Compared to 2022, 2023 was an oasis of job security for NFL head coaches. More than a quarter of the league’s sideline generals were replaced last offseason, leading to promising hires that returned immediate dividends (Doug Pederson, Brian Daboll), others on which the jury is still out (Kevin O’Connell, Matt Eberflus) and a couple of one-year flameouts (Nathaniel Hackett, Lovie Smith).
Only five teams fired their head coaches after the start of last fall’s regular season, starting with Matt Rhule’s deserved departure in Carolina. That set the stage for a hiring process filled with the typical mix of retread veterans and rising coordinators as each franchise looks for the guy who can take their team to the next level.
