The NFL coaching cycle is in full swing. Multiple head coach and coordinator opportunities have opened up already, and interview requests are quickly firing in as every team looks to settle their immediate future with the right hire.

At A to Z Sports, we've already covered the head coach candidates and general manager candidates to monitor (link below). For this, I wanted to tackle some of the lesser known coaches on the rise who could be featured names for coordinator positions and head coaches of their own someday.

For transparency's sake, here are some criteria I used to determine this list:

1. I made it a rule to cut off coaches who were over 45 AND/OR had 10+ years of experience in the NFL. This is a rising coaches article after all.
2. If they had already served as an NFL coordinator or currently are an NFL coordinator, they will not be here (sorry Adam Stenavich).
3. Names were determined by track record of success and what I have personally heard through my own network and research. It's not a perfect science but the hit rate for these coaches is pretty long.
4. If a coach didn't make it on here, it's not because I hate your team. I had to cut this list off at some point for time's sake.

Also, this list is organized alphabetically (last name) so as not to imply any bias with the candidates or default into a "ranking" of them.

A to Z Sports NFL Head Coach Candidates
A to Z Sports NFL General Manager Candidates
A to Z Sports NFL Quarterback Coaches on the Rise
A to Z Sports NFL Offensive Skill Position Coaches on the Rise

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What is a passing game coordinator?

I've heard this question often, and truth be told, the exact responsibilities vary from team to team. For some, it's little more than a title they can hand out to promote a coach that they want to keep around. Kyle Shanahan did this with Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel for years with the 49ers. 

In truth, the position is an expanded assistant role, focused on the passing game as the name would suggest. They coordinate the passing game, essentially coaching specific passing situations (third downs, two-minute drills, red zone passes) and working with the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach to design, game plan, and coordinate the team's passing attack. PGCs have more say in the offensive process than any non-position coach (if they, of course, aren't a position coach themselves). In some cases, a team's PGC can be the spark of innovation the team needs to unlock something different about their approach. 

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1. Joe Bleymaier, Kansas City Chiefs

Another fast-rising coach up the Chiefs' ranks, Joe Bleymaier is expected to be a feature in several offensive coordinator searches this offseason, and for good reason. 

Bleymaier first got started in the NFL as a quality control coach for the Chiefs in 2016, before quickly being promoted to pass game specialist+assistant quarterbacks coach in 2018. Bleymaier worked with Mike Kafka in coaching Patrick Mahomes, as well as advance scouting opponents. In 2020, Andy Reid credited Bleymaier for the Chiefs' innovation and deep well of plays the team consistently draws from in key moments. 

Bleymaier was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2021, serving in that role until being moved to passing game coordinator in 2023 when the Chiefs overhauled the offensive staff. Over the last two seasons as the team's passing game coordinator, Bleymaier has played a crucial role in the Chiefs' offensive evolution with Mahomes and has helped them stay at the top of the NFL. 

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2. Tanner Engstrand, Detroit Lions

A former assistant under Jim Harbaugh at San Diego and later Michigan, Tanner Engstrand climbed the ranks from graduate assistant to assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in just eight years.

After a short stint as the offensive coordinator for the XFL's DC Defenders under Pep Hamilton, Engstrand was hired in Detroit, where his role under Dan Campbell has grown every season, going from an assistant to quality control to passing game coordinator in just two seasons. Some view Engstrand as a key figure in the design and calls of the explosive plays that have made the Lions so dangerous. 

Many view him as the in-house replacement for Ben Johnson if/when he is hired away, but Engstrand will also be a hot name for other offensive coordinator jobs around the league.

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3. Josh Grizzard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A former collegiate defensive back, Josh Grizzard has quickly risen up the coaching ranks as a hot commodity. He spent a year as a student assistant at his alma mater Yale in 2012 before being hired by David Cutcliffe to join his staff at Duke. There, he played a part in developing Daniel Jones with the Blue Devils.

After working with Duke from 2013-16, Grizzard was hired to work under Adam Gase's staff with the Miami Dolphins in 2017. There, he worked alongside Shane Day (current Chargers quarterbacks coach) and Ben Johnson (current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator). After working with the Dolphins under Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel, he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under offensive coordinator Liam Coen as the team's passing game coordinator.

Todd Bowles credited Grizzard with adding "fresh new ideas" to the team's offense and has played a big role in the Buccaneers becoming one of the best offenses in the NFL this season. He is viewed as a strong internal candidate to replace Coen if he leaves in the offseason, but don't be surprised if other teams call him to replicate Tampa Bay's success.

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4. Justin Rascati, Cincinnati Bengals

Justin Rascati's first job in the pros came coaching the offensive line in Denver, working under Mike Munchak and Chris Kuper. He spent two seasons working with the offensive line before working with the quarterbacks in Fangio's final season.

 Rascati followed Kuper to Minnesota under Kevin O'Connell, working as the assistant offensive line coach. His time coaching the offensive line opened his eyes and gave him some much-needed perspective on game planning, design, and fundamentals. Rascati's involvement in the passing game under O'Connell caught the eye of Zac Taylor, a fellow McVay disciple of O'Connell. As Taylor looked to open up the passing game coordinator role after some changes on the offensive staff, Rascati's name popped up on his radar.

After a few interviews, Taylor named Rascati the team's passing game coordinator, calling him "the greatest fit of all time". Rascati added a breath of fresh air with what he learned under Munchak and Kevin O'Connell, giving the Bengals' offense new answers. It's hard to argue with the results this season. Joe Burrow had arguably his best season in the pros, and the Bengals shredded teams week after week through the air.

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5. Jason Vrable, PGC, Green Bay Packers

In a league that constantly tries to play copycat, it's a surprise that so many young coaches haven't been plucked from Green Bay's staff in the last two years (that might change this year). Jason Vrable is the next guy up in the Packers' coaching tree after his work in turning the Packers into one of the best offenses in the league. 

He joined Green Bay in 2019 as an offensive assistant after working for the New York Jets in 2017 and 2018. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, most notably as the assistant quarterbacks coach to open the 2016 season. When Anthony Lynn was promoted to offensive coordinator, Vrable took over as running backs coach to finish the season.

As the passing game coordinator from 2022 to this year, Vrable has helped the Packers finish with a top-ten passing offense in 2023 and 2024. While orchestrating their two-minute offense, Vrable helped design the ninth-best success rate and sixth-best scoring drive percentage in the league during these situations.  

Ten Rising NFL Quarterback Coaches to know as the NFL Coaching Cycle heats up

The NFL coaching cycle is in full swing. Multiple head coach and coordinator opportunities have opened up already, and interview requests are quickly firing in as every team looks to settle their immediate future with the right hire.   At A to Z Sports, we've already covered the head coach candidates and general manager candidates to […]