Eight weeks still remain in the NFL regular season, yet we already know that at least two teams — the Panthers and Colts — will be in the market for head coaches. Others will likely join them.
Carolina fired Matt Rhule on Oct. 10 and named Steve Wilks the interim head coach. Wilks, who was in his first season as the Panthers’ defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach, has gone 3-3 since his promotion. Indianapolis decided last week to cut ties with Frank Reich and elevate team consultant Jeff Saturday to the interim job. Saturday, despite having no pro or college football coaching experience, beat the Raiders 25-20 in his first game in his new role.
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We’ll see over the next two months whether either will perform well enough to earn the permanent job. In the meantime, officials of those teams, and others potentially considering a head coaching change, will closely monitor the work of the NFL’s top assistants while drafting their list of prospective candidates.
Some assistants from this year’s top squads are already on the radar. With strong finishes to the regular season and postseason, they can strengthen the opinion of their bodies of work while positioning themselves to interview for highly coveted head coaching positions.
Here are some of the leading assistants to watch during the home stretch of the regular season and as the firing and hiring window approaches.
Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has head coaching experience, leading the Vikings from 2010-2013. (Mitch Stringer/USA Today)
Leslie Frazier, Bills defensive coordinator
The 63-year-old Frazier again leads one of the most dominant defenses in the game, and is one of the most qualified candidates out there, with 24 years of NFL coaching experience and another 11 years at the college level. The former defensive back is regarded as a strong leader and as a strategic defensive mind. In his previous stint as a head coach (2010-2013 in Minnesota), Frazier had one playoff appearance.
DeMeco Ryans, 49ers defensive coordinator
The 38-year-old former Pro Bowl middle linebacker has established himself as one of the NFL’s best defensive coordinators. He boasts an exceptional feel for the game, strong communication skills and leadership qualities that cause NFL insiders to believe it’s only a matter of time before he’s directing his own team.
Dan Quinn, Cowboys defensive coordinator
Quinn, 52, has 19 years of NFL coaching experience, including six as a head coach and four as a coordinator. His Cowboys unit ranks sixth in points allowed (18.2), 11th in total yards (324.8) and first in sacks (35). Quinn went 43-42 as head coach in Atlanta (2015-2020) with a Super Bowl appearance in Year 2.
Eric Bieniemy, Chiefs offensive coordinator
As Andy Reid’s right-hand man, Beieniemy, 53, is part of the brain trust behind one of the league’s most prolific offenses in the last five seasons. Yet the former running back has been passed over for head coaching positions repeatedly. Reid stood on the table for him during last spring’s owners’ meetings. Is this the year Bieniemy finally gets the nod?
Byron Leftwich, Bucs offensive coordinator
The 42-year-old Leftwich’s star has dimmed slightly as the Buccaneers offense regressed while dealing with free agent and retirement losses and a rash of early injuries. But the former NFL quarterback has thrived overall as an OC in Tampa Bay, where his units have ranked among the top 10 in total offense in each of the last four years. A finalist for Jacksonville’s head gig last winter, Leftwich is likely to have suitors this offseason as well.
Jonathan Gannon, Eagles defensive coordinator
The 39-year-old Gannon has directed a top-10 defense in each of his first two seasons with the Eagles. This year, his unit ranks third in total yards (299), first against the pass (177.6) and third in points (16.9).
Shane Steichen may not be the only head coach candidate from the Eagles. (Bill Streicher/USA Today)
Shane Steichen, Philadelphia offensive coordinator
In two seasons as Nick Sirianni’s offensive coordinator and play-caller, Steichen has been instrumental in the development of Jalen Hurts and the improved effectiveness and explosiveness of the Eagles’ offense. Philadelphia is ranked fourth in yards (376.9) and third in points (27.3).
Jerod Mayo, New England linebackers coach
The former Pro Bowl linebacker and Super Bowl champion ranks among Bill Belichick’s top assistants and garnered attention in the last head coaching hiring cycle. Mayo, 36, helps oversee a defense that ranks seventh in points allowed (18.4) and second in sacks (32).
Kellen Moore, Dallas offensive coordinator
Moore, 33, has been among the most intriguing assistants for several years now while helping run a Cowboys offense that in 2021 led the league in both yards and points. The former backup quarterback is seen as a sharp offensive mind while displaying a good rapport with quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
Others to watch
Things can change quickly from year to year. Last offseason, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and tight ends coach/assistant head coach Thomas Brown both had interest from teams, but the battered defending Super Bowl champs are now struggling mightily. Patrick Graham is in a similar situation. After attracting interest in the last hiring cycle while defensive coordinator of the Giants, he eventually accepted the same job with the Raiders. But with Las Vegas struggling, it’s hard to know if Graham will be a head coach candidate again this offseason. The same can be said of Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Pittsburgh assistant coach Brian Flores boasts head coaching experience and led the Dolphins to winning records in two of his three seasons, but teams might shy away from him because of his ongoing discrimination lawsuit against that team, Giants, Broncos and the NFL itself.
One more name to keep an eye on: Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, 38, who interviewed for the Denver head coaching position last season and this season directs a unit that ranks eighth in yards and sixth in points. He might, however, need a little more seasoning.
(Top photo of Eric Bieniemy: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
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