NFL Coaching Carousel Winners and Losers Thus Far

A record number of head coaching vacancies has led to a whirlwind of change. Here’s who is faring the best thus far.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on during the 3rd quarter of the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Jan. 11, 2026. Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The NFL coaching carousel has more riders than open horses, or the reverse, depending on how you look at it.

A league-record 10 head coach openings have arisen, in addition to numerous open coordinator positions. Even a few playoff teams have made changes after being eliminated in the past two weeks.

With all the chaos, the carousel has paused of late with new head coaching and coordinator hires. Here’s a look at the teams getting their money’s worth on the carousel and those who might want their money back.​

Winner: New York Giants

​Landing head coach Jim Harbaugh makes the Giants a clear winner in the current coaching cycle.

Harbaugh had great success with the Baltimore Ravens for 18 years, which included a Super Bowl win. He had winning seasons in all but three years of his tenure with a .614 winning percentage.

That said, Harbaugh will get the chance to turn around a storied franchise that hasn’t been winning since quarterback Eli Manning retired. Harbaugh will have a strong core of young players to work with, though, including quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers, and edge rusher Abdul Carter.​

Loser: Buffalo Bills

​Buffalo’s gamble on making a coaching change with the firing of Sean McDermott may not work. There’s an overabundance of openings and not enough proven winners out there available to hire.

McDermott took the Bills to the playoffs in eight out of nine seasons with the team. Since the Bills never made the Super Bowl under McDermott, owner Terry Pegula sought change, but this may send the Bills backward during quarterback Josh Allen’s prime. General Manager Brandon Beane’s elevation to president of football operations may not help given that the Bills roster under Beane hasn’t improved in recent years.​

Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

​The Chargers took advantage of the Miami Dolphins’ decision to fire offensive-minded head coach Mike McDaniel by hiring him as their offensive coordinator.

Los Angeles made the playoffs this season with a strong defense, and McDaniel’s offensive acumen could help the Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert take the next step. McDaniel had lots of success with Miami’s offense except for when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or wide receiver Tyreek Hill were injured.​

Loser: Cleveland Browns

​The Browns let head coach Kevin Stefanski go, as he’s off to the Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland doesn’t have a lot of great options with McDaniel and Harbaugh now hired. Upcoming second-round interviews of Grant Udinski, Jesse Minter, Jim Schwartz, Nate Scheelhaase, and Todd Monken could lead to a new Browns head coach.

While there’s ample NFL coaching experience among that group, there isn’t one with extensive head coaching experience. The Browns have a strong defense, but the team is still beset with quarterback and offensive issues.​

Winner: Tennessee Titans

​The Titans bring in a solid, defensive-minded head coach in Robert Saleh, who came over from the San Francisco 49ers.

Saleh didn’t have a great prior stop as the New York Jets’ head coach with a 20–36 mark, but he has a young team with talent and the No. 4 pick in the draft. The young core includes quarterback Cam Ward, the 2025 No. 1 pick, who had a solid rookie season overall.

Saleh’s defensive acumen should help the Titans’ defense get on track after his solid defensive units in San Francisco and New York. He will also have much work to do on the offensive side of the ball to build around Ward.​

Loser: Miami Dolphins

​The Dolphins’ overhaul of head coach and general manager doesn’t look as promising as other teams’ overhauls in the past.

Miami landed Jon-Eric Sullivan as the general manager, who had success with the Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins also hired former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as the head coach, but it’s worth noting that his lone head coaching gig in the college ranks at Boston College produced a 22–26 mark in four seasons between 2020 and 2023.