NFL Head Coach Candidates: Part 2 of 4

Matt Nagy

Age 47 / Offense Bias 

-18 seasons as an NFL coach (4 as a Head Coach, 4 as a coordinator)

Coaching tree: Andy Reid 

-Head Coach record: 34-31 (Chicago Bears)

PROS

1. Nagy has worked with Andy Reid his entire career minus the four year stint with Chicago. He has been deeply involved with the quarterback dating back to his days in Philadelphia with Donovan McNabb with 12 playoff appearances and two Super Bowl victories. Every stop he’s been at, he has been a part of multiple postseason teams. He has simply been a key part to quality teams and quarterbacks in multiple cities. 

2. He won NFL Coach of the Year in his first season with Chicago, which happened to be year two of the Mitch Trubisky era. They went 12-4 that season with the number one defense in the NFL. Both sides of the ball took a nosedive after that impressive first year and the team got worse and worse the deeper into his tenure, but there was initial success.

3. The offensive play design and playcalling is known around the league to be both creative and simple for quarterbacks. He helped revive the career of Alex Smith but also get the Patrick Mahomes domination off the ground. He works best with passers who are capable of working off-script with mobility. 

CONS

1. There have not been a lot of Head Coaches with big success coming from the Andy Reid coaching tree over the last 17 years. A lot of them failed to live up to the hype when they were given an opportunity which takes a little spice out of the fact Nagy is coming from this group. 

2. Nagy struggled to create a true offensive identity in Chicago and was often knocked for a lack of ability to react to defenses who thwarted his initial gameplan. Clock management was also a repeated issue when he did not have Reid around.

3. In Nagy’s last seven years (four of which in Kansas City), the offenses he has been involved with have no better than 15th in scoring offense. The Chicago scoring was a bottom-third rank each of his last three seasons and the Kansas City scoring has gotten worse three consecutive seasons. 

In Conclusion:

Nagy has been riding on the coattails of Andy Reid, one of the top offensive minds the game has ever seen. While his Head Coach career got off to a hot start in Chicago, he has not been a part of an ascending offense in nearly a decade and it is fair to question who he can be without Reid in the room. 

John Harbaugh

Age 63 / Defense Bias 

-14 seasons as a college coach 

-28 seasons as an NFL coach (18 as a Head coach, 9 as a coordinator)

Coaching Tree: Andy Reid 

Head Coach record: 180-113 (Baltimore Ravens)

PROS

1. He is an obvious, no-brainer asset to a football team who received calls from seven teams within 45 minutes of being let go by Baltimore. He was the second longest tenured Head Coach in the league this past year with 12 postseason appearances and a Super Bowl victory over an 18-season span with Baltimore. 

2. Baltimore was top ten in points scored seven times, top half in the league 13 times. Harbaugh’s team did this with seven different offensive coordinators. The Baltimore defense was top ten in points allowed 13 times, top half in league 15 times. Harbaugh’s team did this with seven different defensive coordinators. This is rock-solid leadership and CEO-caliber. 

3. Harbaugh has proven capability of adjusting schemes on both sides of the ball to adhere to the talent and skill set of specific players. He does not have a cookie-cutter approach on either side of the ball and will adapt the system to the player, not the other way around.

CONS

1. With a two-time MVP and three-time All-Pro at quarterback, not only did Harbaugh not win a Super Bowl, he only made the conference championship once and had just three playoff wins with Lamar Jackson under center. To some, he personified “Good, not Great” as a Head Coach.

2. Harbaugh has a career record of 45-61 in games decided by five points or less. A lot of this can be pointed to poor philosophy on both sides of the ball when playing with a lead. Over the last four seasons alone, the Ravens have blown eight 10-point leads. 

3. Approaching his mid-60’s and having been with one organization since 2008, some do question how effective his coaching network currently is. He was criticized by some around the organization for his loyalty to Todd Monken and the in-house promotion of Zach Orr on the defensive side, as it seems he did not have better options available. 

In Conclusion:

There is no denying the fact Harbaugh is qualified to take on any Head Coaching job in the NFL. Everyone will know who’s in charge from day one and he is the prototype CEO coach but there are concerns he could be way past his prime and the game may have passed by him. 

Kevin Stefanski

Age 43 / Offense Bias 

-20 years as an NFL Coach (6 as a Head Coach, 1 as a coordinator)

Coaching Tree: Brad Childress 

Head Coach record: 45-56

PROS

1. Stefanski has an impressive reputation in the league when it comes to offensive innovation and quarterback coaching specifically. From intelligence to relationship building and everything in between, he knows to get the most out of a quarterback. 

2. The two-time NFL Coach of the Year (the 13th coach to accomplish that in NFL history), Stefanski engineered four straight top-six rushing attacks for two different teams. Defensively, he has Jim Schwartz in his pocket to coach that side of the ball. 

3. In 2023 especially, he proved he can work through injuries and adjust on the fly. The Browns were the fourth most injured team in the NFL and he had five different quarterbacks with a banged up offensive line. They made the playoffs. 

CONS

1. Stefanski has had three top-five defenses (yards allowed) over the last five seasons but made the postseason just once over that span, losing in the first round by 31 points. He never got the offense into the top nine of points scored offensively and they’ve been dead last over the last two seasons. 

2. Stefanski had a lot of success in both Minnesota and Cleveland using heavy personnel. He tried to alter his offense to more 11-personal while with the Browns and it was ugly. They have been the worst early down offense in the NFL over the past two seasons as he increased his usage of more wide receivers. 

3. He has a less-than-inspiring demeanor that does have value when it comes to composure and calmness. But there were reports players began to check out and he lacked the ability to inspire. 

In Conclusion:

Stefanski was an offensive whiz-kid early in his career with Minnesota, coaching quarterbacks, tight ends, and running backs over a four-year span The intelligence and innovation he brings to the situation are values and and of themselves. Cleveland ownership hurt him with the pursuit of Deshaun Watson, as Stefanski reportedly did not want that move but was able to get the most out of his situation from 2020-2023. 

Vance Joseph

Age 53 / Defense bias

-6 years as a college coach 

-21 years as an NFL coach (2 as a Head Coach, 8 years as a coordinator)

Coaching tree: Mike Nolan

Head Coach record: 11-21 (Denver Brioncos)

PROS

1. After a short playing career as a cornerback from 1995-1996, Joseph began his coaching career also in the defensive backfield. He worked under multiple head coaches (7) and teams (6) as an assistant with the majority of those defenses finishing as top ten units. Simply put, wherever he has been, that side of the ball has been rock solid.

2. His short head coaching stint in Denver was essentially a no-win situation. The Broncos won the Super Bowl in 2015 with Peyton Manning who retired right after; he was the glue to the entire roster. Joseph had the likes of Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch, and Case Keenum to work with under center but was still able to produce a solid defense. Vic Fangio, by the way, went 19-30 in Denver after Joseph got the boot. 

3. Joseph revitalized his career after a strong showing in Arizona under Kliff Kingsbury as the clear leader of the defense. The humility it took to go back to Denver on a lesser role under Sean Payton where he is currently leading one of the top defenses in football is admirable. He has created a very physical identity to every defense he has been a part of and has both the respect and fear of players as their leader.

CONS

1. While he did not have an ideal situation in Denver in the post-Manning era, the roster was good enough to avoid 21 losses over two seasons. He made multiple clock-management blunders that contributed to losses in 2018 and they were one of the most penalized teams in the league over his two-year stint.

2. Joseph is known as a defense-only type of coach. While there is some value to him hiring and handing reigns to a separate entity on the offensive side of the ball, that completely backfired on him in Denver the (the first time) and it will be considered a major unknown and question his ability to be a true CEO-type Head Coach.

3. Joseph’s two-year stint included a lot of poor second half performances. His lack of ability to adjust and play with flexibility were on display multiple times over his tenure and feeds the notion he is simply a guy best suited for a coordinator role, not a Head Coach role which is very common. “The baker, not the owner”. 

In Conclusion:

Joseph is one of the top defensive minds in the game with a long career full of impressive performances across multiple teams, divisions, and conferences. Over a two-year run in Denver, however, he did have enough talent to win more than he did and there were multiple instances where he appeared in over his head. 

Robert Saleh

Age 46 / Defense Bias 

-4 seasons as a college coach 

-21 seasons as an NFL coach (4 as a Head Coach, 5 as a coordinator)

-Coaching tree: Pete Carroll

-Head Coach record: 29-35 

PROS

1. Saleh has long been a part of some of the best defenses in the NFL over the last two decades under multiple coaches with multiple teams. In Houston, three of the defenses he worked with were top four in yards allowed. In Seattle, two of the defenses he worked with were number one in the NFL and included a Super Bowl winner. In San Francisco, two of the defenses he worked with were top five in yards allowed and included a NFC Conference winner. In New York, three of his defenses he worked with were top four in yards allowed. 

2. He is known as a player’s coach who his defenses love to play for and band together to create camaraderie via fast and physical play. The scheme and style were able to remain strong and effective despite injuries to key pieces. 

3. Saleh uses a rather basic, simple 4-3 scheme that can generate a lot of pressure without needing to blitz, which keeps seven in coverage and minimizes confusion for his players. The four man fronts and ability to develop linebackers keeps the bottom from falling out when defending the run. 

CONS

1. Saleh failed to create a staff and overall situation that could put consistent points on the scoreboard. At quarterback, he failed with a high draft pick and Hall of Fame veteran (who played better after leaving town). His offenses were bottom five all three seasons.

2. Under Saleh’s leadership, the Jets were constantly at or near the top of penalties. While he is an excellent and fun player’s coach, there are credible debates around his ability to be strict and disciplined enough. 

3. During his Head Coach tenure with New York, Saleh appeared to make too much of a back seat to influential decision making. Aaron Rodgers was essentially choosing players and high-level coaches. His best success took place when he was not in charge.

In Conclusion:

Saleh is a proven defensive weapon who is a near-sure thing to improve the level and consistency of a defense whether the best players are healthy or not. His system works because it is simple and puts players in positions to succeed. But he did not improve the offense one inch despite having enough talent and his ability to create a balanced football team is a serious unknown. 

Raheem Morris

Age 49 / Defense bias 

-4 seasons as a college coach 

-23 seasons as an NFL coach (5 as a Head Coach, 4 as a coordinator) 

Coaching tree: Jon Gruden, Mike Shanahan 

Record as Head Coach: 37-56 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers & Atlanta Falcons)

PROS

1. Following Jon Gruden’s firing from Tampa Bay in 2008, Morris was promoted from his defensive backs coaching role at the age of 32-years old. The team went from 3-13 in year one of his tenure to 10-6. They missed the playoffs because of tiebreakers. 

2. He comes from a coaching tree in Washington under Mike Shanahan that has produced several high level coaches and potential Hall of Famers. He linked back up with Sean McVay for three years in Los Angeles from 2021-2023 to run the defense and he won a Super Bowl.

3. Morris has a history of taking young defenders and developing them into contributors that pay dividends higher than the average based on where they are drafted. The one positive in his two-year stint as an Atlanta Head Coach was the ability to turn around the sack production. Starting from 2024 and down to 2019, they ranked 31st, 21st, 31st, 32nd, 23rd, and 29th in sacks. In 2025, they were 2nd. 

CONS

1. For a defensive minded coach, he has failed to create really high level units on any sort of consistent basis. He has been a Head Coach or Defensive Coordinator nine times. He has never had a unit top 15 in yards allowed and just twice in points allowed. 

2. He has had two opportunities to be a Head Coach. Receiving a third opportunity after such a poor run (.398 winning percentage) spread over five seasons would be historically rare.

3. From 2018 to 2023 (without Morris), Atlanta won seven games five times. Morris arrived in 2024 and the team won eight games two straight seasons which rightfully questions just how much a guy like Morris can move the needle. He failed to properly develop Josh Freeman in Tampa Bay and Atlanta won more games with Kirk Cousins than Michael Penix by a long shot in 2025. 

In Conclusion:

While Morris was hired before he was ready as a 32-year old by Tampa Bay in 2009, his track record as a Head Coach has been a major disappointment in two different cities. He has never put together a high-level defense as the guy in charge but he is well respected around the league and has a network from one of the most successful coaching trees in the NFL.