2026 New NFL Head Coach Hire Grades

 I did this two years ago, when the Seahawks were in the market for a head coach for the first time in 14 years, so I thought I'd do it again with so many openings this off-season.  I'll go in order of date hired, and grade each from F to A+.  I just went back and re-graded the hirings from two years ago.  Some, like Macdonald and Morris, I was spot on about.  Others, like Canales and Callahan, I was very wrong about.  So it'll be interesting to see what I get right or wrong a few years from now.  

Giants hire John Harbaugh: B+
It's funny, I gave his brother's team an "A" for hiring him two years ago.  I just feel that in this situation, success is not guaranteed.  Harbaugh was treading water in Baltimore, and his players lost faith in him.  Why should we think he can turn around a struggling Giants organization?  Sure, he'll be better than Daboll as a head coach overall, but New York can be a nasty sports city, and any struggles will be harped on early.  But, what else is New York going to do?  This is their best bet.

Falcons hire Kevin Stefanski: B
Stefanski is a solid coach.  He made the most of what he was given in Cleveland.  Unfortunately for him, he goes from one mess of a QB room to another.  Can he get the most out of Michael Penix?  We know he'll be able to get good seasons out of Bijan, Pitts, and Drake London.  Just need to have a solid QB season, and of course, improve the defense.  The NFC South is potentially wide open, so it's anyone's for the taking.

Dolphins hire Jeff Hafley: D+
I feel like D+ might even be too nice.  Hafley is an uninspiring choice, and it's almost guaranteed that the Dolphins' offense is going to struggle in 2026, whoever the QB is.  They might have an above-average defense, but try telling that to the Jets.  I will be very surprised if Hafley lasts more than three seasons, if two.  He may keep them fairly competitive, but with the Patriots having returned to being competitive, the Bills having Josh Allen and a good roster, and the Jets potentially on their way up, the Fins could be in big trouble the next few years.

Titans hire Robert Saleh: C-
I'll give the Titans this: some defensive coaches do well on a second or third stint.  Here are a list of defensive-minded coaches who didn't have success until their second or third team: Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, and to some extent, Mike Vrabel.  Is Saleh one of those guys, though?  I'd have to say probably not.  Saleh already struggled in New York, and now he is tasked with turning around a bottom-feeder in Tennessee.  How is Cam Ward expected to succeed?  He'll need a great OC to help him, and even if they get one, he may get snatched away in a year or two to become a head coach.  Really needed an offensive coach here.  

Ravens hire Jesse Minter: B-
I guess this shows the Ravens wish they had kept Macdonald and promoted from within, but too late for that.  I'm not entirely sold on Minter being a head coach, because not every up-and-coming coordinator has success; see Saleh, Mike McDaniel, and Aaron Glenn to name a few.  But Minter's going to a stable, well-run organization with good ownership.  I could see this going either way, but considering the Ravens are well-run enough to have only had three head coaches in 30 seasons, I'd say it'll likely work out.

Steelers hire Mike McCarthy: D-
Feels weird to give an extremely stable organization like the Steelers a "D-", but they deserve it for this hire.  On one hand, I am happy for McCarthy, who will be able to coach the team he grew up rooting for.  On the other hand, there is an almost zero chance that this ends in something other than disappointment.  McCarthy won a Super Bowl in Green Bay with a stud, talented QB and a young team around him.  McCarthy benefited from having a great team built by their GM.  Ever since, he's been unable to get a team back to a Super Bowl.  He will almost undoubtedly be the shortest tenured Steelers head coach ever, and not just because he's starting older than the other coaches were when they left.  It's because he's this generation's Jeff Fisher, cashing in on one good year for an entire career.  The worst part of this all is that there was no one else wanting to hire him, and there was zero hurry to make this move, yet they hurried to make it.  They avoid an "F" because McCarthy, like his predecessor before him, will be able to keep the Steelers competitive, but he will also keep them from winning any trophies.

Bills hire Joe Brady: D+
Let me ask this.  When is the last time a team promoted from within, and it worked wonders?  I can't think of one.  This does not feel like a step forward for the Bills.  With the Patriots' resurgence, they needed a coach to offset Mike Vrabel, and they did not get it.  Now, they'll likely compete for wild cards on Josh Allen's talent alone.  Way to go.  This grade is a D+ and not any lower because there is a bit of upside to hiring a younger, offensive mind, as we have seen in recent years.  But man, I will be shocked if Joe Brady ever leads them to a Super Bowl.  He may not even lead them to a playoff win.

Browns hire Todd Monken: C-
I don't absolutely hate this hire, but Monken was marginal at best as an offensive coordinator, despite having Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.  Also, a first-time head coach at 60?  Basically unheard of these days.  There's a chance he can make them slightly competitive, but this is a very uninspiring and unsexy hire.  I do like that he comes from a stable organization, ironically, the one that used to be the Browns.  But how is he an improvement over Kevin Stefanski?  It feels like a downgrade.  Monken has more experience, but I don't think there are many fans that consider him a brighter offensive mind.  Perhaps he'll be better at handling the chaos in Cleveland.

Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur: C
I'm giving this one a 50/50 shot of working, so a C is the right grade.  On one hand, LaFleur could not get a struggling Jets offense to function.  On the other hand, it WAS the Jets, and he made the Rams offense look good under Sean McVay.  But again, he had McVay to guide him, so how will he do without him?  He's going to be tasked to find a way to succeed in the stacked NFC West.  My best bet is that he will have one good season (maybe his first or second) and then be coasting on that for a while.  Think Zac Taylor in Cincinnati, who, coincidentally, is also a McVay protege.  

Raiders hire Klint Kubiak: C+
I mostly hate that this forces the Seahawks to go find their fourth coordinator in the past four seasons.  I didn't have 100% faith in Klint the whole season, so it will be interesting to see how he does as a head coach.  He does have it in his blood, as his dad, Gary, was a head coach for the Texans and Broncos.  I think there's a semi-decent chance this works, but like LaFleur with the Cardinals, Kubiak is going to need some other team to take last place.  Will the Chiefs continue falling?  Will the Chargers or Broncos take a huge step back?  I feel like both are unlikely.  If they give Klint some time, this may work.  He will have weapons to work with.  My #1 piece of advice for their front office is to improve their offensive line and get one receiver weapon for their #1 draft pick to throw to.