Hiring Head Coach & General Manager Positions

The NFL establishes rules for the interview timelines when interviewing candidates who are employed by other teams to fill head coach, coordinator, “high-level club employee (primary football executive/general manager) and secondary football executive” positions.

The window to begin in-person or virtual interviews of candidates who work for a team that did not make the playoffs opened Jan. 10.

Candidates who work for teams that earned a first-round bye (the Titans and Packers this season) also were able to start interviewing on Jan. 10. The window to interview candidates from those teams will continue through the conclusion of Wild Card games on Jan. 17.

Between Jan. 16-18, in-person and/or virtual interviews for a head coach spot may be conducted with coaches whose team won a Wild Card game. That window will continue through the conclusion of Divisional games.

On Jan. 24, in-person and/or virtual interviews may begin for coordinator positions with coaches whose teams won a Wild Card game. That window will continue through Jan. 29, the day before the AFC and NFC Championships.

All other interviews with coaches whose teams are still participating in the playoffs will be prohibited until Jan. 31.

On. Jan. 31, the day after the Super Bowl participants are decided, assistant coaches with those two clubs who previously interviewed for a head coach or coordinator position may have a second in-person or virtual interview no later than Feb. 6.

Second interviews with assistant coaches who teams participated in the Super Bowl can resume on Feb. 14, the day after Super Bowl LVI.

On March 2, clubs are no longer required to grant permission to another club to discuss a position as a head coach or coordinator with an assistant coach who is under contract for 2022 and/or beyond.

From that date through the 2022 NFL Draft (April 30), clubs also are not required to grant permission to another club to discuss a high-level club or secondary football executive position with an employee who is under contract for 2022 and/or beyond. Interviews for those front-office positions can resume between May 1 through June 30, and requests for interviews cannot be denied during that window.