When legendary former NFL coach Bill Belichick became North Carolina’s head coach on Wednesday, it got us thinking: What’s the perfect college coaching gig for every NFC head coach?
So, suspend reality (a little) as we send all 16 back to college.
NFC East
DALLAS COWBOYS | Mike McCarthy: Pittsburgh | McCarthy was born and raised in Pittsburgh and spent three years as a graduate assistant at Pitt before his hiring as a wide receivers coach there in 1992. The 61-year-old head coach remains proud of his Steel City roots and even showed Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott his old stomping grounds before the team’s Week 5 game against the Steelers.
NEW YORK GIANTS | Brian Daboll: Alabama | Losses to six-win Vanderbilt and Oklahoma kept Alabama out of this year’s College Football Playoff under first-year Tide coach Kalen DeBoer. Daboll helped Alabama win its 17th national championship as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2017 and could soon be out of a job as HC of the 2-11 Giants.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Nick Sirianni: Notre Dame | Who better to lead the Fighting Irish than a fiery Italian who revels in confrontation? Sirianni drew criticism for yelling at fans earlier this season.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Dan Quinn: Quinnipiac University | Quinnipiac has never had a football team, something Commanders fans can relate to after living through 25 years of Dan Snyder’s ownership. What a great marketing opportunity for Quinn, too, eh? — Bruce Ewing
NFC West
ARIZONA CARDINALS | Jonathan Gannon: Louisville | Louisville is also nicknamed the Cardinals, and it’s where Gannon’s coaching career started. After suffering a career-ending hip injury in 2002, the former safety was a student/graduate assistant at Louisville from 2003-06.
LOS ANGELES RAMS | Sean McVay: Ohio State | Unlike Ohio State HC Ryan Day — who has lost four straight games to Michigan — McVay typically beats his rivals in big games. En route to a Super Bowl LVI victory, the Rams beat the Niners 20-17 in the NFC Championship Game.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Kyle Shanahan: Texas | Shanahan played WR for the Longhorns from 1999-2002, so there’s a great connection here. And per Thomas Jones of the Austin American-Statesman, Shanahan gave Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian pointers on how he uses versatile playmakers, including WR Deebo Samuel and RB Christian McCaffrey. What a great match.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Mike Macdonald: Michigan | Macdonald was Michigan’s DC in 2021, helping DE Aidan Hutchinson (now with the Lions) finish second in Heisman voting. He could certainly help the Maize and Blue develop more dominant defensive stars. — Clark Dalton
NFC North
CHICAGO BEARS | Thomas Brown: Wisconsin | Brown spent 10 years as a running backs coach at the collegiate and professional levels, including one at Wisconsin in 2014. Inheriting the RB pairing of Darrion Dupree and Cade Yacamelli would help Brown find his groove in head coaching.
DETROIT LIONS | Dan Campbell: Army | Campbell’s “kneecap biting” mindset paired with one of the hungriest batches of players in the FBS would be superb. Campbell’s smashmouth style of play would be a perfect fit for Army’s run-first approach.
GREEN BAY PACKERS | Matt LaFleur: Eastern Michigan | Born and raised in Mount Pleasant, Mich., LaFleur played receiver at Western Michigan from 1998-99 and spent time coaching at Central Michigan (graduate assistant) and Northern Michigan (QB and WR coach) following his playing career. LaFleur could complete his career at the directional schools with a gig at Eastern Michigan, a school with only two bowl wins in its 50-year history.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Kevin O’Connell: Nebraska | A renowned quarterback whisperer, O’Connell could develop freshman QB Dylan Raiola into one of the greatest college QBs in a heartbeat. The Cornhuskers haven’t had a winning season since 2016, but O’Connell already has 11 wins with the Vikings in his third season as an NFL HC. — Josh Eaton
NFC South
ATLANTA FALCONS | Raheem Morris: Texas | A veteran QB struggles while fans clamor for a more talented backup to save the team’s championship hopes. Are we talking about the Falcons with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. or Texas’ Quinn Ewers-Arch Manning conundrum?
CAROLINA PANTHERS | Dave Canales: USC | Canales was an assistant strength coach and video assistant for the Trojans under former head coach Pete Carroll. His track record of success with QBs would make him an excellent fit for a program known for its excellence at the position (Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Caleb Williams).
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Darren Rizzi: Virginia Tech | What better destination for New Orleans interim head coach and special teams coordinator than the home of “Beamer Ball?” Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech’s head coach from 1987-2015, always had great special teams units, and considering New Orleans won its last game because of a blocked field goal, Rizzi would be the best candidate to resurrect the golden era for the Hokies.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Todd Bowles: Rutgers | Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently floated a rumor about Bowles’ possible retirement following the 2024 season. (Bowles denied it.) However, at 61, he is potentially nearing the end of his coaching career — unless the New Jersey native follows Belichick’s lead and becomes HC of his home state Rutgers. — Eric Smithling
