- Josh McDaniels
McDaniels easily takes the #1 spot on this list with his six Super Bowl rings and winning NFL assistant coach of the year in his return as New England’s offensive coordinator in 2025. McDaniels is arguably the most decorated assistant coach in league history serving as the offensive coordinator/QB coach for Tom Brady for 4 of the Patriots’ 6 Super Bowl triumphs in the Brady/Belichick era. McDaniels in my estimation is certainly deserving of another head coaching opportunity despite being fired twice as a head coach. During his time as a head coach with the Raiders and Broncos he was never given a surefire starting caliber QB to work with nor a third season on the job in either stop. In his first season back as the offensive coordinator of the Patriots, New England had the #2 scoring offense in the NFL and quarterback Drake Maye almost won league MVP honors falling short just one vote of doing so. This was despite New England’s head coach Mike Vrabel having a defensive background and being in his first season on the job along with the Patriots having average caliber offensive personnel by any stretch.
- Mike McDaniel
Once heralded as the next young great offensive mind in the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay mold, the former Dolphins’ head coach finds himself #2 on this list. McDaniel after two seasons with the Dolphins was well on pace to be the next Kyle Shanahan/McVay in my estimation. As a rookie head coach McDaniel’s Dolphins’ team came up just one possession short on the road in the playoffs vs the Super Bowl contending Bills despite Miami being on a backup QB, almost as impressive of a rookie head coaching job in league history. In year 2 with the Dolphins, he had Miami’s offense as one of the premier units in the sport, finishing the season 2nd in points per game and 1st in yards per game in the regular season. This was despite QB Tua Tagovailoa being an average talent by any stretch and Miami having good but not great offensive personnel. In years 3 and 4 with the Dolphins, Tua could not stay healthy, the Dolphins did not have a strong backup QB, and/or Miami did not have a viable offensive line to protect the immobile/injury prone Tagovailoa. Miami did not make the playoffs either year after making the playoffs in each of the first two seasons with McDaniel, and McDaniel was fired. As stated previously, McDaniel was heralded as the next great young offensive minded head coach for a reason and still can be that in my estimation. In the one and only season where he was the head coach of the Dolphins and was given a healthy QB, a solid offensive line, and he wasn’t a rookie head coach, he had Miami as arguably the top offense in the sport and one of the Super Bowl favorites as the season was winding down. The Chargers will unequivocally have one of the premier coordinators in the sport in 2026.
- Eric Bieniemy
Bienemy was the offensive coordinator for an explosive Chiefs’ offense in the initial portion of the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid era. He was unable to land a head coaching job however because many pointed to the talent of Mahomes and the brilliance of the offensive minded Reid as to why the Chiefs were seeing success on offense. Bieniemy then left the Chiefs to perhaps show how capable he was as an offensive mind without Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes. Bieniemy did not see much success and has now returned to Kansas City. Although the Chiefs won a Super Bowl without him, the offense did drop off noticeably in his absence. I believe the Chiefs will capture some of the magic they had on offense in the early portion of the Patrick Mahomes era with Bienemy now returning to Kansas City. The Chiefs will in my estimation have one of the premier coordinators in the sport next season.
- Pete Carmichael Jr
Carmichael Jr after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Saints for 15 seasons with Drew Brees/Sean Payton finds himself quite high on this list. Carmichael Jr is a very underrated offensive mind in the current NFL. Drew Brees played the position of QB at almost as high of a level in league history during his time with the Saints. Many obviously attribute that to offensive minded head coach Sean Payton as they should but Carmichael Jr deserves a lot of credit for it as well. The offenses that Sean Payton has produced as head coach of the Broncos since leaving New Orleans have consistently underwhelmed. As Russell Wilson looked relatively poor under Payton, while the offense is consistently just slightly above average with Bo Nix. So, this narrative that Payton is an offensive mastermind is perhaps a bit overblown and maybe Carmichael Jr deserves more credit for having Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense be as good as it was. Josh Allen and the Bills will have an elite coordinator on offense for the 2026 season in my estimation.
- Frank Reich
Reich was the offensive coordinator for the 2017 Super Bowl winning Eagles’ team that put up over 30 points in the Conference Championship and over 40 points in the Super Bowl on two top five scoring defenses despite being on a backup QB. Reich then served as a head coach for multiple NFL teams but was unsuccessful at both stops. After serving as an interim head coach on the collegiate level for Stanford, he has now returned to an offensive coordinator role with the Jets. The job that Reich did with the Eagles during their Super Bowl winning season was beyond remarkable. Perhaps Reich was not given a fair chance to succeed as a head coach and perhaps could garner another head coaching opportunity if he were to succeed with the Jets. New York certainly has one of the premier offensive coordinators in the sport for the 2026 season in my estimation as of now.
- Bobby Slowik
The Dolphins’ newly promoted offensive coordinator finds himself quite high on this list although never having been a head coach and being an offensive coordinator for only three seasons. Slowik had CJ Stroud produce one of the greatest rookie QB seasons in league history when Slowik was the offensive coordinator for Houston. Slowik had Stroud finish the season 5th in passer rating despite Slowik being a rookie offensive coordinator, the Texans having below average offensive personnel, Houston having a rookie defensive minded head coach, and Stroud being a relatively average starting QB talent to begin with in his rookie season. Although Stroud really dropped off in year 2 with Slowik who was then fired after the season, Stroud has never recaptured elite form since Slowik has left.
- Brian Daboll
Daboll, having won NFL head coach of the year honors during his stint with the Giants, finds himself on this list. Daboll is known for having transformed Josh Allen from a very raw unrefined player who was not a starter to many into one of the premier if not the premier QB in the sport. The Giants’ team under Daboll was feisty last season and QB Jaxson Dart played well as a rookie under Daboll. Daboll will have his work cut out for him in developing young Titans’ QB Cam Ward.
- Matt Nagy
Nagy, the two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Chiefs and former head coach of the Bears finds himself on this list. Although the Chiefs’ offense did look better under Bieniemy than it did with Nagy, Nagy still won a Super Bowl and went to multiple as the offensive coordinator of the Chiefs. Nagy as head coach of the Bears did a good job in my estimation and made Mitch Trubisky who struggles to throw the ball look like a viable starting QB. Perhaps Giants’ QB Jaxson Dart will take the next step with Nagy as his offensive coordinator in New York next season.
- Adam Stenavich
The Green Bay offensive coordinator for the past four seasons sneaks into the top ten. Although head coach Matt Lafleur is very capable if not borderline elite as an offensive minded head coach, Stenavich still deserves some credit for the success of the Green Bay offense and QBs. Both Jordan Love and Malik Willis have produced at MVP levels with Stenavich as the offensive coordinator. While the Green Bay offense is elite from time to time as well with Stenavich as the offensive coordinator.
- Drew Petzing
The new Detroit offensive coordinator rounds out this list at #10 after serving as the Arizona Cardinals’ offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Petzing made career backup Jacoby Brissett look like a viable starter in 2025 despite Arizona having average to mediocre offensive personnel and a now fired defensive minded head coach. Petzing was a fine choice to replace Ben Johnson as the offensive coordinator of the Lions. As Petzing brings years of experience to the table and did a very good job as the offensive coordinator of the Cardinals this past season.
