NFL head coaches fired: Tracking all the openings, candidates and changes in 2023-24

Here's everything you need to know for the 2023-24 NFL coaching cycle.

As the NFL season winds down, change is inevitable.

Each year, a handful of teams make drastic changes — either to their roster, coaching staff or front office. But some owners act quicker than others, opting to fire coaches during the regular season.

There have also been several examples of head coaches getting canned in 2023, and a number of offensive and defensive coordinators have also been shown the door.

Who has been fired so far and who could be next? Also, what coaches could be candidates to fill these job openings? Here’s a tracker of everything you need to know for the 2023-24 NFL coaching cycle:

List of fired NFL head coaches in the 2023 season

Two head coaches have been fired so far this season: Josh McDaniels and Frank Reich.

The Las Vegas Raiders cut ties with McDaniels on Nov. 1 following a 3-5 start to the season. McDaniels, along with GM Dave Ziegler, were both fired less than two seasons into their tenures. The duo went 9-16 in Las Vegas after getting poached away from the New England Patriots, where they served as offensive coordinator and director of player personnel. Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach, while Champ Kelly filled the interim GM role.

Reich only lasted 11 games as the Carolina Panthers’ head coach. The former NFL quarterback went 1-10 in Carolina after a 40-33-1 stint with the Indianapolis Colts. Reich was the first coach to get fired midseason in two consecutive years and his run with the Panthers marked the second-shortest head coaching tenure in NFL history (not including interim coaches). Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was named interim head coach by owner David Tepper.

What NFL head coaches are on the hot seat in 2023?

While only two head coaches have been fired through 12 weeks, plenty of others are on the hot seat.

There are varying degrees on heated seats in a car, so let’s break up the coaches in a similar way:

Low heat

Arthur Smith, Falcons: Atlanta went 7-10 in Smith’s first two seasons and is now battling to win the lowly NFC South. If the Falcons don’t make the postseason, Smith could be the scapegoat.

Brian Daboll, Giants: Even after a surprise playoff berth in 2022, Daboll is under fire. The Giants have underachieved in 2023 while facing injuries and ineffectiveness, but the Giants’ last three coaches before Daboll were all fired during or after their second season (Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge).

Todd Bowles, Buccaneers: Bowles, like Daboll, made the postseason in 2022 — his first as Tampa Bay’s head coach. The team has regressed in 2023, though, going just 1-4 in one-score games without Tom Brady there to bail them out.

Medium heat

Sean McDermott, Bills: Firing McDermott wasn’t even a thought entering this season, but things have unraveled in Buffalo. McDermott, who went 62-35 in his first six seasons, has made changes at offensive and defensive coordinator in the last 12 months. There’s no one else to blame if the talented Bills don’t make the playoffs.

Dennis Allen, Saints: The Saints were built to win the NFC South this season — and it’ll be on Allen if they don’t get that done. Derek Carr hasn’t played like New Orleans expected, but Allen is doing little to save his job with key divisional losses to the aforementioned Bucs and Falcons.

Robert Saleh, Jets: Year three of the Saleh era has been a carbon copy of year two — strong defense, incompetent quarterback play and more losses than wins. Of course, there’s the caveat that Aaron Rodgers was injured immediately and Joe Douglas never signed a legitimate backup. If Saleh survives another year, next season will be make or break.

High heat

Bill Belichick, Patriots: The greatest coach of all-time can’t possibly get fired, right? Well, with the Patriots consistently looking unprepared and undisciplined, it’s certainly not out of the question. Belichick might not get fired, but there’s a very real possibility that he and the club mutually agree to part ways by trading him to another team.

Brandon Staley, Chargers: Despite finishing above .500 in his first two seasons, Staley’s seat has been hot for quite a while. Los Angeles is 2-5 in one-score games this season after blowing a 27-0 lead in the wild card round last season. It feels inevitable that Staley won’t make it into 2024 as the Chargers head coach.

Ron Rivera, Commanders: Riverboat Ron has been ultra-conservative this season, doing all he can to try and save his job. But new owner Joshua Harris likely wants to start fresh — and you can’t really blame him. Rivera has been .500 or worse in nine of his 12 seasons as a head coach, and he’ll make it 10 of 13 with one more loss in 2023.

Matt Eberflus, Bears: The best way to stay off the hot seat is to win games — and that’s something that Eberflus hasn’t done in Chicago. He went 3-14 in 2022 and hasn’t fared much better in 2023. With two top-10 picks likely on the way, the Bears could start fresh with a new coach and potentially a new quarterback.

What NFL coordinators have been fired during the 2023 season?

Firing a coordinator can help a head coach in several ways. Of course, the main goal is to shake things up and improve a struggling unit. But the hidden consequence is that it sometimes buys the head coach more time in his own role.

Here are all the offensive and defensive coordinators that have been fired so far this season:

• Mick Lombardi, Raiders offensive coordinator
• Ken Dorsey, Bills offensive coordinator
• Matt Canada, Steelers offensive coordinator
• Jack Del Rio, Commanders defensive coordinator

Who are the best NFL head coaching candidates?

NFL teams have a lot to consider when hiring a new head coach. There a several factors to consider, including scheme, culture, experience, age and more. Here are 10 of the top candidates to become head coaches in 2024 — names that you will surely hear when teams start interviewing in the new year:

Ben Johnson, Lions offensive coordinator: The 37-year-old Johnson passed on head coaching opportunities last offseason to stay in Detroit. He’ll likely have plenty of offers again this winter after an impressive season.

Bobby Slowik, Texans offensive coordinator: In his first season as an OC, Slowik has helped transform the Texans’ offensive. Having a star rookie quarterback obviously helps, but a young offensive mind (36 years old) from the Kyle Shanahan system will undoubtedly be in demand.

Frank Smith, Dolphins offensive coordinator: The Dolphins offense has taken off over the last two seasons with Smith as OC. Head coach Mike McDaniel is the play-caller, but Smith has obviously helped unlock Tua Tagovailoa and Co.

Kellen Moore, Chargers offensive coordinator: Moore’s first season in LA hasn’t been smooth. Still, the 34-year-old Moore is a rising young coach who already has several years of play-calling experience.

Dan Quinn, Cowboys defensive coordinator: Like Johnson, Quinn is going to have several opportunities this offseason — if he wants them. He’s in a great position with a loaded Dallas defense, so it would have to take the right team to pry him back into a head coaching job.

Ejiro Evero, Panthers defensive coordinator: Evero, 42, had interviews last year before moving from Denver to Carolina and remaining a DC. He could be looking for another new gig with the Panthers changing head coaches.

Lou Anarumo, Bengals defensive coordinator: It’s not often that your first head coaching gig comes at 57 years old, but that’s the situation that Anarumo is eyeing. He has transformed Cincinnati’s defense, which isn’t exactly loaded with stars.

Mike Macdonald, Ravens defensive coordinator: The Ravens are annually a top defense, and that hasn’t changed since Macdonald became DC in 2022. With experience working for both Harbaugh brothers, Macdonald is a future head coach.

Steve Wilks, 49ers defensive coordinator: Wilks went 3-13 with the Cardinals and got fired after one season. Then he went 6-6 as the Panthers’ interim coach before being passed on. Now he’s leading an elite defense in San Francisco. The 54-year-old Wilks has earned a long-term leash as a head coach.

Jerod Mayo, Patriots linebackers coach: Even with the Patriots floundering in 2023, Mayo is still a legit head coaching candidate — whether that be in New England or elsewhere. Mayo, 37, could take over for Belichick or jump at a different opportunity in the very near future.