Finding a new head coach is tough.

Did a team score a ton of points because the offensive coordinator is a wizard, or did a quarterback thrive in spite of his coaching? Did a defense shut down opposing offenses because of an elite depth chart, or did the defensive coordinator scheme up creative ways to slow opponents down?

Several teams navigated that minefield to fill vacancies. Washington, the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants all fired their coaches in 2019 and hired a new man to lead the way.

Who did they target? Here’s a list of coaches who were hired this year, and others who could be candidates in the future.

Candidates off the market

Kevin Stefanski (hired by the Browns)

Most relevant experience:

Vikings quarterbacks coach (2017-18)

Vikings offensive coordinator (2019)

Mike Zimmer is Minnesota’s third head coach since 2006, but in the last 14 seasons the team kept bringing back Stefanski. He’s worked his way through the Vikings’ assistant ranks and took over as offensive coordinator in 2019. Under his leadership, Minnesota finished the regular season eighth in points scored and Kirk Cousins posted a career-best 107.4 passer rating.

Joe Judge (hired by the Giants)

Most relevant experience:

Patriots special teams coordinator (2015-19)

Patriots wide receivers coach (2019)

The Bill Belichick coaching tree grew another branch when Judge was plucked from the Patriots’ payroll by New York. Judge is a bit of a risk at 38 years old and without any major offensive or defensive coordinator experience, but the former Mississippi State letterman shined in New England. His special teams units helped swing games for the Patriots with big returns and blocked punts, adding extra value for a 2019 club that could no longer rely on a dominant offense.

Mike McCarthy (hired by the Cowboys)

Most relevant experience:

Packers head coach (2006-18)

Once a Super Bowl-winning coach, McCarthy sat out the whole 2019 season after getting fired by the Packers. He wasn’t sitting on his hands, though. McCarthy reportedly spent the year studying film with a team of coaches, preparing for a return to the league. Was his success in Green Bay simply a credit to the magic of Aaron Rodgers? He’ll get a chance to prove otherwise in Dallas.

Matt Rhule (hired by the Panthers)

Most relevant experience:

Temple University head coach (2013-16)

Baylor University head coach (2017-19)

After two seasons at Baylor, Rhule was set to become the head coach of the Jets in 2019. He pulled out of that job because the team planned to hire a coaching staff for him. Instead, he returned for a third season in Waco and led Baylor to an 11-2 record. Even though his team lost in the Sugar Bowl, his rise from 1-11 in 2017 to a New Year’s Day bowl this winter was enough to make NFL teams salivate over time.

Ron Rivera (hired by Washington)

Most relevant experience:

Bears defensive coordinator (2004-06)

Chargers defensive coordinator (2008-10)

Panthers head coach (2011-19)

Rivera led the Panthers to the postseason four times and made a Super Bowl in his eight years and change at the helm. Prior to that, he turned the Bears and Chargers defenses into two of the most fearsome units in the NFL. While the Carolina defense has struggled in 2019 — a significant reason for his midseason dismissal — Rivera is now getting another shot with Washington in 2020.

Talented coordinators looking for a first head coaching gig

Sifting through the NFL’s most successful assistants can land you a coach who’s in over their head, or it could yield the next star coach.

These are the coordinators across the league who haven’t yet had a head coaching job, but could get one soon.

Eric Bieniemy

Most relevant experience

Chiefs RB coach (2013-17)

Chiefs offensive coordinator (2018-19)

Hiring Andy Reid’s assistants has worked out for teams in the past. The Ravens, Bills, Eagles, and Bears all have current head coaches who were coordinators under Reid. The Chiefs’ offense has put up gaudy numbers in two seasons with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback and Bieniemy leading the way as offensive coordinator. “Hire him, right now,” says Reid.

Best fit: A team looking to replicate the Chiefs’ offensive explosiveness

Brian Daboll

Most relevant experience

Chiefs offensive coordinator (2012)

Bills offensive coordinator (2018-19)

Expectations were pretty low for Josh Allen when he entered the league in 2018. Now in year two, he’s en route to the postseason. Allen is throwing more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, and making significant leaps in every aspect. All of that reflects well on Daboll, who was hired in 2018 and tasked with bringing Allen along.

Best fit: A team on the hunt for a quarterback whisperer who can develop a young passer

Byron Leftwich

Most relevant experience:

Cardinals offensive coordinator (2018)

Buccaneers offensive coordinator (2019)

The former Jaguars quarterback doesn’t have a ton of experience, but he’s drawn rave reviews from Bruce Arians for his limited coaching work so far. While Jameis Winston’s turnover issues haven’t gone away, the Buccaneers’ offense was the best in franchise history in 2019. It finished top-five in scoring for the first time ever and Winston’s 5,109 passing yards were eighth-most in a season in NFL history.

Best fit: A brave team ready to jump on a young coach’s lofty potential

Don “Wink” Martindale

Most relevant experience:

Ravens linebackers coach (2012-17)

Ravens defensive coordinator (2018-19)

Lamar Jackson has been a revelation in 2019, but the Ravens’ defense is a big part of the team’s recent success. Baltimore was No. 1 in the NFL in yards allowed in 2018 and stayed in the top five in 2019, despite losing C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, Eric Weddle, and Terrell Suggs in free agency. Martindale says he’d only leave Baltimore for a “dream job” so the list of possibilities may be slim.

Best fit: A contender that needs some help on defense

Greg Roman

Most relevant experience:

49ers offensive coordinator (2011-14)

Ravens offensive coordinator (2019)

Roman was heralded as one of the top assistants in the NFL when he helped the Colin Kaepernick-led 49ers to the Super Bowl in February 2013. It even earned him some head coaching consideration. His work with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore has strengthened his case as a candidate. Roman has proven adept at tailoring an offense to his quarterback’s strengths, especially when it’s a player who brings rushing ability too.

Best fit: A team aiming to take advantage of its quarterback’s unique skill set

Robert Saleh

Most relevant experience:

49ers defensive coordinator (2017-19)

His experience is limited, but Saleh’s found plenty of success leading the way for the 49ers defense. San Francisco rode one of the best defenses in the NFL to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC. Saleh brings enthusiasm and fire to the sideline and it’s made him a star in 2019. It’ll likely make him a top coaching candidate in the offseason.

Best fit: A middling team that wants a jolt of energy

Dave Toub

Most relevant experience:

Bears special teams coordinator (2004-12)

Chiefs special teams coordinator (2013-19)

Toub gets talked up as a possibility for NFL job openings almost every year. Andy Reid said he’d be “phenomenal” at the job, but he rarely gets legitimate interest. The reality is there just aren’t many teams that look to special teams coordinators when they want to fill a vacancy. It has worked out great for the Ravens, who hired John Harbaugh after he spent a decade coaching the Eagles special teams. Maybe this is the year Toub finally gets a chance to run a team.

Best fit: A team smart enough to see the value of a special teams coach

Former head coaches looking for another shot

The Browns found out the hard way that inexperience at head coach can hurt. Coaches who have been there and done that often can step right into a job and get the team on track.

These are the former head coaches in line for a second go at leading a team:

Leslie Frazier

Most relevant experience

Vikings head coach (2011-13)

Bills defensive coordinator (2017-19)

His three-year stint as the Vikings’ head coach saw him lead the team to the playoffs in 2012 followed by a sharp fall in 2013. But it’s hard to blame him too much when he was choosing between Christian Ponder, Josh Freeman, and Matt Cassel at quarterback. His most recent work has been turning the Bills defense into one of the best in the NFL. That could earn him another shot at a head coaching job, perhaps with a bit more quarterback stability.

Best fit: A team that needs a steady hand at the helm and defensive improvement

Josh McDaniels

Most relevant experience:

Broncos head coach (2009-10)

Patriots offensive coordinator (2012-19)

While his first coaching stint with the Broncos didn’t go well, McDaniels has won three more Super Bowls with the Patriots since then. He’s been a coveted coaching candidate in recent years, and was even announced as the new head coach of the Colts in 2018 before changing his mind hours later. The New England offense hasn’t been its usual self in 2019, but it’s still ranked in the top 10 in scoring and McDaniels has had to maximize a group that is deficient in many areas.

Best fit: Essentially every team with a vacancy

Stars of the college coaching ranks

It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while an NFL team will search through the top college coaches to find their guy.

There are a few stars of the college ranks who could catch the NFL’s fancy:

Urban Meyer

Most relevant experience:

University of Florida head coach (2005-10)

Ohio State University head coach (2012-18)

He won three national championships (two with Florida and one with Ohio State), but has zero experience in the NFL. That — along with the fact that he’s stepped down from his last two jobs due to health reasons — make Meyer a long shot candidate. His 85.4% winning percentage as a coach in the college ranks could convince a team to give Meyer a call, though.

Best fit: A contender worth ending retirement for

Lincoln Riley

Most relevant experience:

University of Oklahoma offensive coordinator (2015-16)

University of Oklahoma head coach (2017-19)

In three seasons as the Sooners’ head coach, Riley has led his squad to the College Football Playoff three times. Two of his three quarterbacks (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray) won the Heisman Trophy and were drafted first overall. With young, offensive-minded coaches like Sean McVay and Kliff Kingsbury catching the NFL’s fancy, Riley could be next on the list.

Best fit: An ambitious team ready for offensive innovation

Others to watch

There aren’t many job openings, so it’s doubtful that a candidate comes out of left field. But just in case someone does, here are a few of the less likely possibilities: