NFL First Year Head Coach Report Cards

Updated Jan. 13, 2026

Heading into the 2025 NFL season, seven teams entered the year with a new head coach in what has become one of the most memorable NFL coaching cycles in recent memory.

It was a mixed bag for these coaches. Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel and Liam Coen led dramatic turnarounds that led to playoff runs. Pete Carroll, on the other hand, is already out of a job.

Let’s take a look at what went well, what didn’t and what’s ahead for these coaches.

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NFL Coaching Changes Entering the 2025 Season

Seven teams shook up their coaching staff with a new head coach in the 2025 offseason:

• Ben Johnson – Chicago Bears (formerly Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator)
• Mike Vrabel – New England Patriots (formerly Tennessee Titans Head Coach)
• Liam Coen – Jacksonville Jaguars (formerly Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator)
• Pete Carroll – Las Vegas Raiders (formerly Seattle Seahawks Head Coach)
• Kellen Moore – New Orleans Saints (formerly Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator)
• Aaron Glenn – New York Jets (Former Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator)
• Brian Schottenheimer – Dallas Cowboys (formerly Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator)

Let’s see where each coach ended the season with their new squad:

Ben Johnson – Chicago Bears

Record: 11-6, NFC North Champions, #2 seed in NFC Playoffs

Grade: A-

The most sought-after coaching candidate in the 2025 hiring cycle, Ben Johnson delivered in his first season as the Chicago head coach, winning the NFC North division and claiming the number two seed in the NFC playoffs.

Critical to their success was their third-ranked rushing attack. The two-headed monster of DeAndre Swift and Kyle Monangai, along with a much improved offensive line, made Chicago a team that could wear down opposing defenses.

Their passing game made huge strides, too. Caleb Williams, who led the league in sacks taken in 2024, made a huge leap forward, taking just 24 on the season. Throughout the year, he displayed why he was the number one overall pick, repeatedly delivering in clutch moments through the air and with his legs.

Chicago also hit big with rookies. Monangai rushed for nearly 800 yards after the first four weeks of the season, Colston Loveland tied for the team lead with six touchdown receptions and Luther Burden had Chicago’s longest play from scrimmage on the season.

The one knock for Johnson is just how porous the defense was at times. They ranked 29th in yards allowed and 23rd in points, but were able to keep themselves in games and even win them by leading the league in takeaways.

Chicago moved one step further after beating the Packers (their third matchup with their division rival in the last month) in the wildcard round as they look for their first Super Bowl appearance since 2007.

Mike Vrabel – New England Patriots

Record: 14-3, AFC East Champions, #2 seed in AFC Playoffs

Grade: A+

Pats fans felt that Vrabel could bring a new mindset and culture to the New England locker room and perhaps bring them back to Super Bowl glory. At the very least, they wanted him to be able to unlock the young talent they have, particularly second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

Vrabel more than delivered. He led the Pats to a 14-3 record in their first playoff appearance since 2019.

Maye very well might go on to win the MVP after a spectacular season in which he led the league in passer rating, QBR and completion percentage. He was one of a handful of offensive breakouts for young players including rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and Kayshon Boutte.

Vrabel’s defense was a top 10 unit all season long, weathering some hiccups toward the latter half of the season and closing out strong to win the AFC East division for the first time since 2019.

It appears the Patriots not only have their next head coach, but their quarterback of the future, too. This franchise couldn’t possibly be in better hands.

The Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild card round of the playoffs.

Liam Coen – Jacksonville Jaguars

Record: 13-4, AFC South Champions, #3 seed in AFC Playoffs

Grade: A

Liam Coen earned his stripes as the Los Angeles Rams and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, developing a reputation as a dynamic schematic coach who helped unlock Baker Mayfield’s potential in the Tampa Bay offense.

Jacksonville brought him in to do the same thing with Trevor Lawrence, the number one pick in 2021 and what many viewed as a can’t-miss prospect heading into the league. Lawrence hadn’t delivered coming into this season and really up until the midway point of the 2025 campaign. Now with Lawrence unleashed, we may not have seen this team at their best.

Cohen was the architect behind one of the league’s best offenses. They finished 11th in total yards and sixth in points. They also rode an eight-game win streak into the playoffs and scored at least 23 points in each of their last 10 games.

They hosted the Buffalo Bills in the wild card round, looking for their first postseason victory since 2022, but unfortunately that is not what they got, losing 27-24.

Pete Carroll – Las Vegas Raiders

Record: 3-14, Fourth in AFC West, Fired

Grade: F

Pete Carroll was brought on in an attempt to turn the Las Vegas Raiders into an instant success. He was never able to make it happen. Carroll made a host of bad bets, namely in Geno Smith, who led the league in interceptions and was a shell of himself from when the two worked together in Seattle.

The offense was the league’s worst in total yards, points and rushing yards, and near the bottom in most passing categories. Their defense was marginally better, but nowhere near enough to help Las Vegas avoid the league’s worst record.

The good news for the Raiders is that they have the number one pick heading into the 2026 draft and can probably get a quarterback that could turn around their fortunes. But Pete Carroll won’t be there to oversee it.

Carroll was relieved of his duties, and now Las Vegas once again becomes a franchise looking for a head coach that can help them compete in the ferocious AFC West.

At 74 years old, it’s possible that this is the last stop for Carroll in what has been an illustrious head coaching career.

Aaron Glenn – New York Jets

Record: 3-14, Fourth in AFC East

Grade: D

Glenn did not have many expectations coming into his first season in New York. The Jets quarterback situation was a complete toss-up, with Justin Fields under center to start the year, his third team in three seasons.

Their passing offense was the league’s worst, and while there were glimmers of promise with their run game and passing defense, ultimately the Jets just did not have enough talent to compete on a week-to-week basis. They finished tied for the league’s worst record at 3-14.

What’s especially disappointing for Glenn, as a former defensive back, is that his secondary did not force a single interception all season. In fact, the defense forced just one turnover on the year.

Glenn has his job for now, but with the Jets having a handful of high-quality draft picks heading into the 2026 season, the franchise needs to decide if he’s the man to oversee that turnaround.

Kellen Moore – New Orleans Saints

Record: 6-11, Fourth in NFC South

Grade: C+

Kellen Moore entered the season with, on paper, one of the worst rosters of any of the first-year head coaches. And while it didn’t get off to a great start—the Saints started 1-8 and changed quarterbacks at the midpoint of the season—New Orleans finished the year surprisingly strong.

They went 5-3 over their final 8 games, with multiple games of more than 400 total yards, including over 300 through the air behind rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.

There aren’t many moral victories in the NFL, but for a team with such low expectations to finish the year in such a promising fashion gives Moore and any returning player some optimism heading into next season.

New Orleans will need to focus on adding additional playmakers on offense, with wide receiver Chris Olave being the sole X-factor offensively. With Alvin Kamara’s future with the team up in the air, Moore will need to turn his attention to the run game that amassed 100 yards in a game just seven times this season.

Brian Schottenheimer – Dallas Cowboys

Record: 7-9-1, Second in NFC East

Grade: B-

Schottenheimer’s first season in Dallas was a season of near polar opposites.

Led by Dak Prescott, the offense was one of the league’s top-ranked units. The passing game unlocked the talent of George Pickens, revived the career of Javonte Williams and averaged nearly 28 points per game.

However, on the other side of the ball, they were the league’s worst. They gave up 30 points per game, which was good for dead last, and were 30th in yards given up. They were especially bad against the pass, giving up a league-worst total yardage and were second-worst in touchdowns allowed.

Schottenheimer operated with one hand tied behind his back to start the year, as Dallas decided to trade All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons. In the middle of the season, they added Quinnen Williams, an All-Pro defensive tackle, which helped for a bit but was ultimately not enough to completely turn around this unit.

Dallas’s motivations heading into the offseason are to try and retain George Pickens to maintain the dynamic passing attack that they found this season but also to bolster a defense that needs help everywhere.

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