Who's next? 10 NFL assistants who could be coveted as head coaches

It's that time of year again.

The NFL's annual purge of underperforming head coaches has already begun. Josh McDaniels was fired by the Raiders four weeks ago, Frank Reich was dismissed by the Panthers on Monday, and a half-dozen or so more coaches are in jeopardy as the season wraps up.

With that in mind, it's a good time to look at the league's future, and the promising assistant coaches who will be coveted by teams looking for new leaders to turn around their franchises. This year's rookie hires are already making major splashes, led by Houston's DeMeco Ryans, with Indianapolis' Shane Steichen exceeding expectations as well.

So we offer up a list of 10 current assistants most likely to be in the mix for interviews and hires in the upcoming cycle. It's a mix of young and old, offense and defense, names you've barely heard of and veterans who have been head coaches before.

Eric Bieniemy, 54, Commanders OC

Perennially overlooked as Chiefs offensive coordinator under Andy Reid, Bieniemy left for Washington this year and has managed to generate a top-10 passing offense with young QB Sam Howell, who's on pace for 4,730 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, but also 18 interceptions. The Commanders are languishing at 4-8 and Bieniemy's own head coach could be getting fired, so he's not likely a strong candidate.

Brian Callahan, 39, Bengals OC

He has led Cincinnati's offense throughout Joe Burrow's run there, but the QB's injuries this season precipitated an inevitable dropoff. The Bengals are currently 23rd in scoring and 27th in yards, with the worst run game in the league. Extended playoff runs might have worked against Callahan's candidacy in past seasons, but that won't be a problem this year. If a team liked Cincinnati's prolific offense in 2021-22 and has offensive talent, it's just a question of how well he could find success independent of Zac Taylor.

Brian Flores, 42, Vikings DC

Flores' aggressive Minnesota defense ranks eighth in points allowed, and if the Vikings can sneak into the playoffs, he'll have a platform to remind people he went 24-25 as Dolphins head coach with a winning record in his last two seasons. He also has four Super Bowl rings from his days as a Patriots assistant and is younger than Tom Brady, so Flores is on the way back up the NFL coaching ranks.

Ben Johnson, 37, Lions OC

Perhaps the hottest candidate on this list, Johnson had a top-five offense in his first year as coordinator in 2022, and the Lions are scoring more this season, validating themselves as one of the league's most balanced and effective offenses. He declined to interview for jobs last year but will be a top candidate this offseason, especially if Detroit can make a longer playoff push. He was born in South Carolina, raised in Asheville, N.C., and went to UNC, so there are local ties for Carolina, but he could probably land a better job.

Brian Johnson, 36, Eagles OC

He's only in his third year as an NFL assistant, but the Eagles' continued success on offense (and Steichen's respectable first year with the Colts) could help Johnson as another quick-rising offensive mind. Both of last year's Eagles coordinators landed head coaching jobs, so if Philadelphia can make another Super Bowl run, he'll be coveted much the same way, despite his overall lack of NFL experience.

Mike MacDonald, 36, Ravens DC

Baltimore has the NFL's No. 2 defense in points and yards allowed in his second year as coordinator, and MacDonald has learned from both Harbaugh brothers, coming up on John's Ravens staff and spending 2021 as Jim's defensive coordinator at Michigan. If Ryans was the sharpest young defensive mind in last year's cycle, MacDonald may have that status for a team looking for leadership from that side of the ball.

Kellen Moore, 35, Chargers OC

Moore left the Cowboys to work in Los Angeles, and the Chargers are a disappointing 4-7 team that could fire head coach Brandon Staley. But Moore's offense has been sound: Los Angeles ranks ninth in scoring, up from last season. Dallas' offense has been even better without Moore, but his consistent success there will keep him in the conversation among the league's best young offensive coaches.

Raheem Morris, 47, Rams DC

Next year will be 15 years since Morris got his first NFL head coaching job in Tampa Bay, and he has coached on both sides of the ball since, including running the Rams defense in their Super Bowl season in 2021. Los Angeles is 5-6 and probably on the outside looking in at the last wild-card spots, but a surge and return to the playoffs would bring his name back as a candidate.

Dan Quinn, 53, Cowboys DC

The Cowboys defense has been a top-five unit in nearly any category — fourth in points, third in yards, second in sacks and interceptions, second on third downs. Dallas is in the Eagles' shadow for now, but an extended playoff run would help Quinn. He went 43-42 in six years as Falcons head coach from 2015-20, including a Super Bowl appearance, and could be in line for a second shot.

Bobby Slowik, 36, Texans OC

If a team is looking for someone to cultivate a young quarterback, Slowik's past two seasons are working as Brock Purdy's passing game coordinator in 2022 and C.J. Stroud's offensive coordinator this season, a really strong two-year run. He's inexperienced but comes from the Shanahan coaching tree (Mike and Kyle), and he'll only gain more buzz if the precocious Texans can make the playoffs a year after winning three games.

More names to watch: Lou Anarumo, Bengals DC; Mike Caldwell, Jaguars DC; Ejiro Evero, Panthers DC: Aaron Glenn, Lions DC; Al Harris, Cowboys DBs; Todd Monken, Ravens OC; Jim Schwartz, Browns DC; Frank Smith, Dolphins OC; Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs DC; Shane Waldron, Seahawks OC; Steve Wilks, 49ers DC

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.