Sports

Actions

Several NFL teams go on head coaching hiring spree

Mike McDaniel
Posted at 12:37 PM, Feb 07, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-09 13:24:24-05

As the 2021-22 NFL season ends, familiar faces will be coaching on different sidelines next season as several NFL teams go on a hiring spree.

The head coaching carousel didn't take off as fast as it typically does, with NFL Network's Judy Battista pointing out that the first hire didn't occur until 18 days after the regular season ended.

Nine teams announced they were searching for a new head coach, which is two more than last year, ESPN reported.

Three of the teams, the Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, and New Orleans Saints, have yet to fill their vacancies.

Below you'll find a list of all the teams that have hired new head coaches:

Chicago Bears - After going 6-11 this season, the Bears fired head coach Matt Nagy. They became the second team to choose a new head coach when they hired Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on Jan. 27. The 51-year-old has 13 years of NFL coaching experience, having spent time in Cleveland and Dallas. This will be his first-ever head coaching gig.

Denver Broncos - The Broncos were the first team to make a splash when they announced they'd hired Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. On Jan. 27, the 42-year-old became its 18th head coach, its fourth head coach in seven years. The team has struggled at the quarterback position, with the team having 11 different starters since 2016, KMGH's Troy Renck reported.

Houston Texans - The team fired David Culley after just one season in which the Texans went 4-13, ESPN reported. On Monday, the Texans hired former Bears head coach Lovie Smith. Smith was the team's defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach. Before joining the Texans coaching staff last year, Smith was the head coach at the University of Illinois, where he spent five seasons.

Jacksonville Jaguars - In December, Urban Meyer was fired before finishing his first season as an NFL head coach. The franchise is looking to the future because the fifth team announced a new head coach when they added former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson on Feb. 3. During his time with the Eagles, Pederson led the team to a Super Bowl LII victory.

Las Vegas Raiders - On Oct. 11, Jon Gruden resigned as head coach midway through the season after a report published by The New York Times stated that Gruden had made homophobic and misogynistic comments in the past. Under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia, the team clinched their first playoff berth since 2016.

On Jan. 31, the team named New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels its next head coach. This isn't McDaniels' first head coaching job. He served as the Broncos head coach from 2009-10.

Miami Dolphins - In January, the team fired head coach Brian Flores after he led the Dolphins to a 24-25 record over three years. On Feb. 1, Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the league alleging racist hiring.

As the team looks to the future, they hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel. McDaniel, who identifies as multiracial, is the first minority head coach hire in the 2022 cycle, the Washington Post reported.

Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings fired head coach Mike Zimmer on Jan. 10 and are expected to name Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell its next head coach, according to CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated.

New York Giants - The Giants became the third team to announce they've hired a new head coach when they picked Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. The 46-year-old takes over from Joe Judge, who was fired on Jan. 11 after two seasons. This will be his first head coaching job, but he has 20 years of NFL coaching experience, including stops in Cleveland, New England, Miami, and Kansas City.

New Orleans Saints - After spending 15 seasons with the team and leading them to a Super Bowl championship in 2010, head coach Sean Payton announced on Jan. 25 that he was stepping down as head coach. They have yet to name a new head coach.