NFL Head Coach openings: What NFL coaches have been hired this off-season?

There are no NFL head coaching vacancies, as the last vacancy was in Arizona, and the Cardinals' Jonathan Gannon is to fill it. It has been an interesting head coaching hiring cycle so far, but at least all the teams in the league have someone to take them to the next level.

So, here are the five NFL coaching hires made in this off-season and their targets for the upcoming 2023 NFL season. Kindly note the following coaches are ranked in no particular order.

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#1 Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals have a new sheriff in town, and he is fresh off an NFL Super Bowl finals run with the Philadelphia Eagles. He goes by the name Jonathan Gannon, and he's a big deal.

Gannon vastly improved the Eagles' defense as defensive coordinator, and the Cardinals will be hoping for a similar performance when he makes the trip to Arizona. Gannon's assistant coaches remain to be seen, as that might be the final piece of the puzzle to build success in Arizona.

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#2 Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts

Jim Irsay might have struck gold with his latest coaching hire, as Shane Steichen is easily one of the better offensive coaching minds in the league. Just look at what he did with the Eagles and the Chargers; you would be amazed at his attacking chops.

Moreover, he turned Austin Ekeler into a borderline star at the Chargers, and Jonathan Taylor must be rubbing his palms. Now, the Colts will have to exercise patience and let Shane Steichen get to work; if they can do that, it will be a great next few years in Indy.

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#3 Sean Payton, Denver Broncos

The days of the Broncos letting Russell Wilson cook are over, and the Broncos might have just pulled off a coup with their latest coaching hire. Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is one of the few coaches that remain from the old-school days, and that is what the Broncos need.

Granted, the situation in Denver is dire, as they have an overpaid star at QB in Russell Wilson, and the rest of their team looks deflated. However, Payton knows about rebuilding a franchise and fostering a winning culture.

Recently, he laid down to law in a series of thinly veiled press conferences. Things may change in Denver.

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#4 DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans

The Houston Texans just completed the hire of one of the finest members of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, and that should be a great thing. However, the Houston Texans remain the Texans, and they might bottle this one.

DeMeco Ryans have proved to be one heck of a defensive coordinator, as his work for the San Francisco 49ers shows. But will his brilliance be enough to turn the Texans' fortunes around? Possibly, and the best part is that for a change, the Texans chose an outside option for their coaching hire.

The first step for the Texans is to have a solid 2023 NFL Draft and avoid making rash decisions in the offseason. Knowing the Texans, we are doubtful that they'd tick both boxes, but maybe their new head coach has some tricks up his sleeves.

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#5 Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers

Indy's loss is the Panthers' gain, as the Carolina Panthers just made the safest hire in this year's off-season. Everyone knows Frank Reich's pedigree. Everyone except Jim Irsay and the former Indianapolis Colts head coach should improve a Carolina Panthers side that is glaringly more stacked than the Colts' team he last coached.

The hire is a safe bet for all parties, and it will give Reich a chance to repair his reputation after being fired and replaced with an NFL inexperienced coach in Jeff Saturday.