Most of the head-coaching hires in this cycle made sense. If you looked at the list of hires before the offseason began, most would have fit well. That is, outside of the Dallas Cowboys' surprising hire.
It's impossible to know how coaches will ultimately work out, especially with the hires who have never been head coaches before. But we can judge the process and give first impressions on the first six new hires, with only the New Orleans Saints still searching for their new coach. Here are the grades and rankings of the NFL's new head coaching hires (we'll add in the Saints when they make their hire):
6. Dallas Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer
As with most everything regarding the Cowboys, perception is rarely reality. When Dallas started its search, everyone wanted to match Jerry Jones with a huge, splashy hire like Deion Sanders or Bill Belichick. But Jones stuck to what he values, which seems to be not paying buyouts and hiring someone he's familiar with. That led to a hire that is, kindly, uninspiring.
Schottenheimer could end up being a great head coach. Leaning into the unknown isn't always bad. Schottenheimer has a lot of experience as an assistant and he knows the Cowboys. It's just a bit of a weird hire, considering Schottenheimer was a non-play calling offensive coordinator for a coach the Cowboys didn't bend over backwards to bring back. It could turn out well. If it doesn't, Jones will never hear the end of it. He has already angered the Cowboys' fan base, which won't have a lot of patience for their new coach.
Grade: D+
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Liam Coen
There was so much to hate about the process in which Coen became the Jaguars' coach, from the team angle and Coen's side of things, too. However, the final result was as good as Jacksonville could have hoped. Coen was a hot name after a good season as Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator and had it been a normal hire by the Jaguars, it would have been considered a good one.
But we know it was messy. Coen agreed to go back to the Buccaneers. The Jaguars finally fired GM Trent Baalke after it was clear to everyone else a couple weeks earlier that needed to happen. Coen met with the Jaguars in secret and practically ghosted Tampa Bay. Neither side looked good. And there are some fair questions about the hire itself. Coen has never been a head coach. He had two seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator, and in one of them the Los Angeles Rams finished last in the NFL in yardage. This hire was based on one good season, and we've seen other coaches go from offensive genius to the outhouse in a hurry.
Grade: C
4. Las Vegas Raiders: Pete Carroll
It's a hard hire to judge. Based just on Carroll's track record, it should be considered a home run hire. Carroll has a Super Bowl ring, and a college national championship, too. He had a winning record in 11 of his last 12 seasons guiding the Seattle Seahawks. It's hard to find fault with his resume.
But Carroll will turn 74 years old in September. When the Raiders kick off the season, Carroll will become the oldest head coach in NFL history. It's hard to feel great about a rebuilding team hiring a coach who might not be on the job for three more years. And there has been very little success among the few coaches who have stayed on the sidelines into their 70s. Carroll has more energy than most men in their 70s, but it's still a young man's game. But then again, it's not like the Raiders have gotten any other hire right lately. At least we know Carroll is a good coach, no matter his age.
Grade: C
3. New York Jets: Aaron Glenn
The Jets didn't deserve a hire this good. It's as dysfunctional of an organization as there is in any league, and we can see that in their 14-year playoff drought, which is the longest in major American professional sports. The Jets are remarkably awful, starting with their owner. It's not an easy job for Glenn, who deserved a shot to be a head coach.
Yet, the same could have been said about DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans two years ago. Maybe the path will be similar, with a strong coach (with a defensive pedigree, who was once drafted by the team that just hired him to be its head coach) overcoming all the obstacles in front of him. Glenn has respect around the NFL and it is well earned. He has all the qualities of a good NFL head coach. Let's see if that's enough to overcome everything else surrounding the Jets, which includes a messy quarterback situation with Aaron Rodgers and a roster that might need a bit of a reset.
Grade: B
2. Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson
These two claims are stark opposites but both true: The Bears made a great hire with Johnson, and that doesn't mean it will work out. We know nothing about Johnson as a head coach. Plenty of offensive wizards haven't translated to the top job, because it's a completely different role. But it was a big-time move for a Bears franchise that needs to finally hit on a star coach. Johnson's offensive acumen is not debatable, and it's hard to imagine he won't help Caleb Williams.
There's a reason Johnson was a hot name for a couple cycles. Everyone in Chicago is hoping he's the next Sean McVay. If nothing else, we know Johnson is an expert play-caller. Now we just need to see if he can handle all of the duties that go along with becoming a head coach.
Grade: A-
1. New England Patriots: Mike Vrabel
The only reason Vrabel is ahead of Johnson is we know what Vrabel is as a head coach. He's pretty good. The Tennessee Titans lost him due to a power struggle with ownership over the front office, then Tennessee fired its general manager a year later. That sums up why the Titans are a bad franchise. The Patriots were the beneficiaries, making a hire that seemed inevitable long before New England even fired Jerod Mayo.
The way New England went about its coaching search was embarrassing in many ways, but they landed on the right answer. Vrabel has a long history with the Patriots, which likely means he'll be given patience as he builds up a bad roster (patience that Mayo, another former Patriots linebacker, was not given). It seems like a perfect fit. The grade gets docked a bit because of the shameful way the team made a mockery of the Rooney Rule. But they got a good, proven coach.
Grade: A-
