The Black coaches and executives to watch in the NFL’s next hiring cycle

Some frustrated NFL franchise owners began shaking up their organizations long before “Black Monday.”

While more firings of head coaches and general managers are expected as owners move to improve their teams by making changes in senior leadership on the first Monday after the regular season, the league’s 2024 hiring cycle actually kicked off on Oct. 31, 2023.

That’s when Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis sacked coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper ousted head coach Frank Reich – who was in his first season – on Nov. 7, 2023, and Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos dismissed head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Dec. 15, 2023.

Once again, there are openings atop the ladder in coaching and management, and no shortage of accomplished Black NFL employees to fill them.

With an eye toward the future, Andscape, based on more than 10 interviews with both league and club officials, has identified potential candidates who could thrive in top-rung positions at the franchise level. We’ll start with coaches who are ready to run their own shop, including one who has been doing it for a couple of months: Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce.

Since taking over for McDaniels, Pierce has helped to lower the temperature of Raiders players who were at their wit’s end with the ineffectual McDaniels and felt unsupported by the front office. In the locker room, Pierce has strong support from the team’s top players.

Under Pierce, the Raiders have appeared to be much more organized than they were before he was named interim coach. Their improved approach was evident as Pierce directed them to his signature victory of the season on Christmas Day: a 20-14 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Pierce, a former NFL linebacker, was only in his second season as an NFL position coach when tapped by Davis to take command. Before joining the Raiders, Pierce spent five seasons coaching at Arizona State. Although Pierce lacks significant experience as an NFL coach, he embodies the leadership qualities that Davis values most, several league officials said.

Likewise, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris inspires players to follow him.

After helping the Rams win Super Bowl LVI, Morris played a key role this season in the Rams’ turnaround. As coach Sean McVay’s top lieutenant, Morris directed the Rams’ defense in its solid performance and the team won five of six games down the stretch to clinch an NFC wild-card playoff berth.

In 2009, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tapped him to lead them at only 32, Morris was the NFL’s youngest coach. Morris’ time, however, at the Buccaneers’ helm was short-lived: He went 17-31 in three seasons.

Since then, Morris has been among the league’s best assistant coaches. He is eager for another chance to lead a team.

San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is awaiting his next head coaching opportunity as well.

For years, Wilks rose steadily through the league’s ranks and emerged as a top coaching candidate while serving as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator in 2017. The next year while as coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Wilks went 3-13. He was fired after only one season.

Last year as the Panthers’ interim head coach, Wilks received high marks around the league for bringing the team together following the firing of Matt Rhule. After Tepper hired Reich, Wilks joined the 49ers and delivered for coach Kyle Shanahan. In many categories, San Francisco’s defense ranks among the league’s best.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has helped head coach Dan Campbell lead the Lions to their best regular season in a generation. In his third season as the Lions’ defensive leader, Glenn has more than 25 years of experience as a coach and player in the NFL.

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy also has considerable experience, and Bieniemy was the league’s most successful offensive coordinator while he worked under Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

In Bieniemy’s last five seasons in Kansas City, Missouri, the Chiefs won seven consecutive AFC West division titles, hosted five consecutive AFC Championship games (a first in NFL history), played in three Super Bowls and won two Super Bowl championships. What’s more, Bieniemy helped quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who’s only 28, already become an all-time great at pro sports’ top position.

Not surprisingly, Bieniemy didn’t fare as well in his first season with Washington. In an effort to show team owners he could succeed away from Reid and finally receive strong consideration to become a head coach, he joined the longtime struggling franchise.

Problem is, Washington hasn’t had a winning record in eight seasons, and Bieniemy was working with a first-year starter at quarterback and one of the league’s worst offensive lines. Still, in Kansas City, Bieniemy showed what he’s capable of accomplishing.

The franchises in search of general managers also have many strong options if they choose to consider Black candidates.

In Las Vegas, interim general manager Champ Kelly has been impressive since he replaced Ziegler, league officials said. Pierce and Kelly have moved the football operation in one direction again, which hadn’t been the case at the Raiders’ Henderson, Nevada, team headquarters for some time.

In the Raiders’ previous search for a general manager, Kelly finished as the runner-up to Ziegler. Davis was so impressed with Kelly that he created the assistant general manager position in what proved to be a successful attempt to lure Kelly to the organization.

Kelly was the Chicago Bears’ assistant director of player personnel. He also was the Bears’ director of pro scouting. Kelly began his career as a scout with the Denver Broncos, rising to become the Broncos’ director of pro personnel. Kelly has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and an MBA. A whiz with numbers, he once worked in software for IBM, rising to the position of software engineer.

Staying in the AFC West division, the Chargers, league officials said, are high on interim general manager JoJo Wooden. Previously the Chargers’ director of player personnel, Wooden, who joined the organization in 2013, has overseen the franchise’s college and pro scouting departments. Among his duties, Wooden has helped direct the team’s efforts in the NFL draft and free agency.

Wooden cut his teeth in NFL scouting with the New York Jets. He rose in the organization at a good pace after joining the Jets in 1997 as an assistant in the player personnel department. He was the Jets’ assistant director of player personnel for six years.

Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay has had a big hand in the team’s successes in the draft and free agency for many years. McClay is widely considered to be an outstanding talent evaluator.

With McClay overseeing the Cowboys’ draft process in 2014, the Cowboys selected offensive lineman Zack Martin in the first round and edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence in the second round. Martin is a perennial All-Pro and Pro Bowler. Lawrence is a three-time Pro Bowler.

The NFL has never had a female general manager. Perhaps Jacqueline Davidson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the first.

The Buccaneers’ vice president of football research, Davidson uses analytical tools and methods to support the front office and coaching staff in making roster and strategy decisions. She’s also involved in re-signing players and managing the team’s salary cap.

For 11 seasons, Davidson worked in football administration with the Jets. She has a law degree from Cornell.

During the previous hiring cycle, Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham interviewed with the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals for their then-vacant general manager positions.

Cunningham shined in interviews, league officials said, and he’s expected to be busy again soon meeting with teams. A protégé of Ozzie Newsome, the first Black general manager in NFL history, Cunningham has completed two seasons with the Bears.

Before joining Chicago to become general manager Ryan Poles’ top adviser, Cunningham, who learned to evaluate players by analyzing game tape with Newsome, spent five years with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his last year with Philadelphia, he was its director of player personnel.

Besides those listed above, the NFL has many other sharp Black NFL employees. For NFL owners these days, they’re easy to find.