17 offensive coordinator candidates for Eagles to consider in 2024

The Eagles are moving on from offensive coordinator Brian Johnson after just one season, which means the Eagles will have a new DC and a new OC in 2024.

Both searches are already under way.

On defense, the Eagles will be looking for someone to run that side of the ball. But on offense, they’ll be looking for someone to collaborate with head coach Nick Sirianni, who has run the offense since getting hired in 2021.

The unique thing about the OC job in Philly is that it comes with game day play-calling duties, which is a relative rarity under offensive-minded head coaches. Sirianni gave up play-calling to Shane Steichen during that rookie season and liked how it freed him up on Sundays. And he kept that setup during the 2023 season with Johnson.

So this is an attractive job because of the play-calling duties. But that also means the OC will have to run Sirianni’s offense and will need to convince him of any changes to that side of the ball.

Here are some candidates, listed alphabetically, for the position:

Darrell Bevell: The 54-year-old Bevell has spent the last couple of seasons as the QBs coach and passing game coordinator for the Dolphins but he does has significant offensive coordinator experience with the Jaguars, Lions, Seahawks and Vikings. His longest stint came with the Seahawks from 2011-17. Bevell has worked with plenty of big-time quarterbacks in his career, including Brett Favre, Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford.

Eric Bieniemy: In recent seasons, Bieniemy has certainly given the Eagles some fits and he’s likely available now after Ron Rivera was fired in Washington. Bieniemy still hasn’t gotten that head coaching job he’s been wanting but a chance to call plays for an offense that is supremely talented could be an appealing stepping stone to running his own team. Bieniemy played under Andy Reid in 1999 in Philly and coached under him in Kansas City from 2013-2022 before leaving to join Rivera’s staff in Washington in 2023.

Joe Brady: There’s a very good chance Brady will not be available because he served the second half of the year in Buffalo as the interim OC. The Bills would be wise to hire him for that job full-time. But if not, the 34-year-old Brady is an extremely intriguing option. The Eagles actually interviewed Brady for the head coaching job that went to Sirianni in 2021. Brady has worked for the Bills, Panthers, Saints and LSU.

Liam Coen: The 38-year-old has been ping-ponging back and forth between the Rams under Sean McVay and the Kentucky program. In 2023, Coen was the OC and QBs coach at Kentucky after holding the OC job in LA in 2022. Coen reportedly said he’s staying at Kentucky but we’ll see if that holds true. Coen has been garnering some significant NFL attention.

Jim Bob Cooter: The 39-year-old was with the Eagles during the 2021 season as a consultant before taking a job with the Jaguars in 2022. But in 2023, he became the Colts’ offensive coordinator under former Eagles OC Shane Steichen. So why would he leave Indy for a different OC job? Well, the Eagles’ job very likely comes with the ability to call plays, which Steichen clearly isn’t going to give up with the Colts.

Jerrod Johnson: The former Texas A&M quarterback was actually with the Eagles briefly in the summer of 2011 but never really had much of a professional career as a player. But the 35-year-old seems to have a very promising future in coaching. Johnson joined the Colts in 2019 and was on that staff with Sirianni for a couple seasons under Frank Reich. He was the assistant QBs coach with the Vikings in 2022 and last season was the QBs coach in Houston under OC Bobby Slowik, who is a head coaching candidate. Johnson is a candidate for a couple other OC openings too.

Kliff Kingsbury: The Eagles interviewed the former Cardinals head coach virtually on Tuesday, NFL Network reported. The 44-year-old is currently a senior offensive analyst at USC under head coach Lincoln Riley, who coached Jalen Hurts at Oklahoma. While Kingsbury’s time with the Cardinals didn’t end well, he does offer an expertise in the pass game. (Although, it's fair to question if his perspective would be unique enough to change the Eagles' offense.) But Kingsbury did have success at his college stops before becoming the Cardinals’ head coach in 2019. He was previously the head coach at Texas Tech, an offensive coordinator at Texas A&M and a co-OC at the University of Houston.

Klint Kubiak: The son of Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak worked under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco in 2023 as a passing game coordinator. He held that title in Denver the previous season and was the Vikings OC before that. Would Sirianni be able to implement some of the staples from another offensive system? It’s a good question. But if he’s willing to, Kubiak could offer a unique perspective.

Byron Leftwich: The NFL world moves very quickly. It wasn’t very long ago that Leftwich was considered to be a hot head coaching candidate but the 44-year-old former NFL quarterback was out of the league in 2023 after three seasons as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator. It might not bode well for him that Dave Canales seemed to have a ton of success in Tampa this year but Leftwich had plenty of success in Tampa before too and was their OC for Super Bowl LV victory over the Chiefs.

Tee Martin: The Ravens promoted Martin from receivers coach to QBs coach in 2023 and Lamar Jackson put together an MVP season, leading the Ravens to a No. 1 seed and a run to (at least) the AFC Championship Game. Martin replaced James Urban in this post and has done a fantastic job. Martin played quarterback at Tennessee in the late 90s and was actually with the Eagles briefly as a player in 2002.

Josh McDaniels: During the head coaching search of 2021, it actually seemed like McDaniels was the frontrunner until the Eagles changed courses and hired Sirianni. Still, if the Eagles want a veteran offensive coordinator McDaniels, he is available after getting fired by the Raiders during the 2023 season. McDaniels has failed as a head coach twice and likely won’t get another shot. But he did have success in New England as an OC and has significant experience calling plays.

Kellen Moore: The Chargers hired Moore for the 2023 season after he spent four seasons as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator. But then things fell apart in Los Angeles and Brandon Staley was fired so Moore is available again. The 35-year-old was a hot head coaching candidate not that long ago and did some really good things in Dallas during his time there. The Chargers reportedly blocked an OC request for Moore, so he might not be available right now. But if the next head coach of the Chargers isn’t Moore, there’s a chance the hire doesn’t want to keep him. Then Moore could become available.

Greg Olson: The 60-year-old has significant NFL experience and has been an OC for several different teams, including the Lions, Rams, Raiders and Jaguars. In 2023, he was the quarterbacks coach in Seattle but with a coaching change happening there, he might be available again. 

Frank Reich: We know how strong the relationship is between Reich and Sirianni. Reich has been a mentor for Sirianni for years and made him an offensive coordinator in Indianapolis in 2018 after leaving the Eagles following their Super Bowl win. Reich was fired during the season in Carolina in 2023 and is available, although it’s unclear if he’d be willing to jump back into coaching. Of course, the last time Reich was the Eagles’ OC things worked out pretty well. Hiring Reich would be a clear sign that Sirianni got his guy for the job, although Reich is widely respected in the building already too.

Zac Robinson: Robinson is a former quarterback at Oklahoma State who has been rising through the coaching ranks, becoming a hot offensive coordinator candidate under McVay in Los Angeles. Robinson, 37, has been the Rams’ pass game coordinator and QBs coach the last two seasons. Robinson has been a popular name as an OC candidate for several teams already this offseason.

Arthur Smith: The Eagles were impressed by Smith during the last head coaching cycle. Instead, Smith got the job in Atlanta and went 21-29 during his three seasons there before getting fired. That likely means Smith will have to go back to being an offensive coordinator again. He was quite good in that role under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee in 2019 and 2020, when he ran a balanced offense behind the strength of running back Derrick Henry.

Alex Van Pelt: The Browns moved on from Van Pelt this month but he’s already getting some interest elsewhere. The 53-year-old coach was the OC in Cleveland from 2020-23 and was previously the QBs coach in Green Bay and in Cincinnati. He previously had an OC sting with the Bills in 2009.

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