Grading the 10 NFL Head Coaching Hires: From John Harbaugh to Klint Kubiak

The last time the NFL welcomed in 10 new head coaches was 2022, and four short years later, eight of those 10 have already been fired. So at least this year’s group of 10 can’t possibly be worse, right? Time will tell, of course. But for now, here’s the FOX Sports ranking of the 10 new head coaches hired in the 2026 cycle, complete with a very early grade for each. 10. Mike LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals Did the Cardinals accidentally pick the wrong coordinator off of Sean McVay’s staff? The NFL world was buzzing at the start of this cycle about the potential for Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula to be the next great coach off the McVay tree. Instead, the 38-year-old LaFleur leapfrogged him. Maybe the Cardinals saw something others didn't in his two unremarkable years as the Jets offensive coordinator directing eventual draft bust Zach Wilson? Or maybe they just loved the Rams' offense so much they were willing to overlook the fact that McVay, not LaFleur, called the plays? None of that is to say LaFleur can’t be a good head coach. He spent seven years working for Kyle Shanahan in various stops and three years at the side of McVay, so some of their genius could have rubbed off. Still, it’s a curious choice, especially considering some of the candidates the Cardinals chose not to hire. Grade: D- 9. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills Terry Pegula insisted he made the decision to fire Sean McDermott after seeing the scene in the postgame locker room in Denver. He felt he had a team capable of reaching a Super Bowl, and he needed a leader who could put them over the top. That made sense … until he put his supposed title-ready team in the hands of a 36-year-old, first-time head coach who was on the staff he felt just failed the franchise. I guess Brady, in his two-plus years as the Bills’ offensive coordinator, had nothing to do with their playoff failures? He was a favorite of quarterback Josh Allen, who clearly wanted the offensive system to remain the same. That’s why so many thought the Bills were going to hire ex-Giants coach Brian Daboll, who was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo that helped turn Allen into a star. Instead, the Bills conducted a sham of a search and anointed Brady who, to be fair, is well-respected around the league and has had a lot of head coaching interviews over the past three offseasons. It’s still a risk, though, for a franchise that could have benefited from bringing in an external candidate — which is what it sounded like Pegula initially intended to do. Grade: D 8. Jeff Hafley, Miami Dolphins The Dolphins tried the offensive whiz kid route with Mike McDaniel, and the results were just OK. But it too often appeared that leadership was lacking in that locker room. It’s why they needed to pivot to a "CEO" type of coach. And that fits Hafley, who has experience running a program from his four years as the head coach at Boston College. Unfortunately, he had a pretty mediocre run there, with an overall record of 22-26 and one trip to a minor bowl. College coaches also don’t often translate well to the pros, either, though Hafley has spent nine years as an NFL assistant. He did his best work the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator in Green Bay, where he helped turn the Packers’ defense into a championship-caliber unit. But it’s his leadership that will likely define his tenure in Miami, not his defensive scheme. Grade: C 7. Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans The 46-year-old Saleh doesn’t deserve all the blame for what happened during his time as head coach of the New York Jets, but he can’t disavow all of that 20-36 record. It’s true he was saddled with a bad quarterback (Zach Wilson), but he made plenty of bad decisions that helped ruin his tenure, too. Maybe he’s learned from them. That’s what the Titans are counting on. And there are plenty of examples of coaches who thrived when they got a second chance. But sometimes a failure just proves that a coach can’t handle the big job. We’ll see if that’s true. If nothing else, Saleh is an impressive presence and everyone who has played for him lauds his leadership. He’ll bring a new attitude to the Titans, for sure. He’s also a brilliant defensive mind, so there likely won’t be many issues on that side of the ball. Oddly, he hired another failed New York coach to run his offense — ex-Giants coach Brian Daboll, who had a Saleh-like record of 20-40-1. He’s well-respected, too, and will be a big help for promising young quarterback Cam Ward. Perhaps this will be a great redemption story for both exiled New Yorkers, though the odds feel long. Grade: C+ 6. Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns It takes someone with a strong stomach to be the head coach of the Browns, but it also probably takes someone with more experience than Monken. At least Monken brings a strong track record for developing quarterbacks, though, which is what the Browns need right now more than anything. They have a tremendous defense. They’ve even got some promising talent at running back and receiver. But if they can’t develop a quarterback — whether it’s Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or someone else — none of it matters. And Monken has had a string of success, running a top-10 offense in Tampa (2016-18) with Jameis Winston, helping turn Lamar Jackson back into an MVP in Baltimore (2023-25), and even developing a prolific offense behind Stetson Bennett at the University of Georgia. The downside is the Browns’ messy search might have cost them respected defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. And Monken, at age 59, hasn’t been a head coach in the NFL before. But if he can fix the quarterback mess, at least the Browns will take the most important first step. Grade: C+ 5. Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders He is the hot offensive assistant this year after his masterful work with the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold. But plucking the young, offensive star is often a boom-or-bust proposition, as not every great coordinator makes for a quality head coach. The Raiders can afford to take that chance, though, assuming they are patient with the 38-year-old. They are a few years away from contending and Kubiak’s primary job will likely be to develop quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive top pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. What Kubiak did in Seattle surely caught the Raiders’ attention, but don’t discount his coaching lineage. He’s worked under his father, Gary Kubiak, as well as Kevin Stefanski and Kyle Shanahan. A lot of offensive knowledge has been passed down to him. Whether he can handle the big job remains to be seen. But if he can develop the new quarterback, he’ll be off to a heck of a start. Grade: B- *The Raiders cannot officially announce the hire until after Super Bowl LX 4. Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers It’s hard to argue against hiring a coach with a résumé like the one McCarthy has. He is, quite simply, one of the NFL’s biggest recent winners. He went 125-77-2 during his 13 years in Green Bay. He had three 12-win seasons in five years in Dallas. He’s been to the playoffs 12 times in 18 years overall and won a Super Bowl. Who wouldn’t want that? The only problem here is the fit. McCarthy is 62 years old and has 18 years of experience and doesn’t seem to be the kind of coach who would want a rebuilding project. And while the Steelers don’t think they’re rebuilding, perhaps they should be. They have hovered around mediocrity for more than a decade and been searching for their next franchise quarterback since at least 2018 when they drafted Mason Rudolph. Hiring McCarthy makes it feel like they’re ready to run it back, perhaps with deteriorating 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Now, if they could somehow land a young franchise QB, McCarthy could be very good for him. Don’t discount his influence on Rodgers’ early career. But without that position resolved, this coaching hire could quickly prove to be too old and too stale. Grade: B 3. Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens At the beginning of this hiring cycle, no up-and-coming assistant was talked about as much as the 42-year-old Minter. He figured to be a top candidate for multiple teams, until the market suddenly became flooded with experienced coaches. Though it requires a bit of speculation, he deserves to be ranked near the top, especially since he probably inherits the best of the 10 openings. On a loaded roster with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, he’s got the best shot of winning right away. Can he? Well, his pedigree as an assistant is strong. He’s an apple off the Harbaugh tree, having worked with both John in Baltimore and Jim in Michigan and with the Los Angeles Chargers. He built college football’s best defense when Michigan won the national championship in 2023, and he turned a bad Chargers defense into a top-10 unit over the past two seasons. So he can coach. And many NFL executives think he’s ready for the big chair. Given the one he’s sitting in, it would be hard for him to screw this opportunity up, though the Ravens' defense took a major step back in 2025. Grade: B+ 2. Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons The Falcons are a team loaded with offensive talent that seemed wasted and misused under Raheem Morris. It’s a big reason why, maybe more than any other club, they needed an offensive-minded head coach. And Stefanski is one of the best, despite what happened during his last two ugly seasons in Cleveland (8-26). He was undermined there by a series of disastrous quarterback decisions. Before that, he was a miracle worker. Consider that the Browns have been to the playoffs twice in the past 23 years — both times under Stefanski. He remarkably won 11 games twice in Cleveland — its only two 11-win seasons since Bill Belichick hit that mark there in 1994 — and was the NFL Coach of the Year both times. Stefanski helped develop Baker Mayfield into a viable NFL quarterback (they went to the playoffs in their first season together), and he had his other winning/playoff season in a year when he had to juggle five different starting quarterbacks. So don’t blame him for how the Browns fell apart. Look at what he did before the collapse. He’ll do the same in Atlanta with whomever his quarterback is. Grade: A 1. John Harbaugh, New York Giants He’s the home-run hire of the offseason and the Giants had to hit it given their miserable, embarrassing record over the past 14 years. They tried a line of promising, inexperienced coaches and it just didn’t work. They needed someone who had done it before, and would instantly restore credibility to their franchise. Harbaugh, of course, had a long and successful run in Baltimore, going 180-113 over 18 seasons, making the playoffs 12 times and winning a Super Bowl. But more than his coaching success, he boasts a presence and credibility the Giants have been missing since Tom Coughlin. He can stand in front of a team that is generally perceived as talented but underachieving, and the players know that what he says and does will work — because it has. He will immediately restore discipline and confidence, and he has a history of being great with young quarterbacks. He is the one coach who could make the Giants’ desired turnaround incredibly quick. Grade: A+