The NFL has six new head coaches taking over into the 2016 with Hue Jackson, Ben McAdoo, Adam Gase, Doug Pederson, Chip Kelly and Dirk Koetter all getting jobs this offseason.
Jackson was one of the top head coach targets this offseason after being one of the best offensive coordinators in the league for the Bengals. Jackson had the Giants and 49ers chasing after him, but he opted to join up with the Browns. McAdoo and Koetter each were elevated from offensive coordinator positions on their current teams to head coach, while Kelly is now in San Francisco after being fired in Philadelphia.
Doug Pederson is taking over for Kelly in Philly after running the offense in Kansas City for Andy Reid, while Gase is down in South Beach after rehabbing the career of Jay Cutler. Gase was offensive coordinator in Denver with Peyton Manning when John Fox was head coach for the Broncos and he followed Fox to Chicago. Gase was the first new coach hired this offseason and now he will try and turn things around in Miami.
Mike Mularkey is taking over in Tennessee and technically is also a new hire, but he was interim coach this past season after Ken Whisenhunt was fired, so he is left off this list for now. This list is more about the actual coach and not necessarily the team situation. Here is a look at the rankings for the new head coaches in 2016:
Adam Gase, Dolphins
Gase was the hottest target when the offseason started and that made Miami work fast to get him hired. Gase is the youngest head coach in the NFL and he comes in with a proven track record of helping quarterbacks and offenses produce big numbers. Peyton Manning put up record numbers under Gase and Jay Cutler had some of the best numbers of his career last season. Gase now will try and get the Dolphins back to the playoffs.
Hue Jackson, Browns
The Browns have been a mess for years, but the team made a smart move by bringing in Jackson. Jackson helped the Bengals have one of the best offensive units in the league and while the Browns are nowhere near contention, Jackson may be able to bring the team to that point. The issues with Johnny Manziel are taking care of themselves, but even before that Jackson had no problem saying that the team needed to upgrade at quarterback. That confidence should suit him well as he takes over and that attitude could permeate through the roster this season.
Chip Kelly, 49ers
Kelly wanted control over personnel in Philly and he got it, but the end result of that was Kelly getting fired before the season ended. Kelly had a strong start in Philly and made the playoffs with the Eagles, but his moves did not work out last season and now he is in San Fran without having the personnel power he had in Philly. Kelly is a bright offensive mind and while the 49ers are coming off of a terrible season, he is a good coach to come in and turn things around. Kelly may get the chance to rehab Colin Kaepernick's' career or help develop a new QB in the Bay Area.
Ben McAdoo, Giants
McAdoo was elevated from offensive coordinator into the head coach job after the Giants decided to part ways with Tom Coughlin. McAdoo has done a good job at turning the Giants offense around after taking over two years ago, but is he ready to be a head coach? The Giants were reportedly grooming McAdoo to take over eventually from Coughlin, but it seems like things happened a year sooner than expected. Either way, McAdoo has shown that he is a strong offensive coordinator and now he will get the chance to be a head coach.
Dirk Koetter, Buccaneers
Koetter has more experience than McAdoo and these two spots could be flip flopped for preference. Koetter takes over after helping Jameis Winston put up strong numbers in his rookie season and he helped turn around the Tampa offense from being one of the worst in the NFL. Lovie Smith may have gotten the short end of things in Tampa, but Koetter did a good job last season and now will get the chance to take over. Koetter helped the team rise to fifth in the league in offense after being ranked near the bottom of the league in 2014.
Doug Pederson, Eagles
Pederson comes in at the final slot simply based on his experience, as he has just three years in the league as a coordinator. Pederson did a very good job with Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense under Andy Reid and now he will head to Philly where Reid was once head coach. Pederson spent his playing career as a backup quarterback and that knowledge could help him quite a bit as he transitions into a head coach.