Winning in the NFL is incredibly difficult, and a big part of creating a successful team is finding coordinators who can get the best out of their respective side of the ball. While fans and analysts alike can judge said coaches from afar, the players who work under the coaches are the only ones who truly know what exactly these coaches bring to the table. Throughout the season, the NFL Players Association asked every single player in the NFL to rank their coordinator, and now the votes are in and some of the results may surprise you.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, over 1,700 players ranked their respective coordinators on a scale of 1-10, and the NFLPA released the results of the top five, as well as the top vote-getter in Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
The @NFLPA asked players to rate their offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators.
Voting took place between August 28 and November 16 —and every player in the NFL had the opportunity to vote.
Here are the top 5 at each coordinator spot: pic.twitter.com/FRxefd4AiM
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 4, 2024
Players Vote on the Best Coordinators in the NFL
For those unable to open the images in the tweet above, the voting results are as follows:
Offensive Coordinators:
- Frank Smith – Dolphins
- Thomas Brown – Panthers
- Brian Schottenheimer – Cowboys
- Brian Callahan – Bengals
- Kellen Moore – Chargers
Defensive Coordinators:
- Aaron Glenn – Lions
- Steve Wilks – 49ers
- Dan Quinn – Cowboys
- Brian Flores – Vikings
- Raheem Morris – Rams
Special Teams Coordinators:
- John Fassel – Cowboys
- Chris Tabor – Panthers
- Matt Daniels – Vikings
- Dave Fipp – Lions
- Darren Rizzi – Saints
Noteworthy Takeaways
What’s interesting here is that, while most of these NFL coordinators have led strong units, some leave something to be desired. For example, the Carolina Panthers have perhaps the worst offense in the league, yet Thomas Brown earned the second-highest score among all offensive coordinators. Granted, Carolina does not have too much talent on the offensive side of the ball, so it’s hard to imagine anyone finding a way to turn this unit into a top-five offense. With that being said, it’s impressive that Brown remains a locker room favorite despite the tumultuous season.
Perhaps even more surprising is the presence of Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. While the Panthers never had high expectations, the Chargers were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders. Instead, the team crashed and burned thanks to a combination of injuries and poor coaching. While Brandon Staley got the boot, Moore is still around and is apparently still beloved by his players. The Chargers appear to be targeting an experienced NFL head coach in their search for Staley’s replacement, but perhaps the results of this poll could turn their attention toward their in-house coordinator.
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the best teams in the NFL, and their coordinators play a big part in that success. at 10-5, the Cowboys are the only team to have all three coordinators make an appearance on this list. This is a true testament to Mike McCarthy’s staff, as he’s clearly found a great group of coaches who are capable of inspiring their players, commanding respect in the locker room, and just making the game of football fun to play.
Coordinators That Could Be NFL Head Coaches
This list came out at a good time, as several teams across the league are about to be in the market for a new head coach. With Black Monday right around the corner and ESPN’s Adam Schefter predicting that 7-10 coaches could be fired, don’t be surprised if more than one of these coordinators secures a job as one of the 32 NFL head coaches.
While anything could happen in the coming weeks, the most likely coaches to earn a promotion are Frank Smith, Brian Flores, and Dan Quinn. Smith is responsible for one of the most lethal passing attacks in the game, and defenses simply don’t have an answer for any branch of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree. Now that we know that his players love him, this coordinator should shoot up the NFL coaching ranks. Flores, meanwhile, is one of the most aggressive defensive coaches in the league, and his success away from New England shows that he’s more than just a product of Bill Belichick. Quinn, meanwhile, came this close to winning a Super Bowl with the Atlanta Falcons and should be in high demand after what he’s done for the Cowboys defense.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
