I do believe one of these 10 men is going to be the next head coach. Enjoy.
After 25 games, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis had seen enough. Tuesday night, he pulled the plug on the latest regime, firing head coach Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi and general manager Dave Ziegler.
With the Raiders (3-5) still having nine games to play this season, Davis promoted linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to interim head coach and named assistant general manager Champ Kelly the interim general manager.
In both statements the Raiders released announcing the job changes for Pierce and Kelly, it was communicated that the franchise is “committed to undergo a comprehensive search” for a full-time head coach and GM after the season. Whoever gets those jobs will become the franchise’s sixth full-time head coach and fourth full-time GM since Davis became owner in 2011.
Pierce and Kelly could be considered for the full-time positions, depending on how the rest of the season goes. Still, Davis will interview outside candidates for both roles.
With each of the four head coaches Davis has hired — Dennis Allen, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden and McDaniels — he led the coaching search. It’ll be interesting to see whether he does the same this time or instead hires a general manager first and allows him to hire the head coach. None of the head coaches Davis has hired have worked out, but none of the three GMs he has hired — Reggie McKenzie, Mike Mayock and Ziegler — have, either.
However the process plays out, the Raiders find themselves looking for a new head coach for the 11th time since 2001. (They’ll need a new GM, too, but we’ll save that discussion for later.) Here are 10 potential head-coaching candidates for the Raiders to consider this offseason.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
It’s only right the list starts with a coach from the team that got McDaniels and Ziegler fired. Johnson received plenty of buzz after calling plays for a Lions offense that finished fifth in scoring last season. He interviewed for the Indianapolis Colts’ and Houston Texans’ head-coaching openings this past offseason before returning to the Lions for a second season as offensive coordinator.
In Year 2, Johnson again has been the architect of one of the NFL’s best offenses. Detroit is averaging 25.0 points per game (eighth) and 390.6 yards per game (second). Johnson is young — he’s just 37 — but he already has 11 years of NFL coaching experience under his belt. He’ll be one of the most sought-after candidates this offseason, and the Raiders would be wise to join the fray.
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Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith
The Dolphins offense has taken the NFL by storm. In a year where scoring across the league is down, it’s averaging 33.8 points per game (first), 453.3 yards per game (first) and 7.3 yards per play (first). Miami head coach Mike McDaniel calls the plays, but Smith plays a huge role in the offensive success and also has made an impression with how he connects with people.
Smith, 42, was the Raiders’ tight ends coach from 2018 to 2020, so he’s someone with whom Davis is already familiar. It feels likely they’ll reconnect for an interview this offseason.
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Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald
In Macdonald’s first season as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2022, his unit was elite. It allowed just 18.5 points per game (third) and helped Baltimore make the playoffs despite quarterback Lamar Jackson suffering a season-ending knee injury late in the year. This year, the defense has been even better. It’s allowing just 15.1 points per game (first), 276.5 yards per game (second) and 4.2 yards per play (first). Macdonald has only been an NFL coordinator for two years, but with that sort of production, it won’t be long before he’s a head coach.
Macdonald, 36, has held several roles across nine seasons with the Ravens and has been groomed by Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh. Macdonald has shown he’s someone who can orchestrate defenses that flat-out dominate. That’s something the Raiders haven’t had in a long time.
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Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
Flores is still in the midst of a class-action lawsuit against the NFL for alleged racial discrimination, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting his career back on track. He posted a 24-25 record as head coach of the Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, worked as the Steelers’ senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in 2022 and became the Vikings’ defensive coordinator this season.
Minnesota was 28th in scoring defense last season, but it has improved to 15th this season despite not making many significant additions to the roster. Flores, 42, is an excellent defensive coach and may be ready for a second opportunity to show he can be a successful head coach.
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University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh
The last time the Raiders were looking for a head coach, there were plenty of rumors tying them to Harbaugh. The Raiders never actually interviewed Harbaugh, but that doesn’t mean they won’t consider it this time around. Harbaugh has led Michigan to the College Football Playoff the last two years and has them on track to make another appearance this year.
It hasn’t all been good for Harbaugh — he was suspended for the first three games this season for alleged violations during the COVID-19 dead period and is now in the midst of an alleged sign-stealing scandal — but he’s clearly a darned good football coach.
Harbaugh, 59, has a career 137-52 collegiate coaching record across stints at San Diego, Stanford and Michigan and went 44-19 across four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, losing in the Super Bowl following the 2012 season. If Harbaugh avoids major NCAA penalties — the NFL would likely honor any punishment dished out — and he’s interested in a return to the NFL, he’s worth pursuing for the Raiders.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo
The Bengals are only ranked 16th in scoring defense this season, but Anarumo is widely regarded as one of the best defensive minds in football. Since becoming the franchise’s defensive coordinator in 2019, he has thrived at catering his game plans to negate opponents’ strengths. When the Bengals reached Super Bowl LVI, it was on the back of Anarumo’s defense.
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In addition to his football acumen, Anarumo has shined as a communicator and is a locker-room favorite in Cincinnati. With the Bengals shaking off a slow start this fall, he could be primed to draw more head-coaching interviews this offseason.
Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris
Morris helped the Rams beat Anarumo’s Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, and his resume is even stronger. He posted a 17-31 record in his three-year run as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head coach from 2009 to 2011, but he has redeemed himself and done more than enough to earn a second chance. The Rams defense has declined since its Super Bowl win, but it remains a solid group despite losing much of its personnel.
The 47-year-old has experience calling both offensive and defensive plays, possesses an infectious personality and seems ready for another shot as a head coach.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn
Quinn’s six-year tenure as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach will be most remembered for blowing a 28-3 lead to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI. What’s often forgotten is that Quinn was good enough at his job to, well, coach a team to the Super Bowl. And since he became the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator in 2021, he has been nothing but successful. The Cowboys finished seventh in scoring defense in 2021, improved to fifth in 2022 and are fourth this season.
Several teams have interviewed Quinn, 53, for head-coaching roles since he’s been with the Cowboys, but he has stayed put. If the Raiders could convince him to leave Dallas, he’d be a sound hire.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson
In his first season as the offensive coordinator of the defending NFC champions, Johnson has kept the Eagles offense rolling. It’s averaging 28.0 points per game (third), 387.4 yards per game (third) and 5.6 yards per play (ninth). Lighting it up as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator got Shane Steichen hired as the Colts’ head coach last offseason, and doing the same could land Johnson an opportunity this offseason.
Johnson, 36, doesn’t have as much NFL experience as Steichen did, so that could hold him back a bit. He should land some interviews, though, and the Raiders could be one of the teams that’s interested.
Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy
After five seasons and two Super Bowl wins as the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, Bieniemy left to become the Commanders’ offensive coordinator. It seemed to be a lateral move on the surface, but it wasn’t. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid calls the offensive plays, so he would always get the lion’s share of the credit. In Washington, Bieniemy would call plays and have the chance to prove he could run a good offense on his own.
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It’s been an up-and-down season for the Commanders, but we’ve seen some promise from Bieniemy’s offense. It’s averaging 21.3 points per game (T-17th) and has scored 31 or more points three times in eight games. If the unit can be more consistent as the year goes on, Bieniemy could reap the benefits. Bieniemy has been interviewed 16 times for head-coaching openings — though he didn’t get a look from the Raiders when they hired McDaniels — and there will surely be more this offseason.