The 2025 NFL coaching changes are underway, with six teams on the lookout for new head coaches.

For those aspiring to be head coaches, this hiring season presents another opportunity to join a prestigious group. Research by YSL News Sports reveals that only 269 individuals have served as full-time head coaches for NFL teams since 1970, which was the first year following the merger of the NFL and AFL. Some of these coaches started their careers as players, while others were influenced by family members already in the profession.

YSL News Sports also discovered that approximately a third of NFL head coaches hail from just three states: California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

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Top States for NFL Head Coaches

California leads the way with 33 head coaches, a fact that may not surprise many since it is the most populous state in the country.

Notable coaches from California over the last 55 years include Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, along with Hall of Famers Bill Walsh and Dick Vermeil. In total, there are five current coaches from California and an impressive eight Super Bowl champions, which is again more than any other state.

Pennsylvania follows with 31 coaches, while Ohio comes in third with 25 coaches, each significantly outpacing fourth-place Texas, which has produced 15 head coaches.

Interestingly, nine states, including Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, have yet to see any NFL coaches emerge from their ranks.

Birthplaces of the 2025 Head Coaching Candidates

Among the candidates looking to become head coaches in 2025, many come from traditional football strongholds like Texas and Georgia.

Should Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen be hired, he would become the first head coach in the NFL from Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter would join the elite ranks of NFL head coaches born in Arkansas, alongside the legendary Barry Switzer.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, arguably the most coveted candidate this hiring cycle, would make history if hired too. He would join Art Shell as the only NFL head coaches with roots in Charleston, South Carolina.

Colleges That Produce NFL Head Coaches

YSL News Sports notes that two institutions, Oregon and Miami (Ohio), can boast seven former students who became NFL head coaches.

A fact that might be surprising is that three of those Miami (Ohio) alumni—John Harbaugh, Sean McVay, and Weeb Ewbank—have all clinched a Super Bowl championship.

Alabama, Michigan State, and Texas A&M have produced six head coaches each and, if Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn gets hired this cycle, Texas A&M would match Oregon and Miami (Ohio) at the top.

The Importance of Names?

The statistics regarding the birthplaces and college backgrounds of NFL head coaches may partly be coincidental. The trends concerning their first names are even more intriguing.

Since 1970, an impressive 1 in every 12 NFL head coaches has had the same first name: Mike. This includes four current coaches: MacDonald, McCarthy, McDaniel, and Tomlin.