NFL offseason: Ranking every head coaching hire since 2021

"Macdonald and Vrabel are two of the 37 full-time head coaches hired over the past five years, not including the eight hired so far this month and the handful of interim coaches who didn't earn full-time jobs. I want to sort through those hires. Which coaching hires worked out best? Which ones were disasters? Was it better to hire offensive wizards, as many teams prefer, or go against the grain to hire defensive-minded coaches?"

"So I'm going one through 37 and ranking those coaching hires. Performance and playoff success obviously matter most, but I'm also trying to look for evidence of the impact these guys have had as coaches. Do they do a good job of managing fourth downs and late-game situations? Have players who were already on the roster improved after their arrival? Have free agents added from other teams excelled after joining the lineup? And do their draft picks routinely exceed expectations?"

"Where the team succeeds also matters. For coaches with an offensive background, I'm going to give more credit if the team is thriving by virtue of that side of the ball, as opposed to being carried by the defense (such as Matt Nagy during his debut season with the Bears). And, of course, being great on both sides of the ball is a big positive."

Ten NFL teams pursued new head coaches this offseason, with rapid turnarounds possible when the right choices are made, exemplified by Mike Macdonald and Mike Vrabel reaching the Super Bowl quickly. Thirty-seven full-time head coaches were hired over the past five years, excluding eight recent hires and interim coaches. The evaluation ranks those hires based primarily on performance and playoff success while also measuring in-game decisions, roster player improvement, free-agent performance, and draft outcomes. Coaching background matters: offensive hires earn more credit when offense drives success, defensive-minded hires can produce quick results, and excellence on both sides is highly valued. Sample-size caveats apply for coaches with only one season.

Read at ESPN.com