The 2026 NFL playoffs may be ongoing, but the offseason is starting to heat up for many teams.
Nearly a third of the league parted ways with a head coach either during the season or shortly after it ended, although only four of these 10 teams have managed to fill their vacancies.
The short list of clubs to announce a hiring include the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans, who took John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Jeff Hafley and Robert Saleh, respectively, off the market.
While they weren’t looking for a new head coach, the Los Angeles Chargers pulled off perhaps the biggest coaching coup of the 2026 offseason. The Bolts scored a major offseason victory by convincing Mike McDaniel—a popular candidate to land another head coaching gig shortly after his surprise dismissal from the Miami Dolphins—to join Jim Harbaugh’s staff as Greg Roman’s replacement at offensive coordinator.
While McDaniel’s choice has taken a trendy candidate off the table, there are still plenty of bright minds available to fill a head coaching void.
With that in mind, let’s take a ranked look—based on their past resume and chances for future success—at the top remaining head coaching candidates.
