The 2024 NFL regular season is over, and seven teams have moved on from their head coaches. Six of those spots have already been filled, and only the Saints job remains open.
The Cowboys made the most recent hire, agreeing to promote their offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The Raiders, Jaguars, Jets, Patriots and Bears also filled vacancies by hiring Pete Carroll, Liam Coen, Aaron Glenn, Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson, respectively.
Here's everything you need to know about the latest NFL head coach movement, including pros and cons for the open gigs.
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New coach hires | Open coaching jobs
Head-coach jobs that have been filled
Dallas Cowboys
New coach: Brian Schottenheimer (hired Jan. 24)
Former coach: Mike McCarthy (let go Jan. 13)
What happened: After looking outside the organization for Mike McCarthy's replacement, the Cowboys named offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as the 10th coach in franchise history, Jerry Jones told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schottenheimer interviewed this week with Jones, executive vice president Stephen Jones and vice president of player personnel Will McClay. He has a strong relationship with quarterback Dak Prescott and has connected well with people in the organization, but this will be his first head-coaching job.
The Cowboys and McCarthy opted to part ways on Jan. 13 after it became clear the length of an extension was an issue, per multiple sources. McCarthy went 49-35 in the regular season with the Cowboys, posting three straight 12-5 marks from 2021-23, but he was unable to continue the playoff success he had with the Packers. The Cowboys were just 1-3 in the postseason, losing two games at AT&T Stadium. -- Todd Archer
Staff: What the Schottenheimer hire means for Prescott, Cowboys
Archer: Cowboys' 2024 roster didn't set Mike McCarthy up to succeed
Las Vegas Raiders
New coach: Pete Carroll (hired Jan. 24)
Former coach: Antonio Pierce (fired Jan. 7)
What happened: Pete Carroll and the Raiders have reached an agreement on a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option to be the team's new head coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Carroll, 73, is one of four head coaches to have led teams to both a national championship and the Super Bowl. The others are Barry Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Jim Harbaugh.
The Raiders fired Antonio Pierce after his first full season as head coach after the team went 4-13. Carroll with be the Raiders' fifth head coach since relocating to Las Vegas from Oakland in 2020 and their ninth since Mark Davis took over as owner upon the death of his father, Al Davis, in 2011.
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Jacksonville Jaguars
New coach: Liam Coen (hired Jan. 23)
Former coach: Doug Pederson (fired Jan. 6)
What happened: Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen told the team Thursday night that he was leaving to become coach of the Jaguars, a source told ESPN's Jenna Laine. The two sides verbally reached agreement on a contract overnight, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
The decision capped a two-day saga in which Coen pulled himself from consideration for the Jaguars job, then agreed to a contract extension with the Buccaneers that would have made him the NFL's highest-paid coordinator, and then changed his mind after Jacksonville reached out to ask him to reconsider after it parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke on Wednesday afternoon. -- Michael DiRocco
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New York Jets
New coach: Aaron Glenn (hired Jan. 22)
Former coach: Robert Saleh (fired Oct. 8)
What happened: On his journey from low-level scout to highly coveted coordinator, Aaron Glenn told friends his "dream job" was to coach the Jets -- the franchise that made him a first-round pick in 1994.
It became reality Wednesday, as Glenn -- most recently the Lions' defensive coordinator -- agreed in principle to become the 18th full-time head coach in Jets history, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. -- Rich Cimini
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Staff: What does the Aaron Glenn hire mean for Aaron Rodgers, Jets?
Keown: Inside Aaron Rodgers' complicated relationship with the Jets
Cimini: 'I just think we can do better': A look at the Jets' chaotic week, split with Saleh
Chicago Bears
New coach: Ben Johnson (hired Jan. 20)
Former coach: Matt Eberflus (fired Nov. 29)
What happened: The Bears named Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their new head coach, the team announced Tuesday.
Johnson, known for his innovative playcalling, has coached the Detroit Lions to top-10 offenses the past two seasons, including second overall this year and No. 1 in points scored when they finished 15-2. Detroit's 28.2 offensive points per game from 2022-24 during Johnson's span as offensive coordinator were the most in the NFL. The Lions averaged at least 26 points per game in each of Johnson's three seasons as offensive coordinator, whereas the Bears have had four such seasons in the entire Super Bowl era (1985, 2006, 2013 and 2018). -- Courtney Cronin
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New England Patriots
New coach: Mike Vrabel (hired Jan. 12)
Former coach: Jerod Mayo (fired Jan. 5)
What happened: Mike Vrabel has returned to the Patriots after agreeing Sunday on a multiyear contract to become their new head coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Vrabel played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and was an integral member of three Super Bowl championship teams. He served as Tennessee Titans head coach from 2018-23, posting a 54-45 regular-season record and 2-3 mark in the playoffs, which included a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2019. Vrabel, the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year in 2021, now replaces Mayo, who was fired Jan. 5 after posting a 4-13 record in his one season as Patriots coach.
The Patriots also interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton for the opening. -- Mike Reiss
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Reiss: How Patriots are trying to turn things around with Mike Vrabel
Staff: Why the Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo after one season
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Head coach openings
New Orleans Saints
Former coach: Dennis Allen (fired Nov. 4)
Record with Saints: 18-25 over three seasons
What happened: The Saints fired Dennis Allen after losing their seventh straight game. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was named the interim coach, and he addressed the media by noting it was "a tough day," citing Allen as a close friend. This is the first midseason firing for the Saints since the late Tom Benson purchased the team in 1985. The franchise's last in-season firing occurred when Dick Nolan was ousted after an 0-12 start to his third season in 1980. The team also made an in-season change in 1996 when Jim Mora resigned after a 2-6 start, and New Orleans then went 1-7 under Rick Venturi.
Pros of the New Orleans job: New Orleans has a stable front office with one of the longest-tenured general managers in the league in Mickey Loomis. The Saints have shown a tendency to value continuity -- Sean Payton stayed in New Orleans for 15 years, and the franchise moved on from Allen (who had a long relationship with the team) only after a long string of losses. That means it will likely be patient with the next coach as well.
Cons of the New Orleans job: The Saints have salary cap issues complicated by their strategy of pushing back cap hits in order to "win now." That means there won't be a lot of money to work with in free agency in 2025, and the next coach might not be able to make many changes to the roster right away. That could complicate things if Derek Carr isn't the preferred quarterback. -- Katherine Terrell
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