis Allen. Woods was a defensive backs coach with the Raiders in 2014 when Allen was the team's head coach.