Ranking Each New Head Coaching Hire in the NFL

Every season, coaches get fired in the NFL, with 2020-21 being no different. This year, there were seven coaches fired because of various situations. After about a month or so, every coaching vacancy was filled with some intriguing candidates. Let’s rank the seven coaches hired and why they were placed in the spots they’re in.

7. David Culley, Houston Texans

Over the past calendar year, the Houston Texans have turned into an utter mess. First, the former GM /head coach Bill O’Brien traded star WR DeAndre Hopkins for a battered & bruised David Johnson, along with a second-round pick. After that, the Texans went 4-12, resulting in O’Brien getting fired midway through the season. Today, their star QB Deshaun Watson wants to be traded and star DE J.J. Watt requested his release (and was granted it). And to top it all off, they did not exactly hit a slam dunk with their head coaching hire in Ravens assistant head coach, wide receivers coach & passing game coordinator David Culley. Culley has been an assistant head coach a few times, but has never been higher than a passing game coordinator. Culley might work out for the best, whoever really knows this early, but for now, it looks like a bad hire.

6. Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers

After a rollercoaster ride from 2017-2020, the Chargers decided to move on from Anthony Lynn. His successor is Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. This is a very risky move by the Chargers. Staley seems to be an impressive football mind, but has been in the NFL for only three years and somehow already has a head coaching job. Staley is going to have to rely on hiring an elite offensive coordinator to call plays for QB Justin Herbert, who more than made his case to be the LA’s franchise quarterback. If Staley does not work out, he could get fired just as quickly as he got hired, and Herbert would be on his third coach in three years. The defense will be fine, but Staley will need to hit a home run with a play-caller, or else the offense could fail on him.

5. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

If you take away his vulgar interview, Dan Campbell is an impressive individual and might be a slam dunk for the Detroit Lions. While he has never been an offensive or defensive coordinator, Campbell has been the head coach for 12 games, serving as the interim coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2015. It is not the most glamorous hire and he will not be an offensive mastermind like Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan, but guys like Joe Judge and Matt Rhule have proven that you can change the culture of an organization with the right attitude, even if it does not turn into wins in year one. Campbell is an underrated hire; one that could help remove the stink left behind by Matt Patricia.

4. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles

After spending three seasons as the offensive coordinator with the Colts, Nick Sirianni will now have his chance as a head coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. While it was a little out of left field, Sirianni has the chance to be an offensive mastermind in the NFL, coming from the coaching tree that Frank Reich is starting to create. Sirianni will have his hands full with young QB Jalen Hurts and a ton of holes, but good coaching can patch those issues until there is a permanent fix. It could flop, but there is a good chance that Sirianni finds a lot of success in the NFL.

3. Urban Meyer, Jacksonville Jaguars

Probably the biggest storyline from a head coaching hire this offseason was Urban Meyer to the Jacksonville Jaguars. For a long time, Meyer has found his success in the college ranks, most recently with Ohio State, and will finally have his chance to make it in the NFL. Meyer was dealt a ton of cap space, a bunch of draft picks, and likely, top prospect Trevor Lawrence will be their QB unless anything crazy happens. Meyer will try to pull off a seemingly impossible feat; get Jacksonville back to relevancy, but he’s well-equipped to pull it off. It will be interesting to see how the Jags fare with Meyer and how quickly they find success, if at all.

2. Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons

Ever since that horrendous Super Bowl collapse in 2017, the Atlanta Falcons were on a downward spiral, ultimately firing head coach Dan Quinn. Next up, former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Smith opened the Titans offense wide open thanks to his lead back in Derrick Henry. He often used the play-action game to balance the offensive attack, making Ryan Tannehill look like a top 10 quarterback in 2020. While the Falcons do not have a back anywhere close to Henry, Smith can implement his system to take some pressure off his new QB, Matt Ryan, getting his receivers in one-on-one situations on the outside with the play-action. This has the chance to be an elite move for the Falcons, who need to change their scheme on both sides of the ball to find any success in 2021.

1. Robert Saleh, New York Jets

Coming in at number one for head coaching hires is the New York Jets hiring 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.  This pick was a slam dunk and a must-hire for the Jets, establishing a change in culture and a level of accountability that was otherwise missing in Florham Park. Saleh has the opportunity to mold the Jets defense into the versatile one he ran back in San Francisco, while also changing the offense into an efficient model, as he’s bringing San Fran’s passing coordinator Mike LaFleur to be the OC. Most importantly, Saleh has been open to the fact that he is not stubborn enough to think he knows everything, making him a player’s coach right away. This was a great hire by the Jets and one that will pay off for them in the long run (hopefully).

Info from profootballreference.com

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-By: Richie Dordas