Head coaches are already firmly on the hot seat this season. These coordinators are the names to pay attention to.
There were 10 new head coaches entering this season, including a few surprising changes like Sean McDermott being out in Buffalo or John Harbaugh in Baltimore. Veterans like Todd Bowles (Buccaneers), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers) and Dan Quinn (Commanders) are potentially on thin ice after slow starts to the season. Fans will be wondering who might be the next man up to lead their team.
Who could be the coordinators who replace those head coaches on the hot seat? Here are the 10 names you need to know before the coaching carousel begins this offseason.
Ruiz: Ulbrich has been a fringe head-coaching candidate since serving as Jets defensive coordinator under Robert Saleh. Nothing has changed since he parted ways with his former boss, and Ulbrich has strengthened his résumé by running the Falcons’ defense. He got above-average results from a young Atlanta defense in 2025 and had the unit playing at a top-10 clip by seasons end. Atlanta pummeling Josh Allen and derailing his MVP campaign on “Thursday Night Football” was one of the season’s biggest shocks and put Ulbrich back on the head-coaching radar.Â
Ulbrich isnt a flashy defensive playcaller. You won’t find exotic blitzes and fancy coverages on the Falcons’ defensive tape. But you will find a defense thats structurally sound and always plays hard. Atlanta has punched well above its weight defensively since Ulbrichs arrival.Â
Vacchiano: “Ive always wondered why he doesnt get more play [in head coaching hiring cycles]. His defenses are always tough, and his players really respond to him,” an NFL executive told me. “I mean, what he did with the Jets [as defensive coordinator from 2021-24], when the offense gave them no help at all, was a miracle. I know Robert Saleh gets credit for that, but it was really Ulbrich leading them.Â
“And dont discount what he did as interim [head coach for the Jets in 2024] either. That team was a mess. The whole organization was dysfunctional. And he kept a team with a lot of strong personalities from completely tearing itself apart. Hes under the radar, but hes going to be a terrific head coach someday if someone gives him a chance.”
McKenna:Â He first burst onto the scene in 2022 in Denver when his chops with Xs and Os started to turn heads. But the defense faltered late in the year, in part because of shaky leadership at the top from former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett. That meant Evero had to find a new home, and the Panthers scooped him up. And it speaks to his impressive acumen that he has remained the DC in Carolina despite coaching turnover, working for former Panthers coach Frank Reich and current coach Dave Canales.
The numbers havent been pretty for a substantial portion of Everos time in Carolina, because the defensive personnel has been ⦠quite bad. But GM Dan Morgan has invested in that side of the ball, and the Panthers have bona fide stars in cornerback Jaycee Horn and defensive lineman Derrick Brown. They also seem to have a few newcomers on the rise, from linebacker Devin Lloyd to edge Jaelan Phillips. Phillips and Horn are dealing with injuries.Â
But this group could ascend quickly â and help the Panthers make the playoffs. If/when that happens, Evero will get the respect thats overdue.Â
Williams: Considered a head-coaching candidate since his time with the Rams under McVay, where he rose from safeties coach to passing game coordinator, Evero has coached a top-10 defense two times over the past five years as a DC. The 45-year-old remains an up-and-coming head coaching candidate. Evero interviewed for vacancies with the Falcons, Steelers and Raiders during the last hiring cycle.Â
“He is a smart, strong leader respected by the team and carries himself like an alpha,” one league personnel executive,
