The path from star coordinator to elite head coach is as clear as ever. Look no further than defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, or, more recently, Ben Johnson and Liam Coen. Finding the next one of those guys could change the fortune of any franchise, and those types of coaches can be found occupying offensive and defensive coordinator roles today.
So which new coordinators are making the biggest, positive impact in their NFL homes through the first half or so of the 2026 season? Here is a look at the top 10 plus a few honorable mentions. Honorable mentions: New York Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard The Baltimore Ravens were the NFL's No. 7 scoring offense (29.0) through the first four weeks of the 2026 season under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle when Lamar Jackson was healthy.
Without Jackson since Week 5, Baltimore averages just 15.8 points per game, the fifth-lowest in the league. After Doyle surprised the Atlanta Falcons with backup Tyler Huntley in a 30-23 overtime road win, the Ravens have lost three in a row. If Jackson can shake off his injury woes, Doyle could easily get the Ravens offense back on track.
That sadly appears to be a big if at the moment. The Seattle Seahawks experienced a tough offseason of attrition, losing offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the Las Vegas Raiders and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury also got hit with an injury to quarterback Sam Darnold on the first drive of the season, and Darnold has been a rollercoaster the rest of the way: His -0.67 expected points added (EPA) per dropback when pressured is the worst in the NFL this season.
Perhaps the addition of Quenton Nelson can help calm Darnold down on that front while he aims to find his footing post-glute injury. Both of Seattle's top running backs, Zach Charbonnet (torn ACL) and first-round rookie Jadarian Price (chest), had yet to be active in the same game until Week 8. However, Fleury has maintained the staggering production from Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
JSN is just one of four players with 900-plus receiving yards and nine-plus receiving touchdowns in the first eight games of a season in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). The other three are Torry Holt (2003), Steve Smith Sr. (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021). Both Smith and Kupp went on to win the receiving triple crown in their respective seasons.
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