Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots have to do something they haven't done in two dozen years after parting ways with head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots are in the market for a head coach, with Kraft telling reporters Thursday the team plans to swiftly find Belichick's successor.

So, here are the top-seven replacements for Belichick.

Brian Flores

 

A reunion with the Patriots' former defensive play caller and current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator could be a strong hiring. Flores saw some decent success during his tenure as the Miami Dolphins head coach, going 24-25 over his three seasons while turning them around from a bottom-dweller to a playoff contender quickly.

There's a big drawback to potentially hiring Flores, which was that he reportedly clashed with Tua Tagovailoa on a consistent basis. It's probably not the best idea to replace a head coach who showed disdain for his young quarterback with another. But maybe Flores learned his lesson, helping the Vikings' defense emerge as one of the best in the league this season.

Jerod Mayo

The clear, top in-house candidate should be the Patriots' former linebacker and current inside linebackers coach. Mayo has been viewed as a head coach candidate around the league for some time, interviewing for a handful of head coaching positions in the last few years. He's really respected among the players on the roster, with Christian Barmore, Adrian Phillips and ex-Patriots safety Devin McCourty giving him endorsements in recent weeks.

There are a couple of holdbacks, though. Mayo, obviously, is a defensive-minded coach, and it's clear this team needs a strong offensive mind to fix their what ails them on that side of the ball. The other is why would you want anyone who was associated with the 2023 Patriots running the team going forward, especially considering you just fired the guy who ran the operation?

Antonio Pierce

The first outside-the-box candidate! Everyone seems to assume the next New England head coach will be someone who's “in the family”— a coach who has past Patriots ties and has a relationship with Kraft.

But it'd be a mistake if New England, at the very least, didn't consider some coaches outside the family. Pierce produced one of the better results from an interim NFL coach in recent memory, taking the Las Vegas Raiders to a 5-4 record after Josh McDaniels was fired. He's clearly respected by the players he coaches as well, with many Raiders players endorsing him to become their full-time head coach after the season.

Pierce's background is similar to Mayo's, only working as a linebackers coach after a notable playing career. The big difference is that Pierce has proven he can lead players well.

Bobby Slowik

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and a Texans logo and please put some images of a job offer illustration

Another outside-the-family name, Slowik would provide a nice change of pace to what we've seen the Patriots be over the last few years.

The 36-year-old comes from the Shanahan tree, working under Kyle Shanahan with the San Francisco 49ers for six seasons before becoming the Houston Texans' offensive coordinator in 2023. Slowik's first year in Houston showed he can mold a young quarterback to success, something that Belichick's successor will have to do.

The relative lack of experience isn't great for Slowik, but we have seen young coaches have tremendous success in recent years.

Ben Johnson

If you're going for a pure offensive mind, Johnson has to be the first call you make.

The Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator has, rightly, made himself the hottest coordinator in the league this season. He's been credited for helping resurrect Jared Goff's career, with his receivers praising the coach for his ability to design and explain route trees. While Goff was a former No. 1 overall pick, the Lions' receivers lack the same pedigree.

Point being, Johnson has helped tap into Detroit's top offensive talent while getting the most out of those who might not be held in high regard. And that's something the Patriots desperately need on that side of the ball.

Jim Harbaugh

Harbaugh was nearly placed at No. 1 on this list, and there are a lot of reasons why he should be.

The veteran head coach has had success at every stop, winning at lower college levels before taking Stanford to prominence. He turned the 49ers around right away, making them a Super Bowl contender over his four years there before eventually returning to Michigan, helping the Wolverines finally win a national title on Monday.

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Things weren't always great for Harbaugh over tenure at Michigan, though, reaching new lows during the 2020 season. But Harbaugh regrouped and remade his program, turning his defense to a similar style as the Baltimore Ravens' while the offense became more efficient. Michigan's play within the trenches on both sides of the ball was marvelous this season, even if it didn't three-peat in winning the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in college football.

Harbaugh certainly knows how to win and would bring new energy from Foxborough, showing the Belichick way is a thing of the past. There are a couple of concerns, though. Harbaugh is 60, so you're probably finding his successor in the not-so-distant future, even if his hiring pans out. And his quirky personality hasn't endeared himself to everyone, which was why he ultimately flamed out in San Francisco.

Still, Harbaugh is a tremendous candidate for the gig.

Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel coached for the Tennessee Titans and played for the New England Patriots.

The only candidate who has a stronger case for the job than Harbaugh is the former Patriots linebacker.

While Vrabel's time with the Tennessee Titans ended on a sour note, you need to look at the context of the situation. Vrabel led the Titans to three straight playoff seasons between 2019-21, finishing with the AFC's best record in 2021. But the downturn began that offseason, with general manager Jon Robinson trading away star wideout A.J. Brown reportedly against Vrabel's wishes. Still, the Titans appeared like they were going to three-peat as AFC South champs that season before Ryan Tannehill suffered an injury that derailed their season.

Tennessee's offense went off the rails this season, with Tannehill regressing before getting injured again. Malik Willis proved to be a bust while Will Levis gave the offense a brief spark, but showed room for improvement. DeAndre Hopkins was the only receiver worth a damn on that roster and Henry showed some signs of age at various points of the season.

But Vrabel certainly knows how to build a winner, and he nailed his first two offensive coordinator hirings, bringing on Matt LaFleur in his first season before hiring Arthur Smith to replace him. Vrabel should be the first call Kraft makes.