With the initial waves of NFL free-agency come-and-gone, it feels like as good of a time as ever to determine how each team fared in replacing their former head coach. Gone are Jason Garrett, Pat Shurmur, Freddie Kitchens, Ron Rivera, and Jay Gruden. In their places, Mike McCarthy, Joe Judge, Kevin Stefansky, Matt Rhule, and, well, Ron Rivera, take over new teams as head coach. With each franchise’s new era underway, it’s time to figure out where these coaches fit into their new teams come the 2020 NFL Draft and regular season:
5) Dallas Cowboys – Mike McCarthy
Previous Job: HC, Green Bay Packers (2018)
Mike McCarthy just feels like a Jason Garrett clone that had Aaron Rodgers around to win a Super Bowl for him. It has been a while since Mike McCarthy has been considered one of the more innovative mindsets throughout the league terms of scheming and playcalling. The Packers saw instant improvements across the board offensively with the addition of Matt LaFleur in place of McCarthy. At best, it feels like the Cowboys found themselves a coach that might be able to do a better job at the helm than Garrett, but also a coach that has proven that other candidates could do his job much better.
Grade: C-
4) Cleveland Browns – Kevin Stefansky
Previous Job: OC, Minnesota Vikings
The 2019 NFC Divisional Round matchup between the Vikings and 49ers featured a fantastic opposition of coordinators. Kevin Stefansky, then the Vikings’ offensive coordinator, and San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh were praised throughout 2019 as being among the best at their jobs in the league. However, knowing what we know now, Stefansky struggled to get his Vikings on a level footing with the 49ers, calling various kick-outs and screens as their opponents began to pull away. At the end of Minnesota’s 27-10 defeat, questions about Kevin Stefansky’s play-calling abilities have come to light. That being said, one rough game doesn’t necessarily translate to Stefansky being unable to succeed as a head coach, but it is concerning that the former offensive coordinator seemed to choke in the most important moment.
Grade: C+
3) New York Giants – Joe Judge
Previous Job: ST Coach, New England Patriots
Joe Judge was the surprise hire of the 2019 coaching carousel. The former New England Patriots special teams coordinator takes over as the one destined to execute Dave Gettleman’s blueprint after Pat Shurmur proved that he wasn’t the guy for the job. The Belichick coaching tree has proven mixed results, but Judge combines hard-nosed mindset with meticulous preparation, similar to his former boss. Jason Garrett doesn’t inspire a lot of hope as an offensive play-caller, but the former Cowboys quarterback, offensive coordinator, and head coach is capable of serving as a mentor for their up-and-coming second-year quarterback, Daniel Jones.
Grade: B-
2) Carolina Panthers – Matt Rhule
Previous Job: HC, Baylor Bears
The Panthers are destined to rebuild their entire structure after signing a 7-year, $62 million dollar deal. It looks like changes are already underway with the release of Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly’s retirement, meaning that for better or worse, Rhule can bring in the guys he wants more quickly. The former Baylor and Temple head coach will be given a lot of trust, given his track record in improving losing programs. While the Panthers didn’t struggle all too much under Ron Rivera’s tenure, the amount of trust that Carolina’s regime is giving their highly-paid coach the control he needs to bring in the players he sees capable of helping his new team trend up.
Grade: B
1) Washington Theismanns – Ron Rivera
Previous Job: HC, Carolina Panthers
Washington ended up with the best head coaching hire by employing Ron Rivera. In contrast to Stefansky’s struggles in a clutch moment, Rivera showed a lot of coaching chops in moments of intense pressure. When his name was first mentioned to be on the hot seat for the Panthers towards the end of the 2012 season, Rivera pulled the team to 1 5-1 finish, a 12-4 record the following year, and a Super Bowl appearance just two years later. “Riverboat Ron” had a couple of rough seasons mixed in between his successful ones, but the former Chargers’ defensive coordinator never seemed to lose his locker room. Rivera could provide an unusually stable presence for a franchise that constantly seems to get in its own way.
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