Youngish veteran coaches display a swashbuckling spirit and brutal efficiency in the NFC South, similar to Pep Guardiola. The NFL is set to kick into high gear shortly, with training camps teeing off in various locales this weekend. Spain has won the World Cup, rendering Lionel Messi a helpless bystander while LeBron continues his free agent trek. Time is a flat circle. Which one of the four can lead their teams to glory in an increasingly competitive, mediocre division?
Veteran Coaches Display A Swashbuckling Spirit in 2026 NFC South Coach Rankings
1. Carolina Panthers
Head Coach: Dave Canales
The Golden State native spent his entire athletic career on the West Coast with Pete Carroll or Carroll-adjacent programs. He played collegiately at Azusa Pacific before coaching at his high school alma mater in Carson, California. Carroll hired him as the Seahawks receiver coach in 2010 and bounced back and forth between QB coach and PGC before landing the OC job for Tampa in 2023. He’s a young and upcoming head coach who took over the Panthers’ head coach gig before the 2024 season. The coach has improved Bryce Young from a breathtaking disaster to becoming a competent passer.
He kept the Panthers competitive despite numerous injuries in 2025 and snuck in as the NFC South winner over the flailing Buccaneers. Can he continue the good times with Young in 2026? The job is infinitely harder with both offensive tackles coming off injuries and LB Nic Scourton suffering an injury during training camp. Given his reputation, Canales leads the veteran coaches to display a swashbuckling spirit in the division. Things are looking up in Charlotte due to Canales and an impressive staff.
2. New Orleans Saints
Head Coach: Kellen Moore
All things considered, Moore had an excellent debut as a head coach in 2025, leading the Saints to six wins when most pegged them for less than that. New Orleans was highly competitive in most games last season and wasn’t truly outmatched in many contests. More importantly, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough showed signs of becoming a franchise passer. Left tackle Kelvin Banks justified his first-round selection while not looking overwhelmed as a rookie. Chris Olave finally received a running mate in the first round with the selection of Jordan Tyson from Arizona State.
The defense should be salty as ever as DC Brandon Staley takes charge of a unit that features Chase Young, Julian Blackmon, and Kaden Ellis. There’s enough talent on that side of the ball to guide the young Saints offense to an NFC South title under Moore. He’s shown enough to earn the right to have veteran coaches display a swashbuckling spirit going forward.
3. Atlanta Falcons
Head Coach: Kevin Stefanski
Can the new Falcons head coach step up and show his cards as veteran coaches display a swashbuckling spirit with a less-than-ideal quarterback situation? However, all is not lost, as whoever the quarterback ends up being, they’ll be surrounded by impressive weapons like Drake London and Bijan Robinson. Stefanski was out of a job for a few weeks after being the latest coaching victim of the torturous whims of Jimmy Haslam. Society as a whole gets to find out if Stefanski is a good coach who suffered in Cleveland or if he exacerbated the issues. He’ll get a chance to show the vitality of a former offensive coordinator.
His biggest victory was retaining defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who held the line for a surprisingly good Falcons defense. Ulbrich has the talent to work with at all three levels of the defense. However, the staff is a downgrade for Stefanski as a whole with the addition of ST Coordinator Craig Aukerman. He ranks third in the division because of his legacy in Cleveland and the coaching talent ahead of him.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Head Coach: Todd Bowles
Bowles is the outlier in a division full of offensive-minded coaches, as he comes from a defensive background. He’s his own defensive coordinator. The Buccaneers flourished during the early stages of 2025 but wilted late to the point that the Panthers snuck away with the division. Interestingly, Carolina is coached by a former Bowles assistant, Dave Canales, who earned the promotion from Tampa’s OC. The former Jets coach has led the Bucs to three playoff berths in four years, but has done nothing with them each season.
There’s a core of talent on the offensive side of the ball, but future Hall of Famer Mike Evans is no longer in Tampa. 2026 could be the last hurrah for this group of Buccaneers, as quarterback Baker Mayfield is scheduled to be a free agent after the season.
With better health, Bowles’ defense has the potential to be a top-ten unit with dynamic pieces at all three levels. The front seven should be fearsome once again with Vita Vea, Yaya Diaby, Rueben Bain, and Calijah Kancey leading the way. Antoine Winfield, Jr., and Tykee Smith are one of the best safety duos in football. Bowles will need every bit of magic as the veteran coaches display a swashbuckling spirit in Tampa to remain as the head coach in 2027.
