It’s only been a couple of weeks since the end of the NFL regular season, but the hiring cycle is in full swing. With every eliminated playoff team comes new opportunities for assistant coaches to be hired,

College football head coaches voted today to recommend a proposal to shrink the sport’s transfer portal windows to a single 10-day period in January. Right now, there are two windows (20 days in December and 10 in April), both of which involve flaws in the sport’s crowded calendar.

When the NFL regular season comes to a close, it sends the head-coaching carousel into high gear. The 2025 cycle is in full swing and began with six openings across the NFL. One of those has since been filled with the New England Patriots hiring Mike Vrabel to lead the franchise after moving on from Jerod Mayo after one season.

The NFL coaching carousel is spinning slowly. The Jets, Saints and Bears got a head start in their searches because they fired coaches during the season. The Jaguars and Raiders joined the hunt last week. The Cowboys jumped in Monday so they have to wait to interview assistants on playoff teams because the first window passed.

Wild Card Weekend isn’t just a test for players—it’s a proving ground for head coaches. Let’s rank every NFL playoff team’s head coach.

A quick assessment of the coaching opportunities available to Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel and the other candidates