Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle could be the next hot head coach candidate if he can turn the team into an offensive juggernaut.
The Baltimore Ravens have a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle, a coach who has been on a meteoric rise through his young career. After learning under Sean Payton, he was the right-hand man to Ben Johnson in 2025.
Johnson may have called the plays on offense, but Doyle was the day-to-day operator and a major reason for Caleb Williams having a career year. Now, he has been tasked with doing the same for Lamar Jackson, and his success in 2026 could lead to being the next hot head coach candidate.
The NFL has seemingly caught onto the idea of the younger coaches being dynamic, as Matt LaFleur, Sean McVay, DeMeco Ryans, and Liam Cohen represent a shift that has been occurring over the past five years.
There is also Ben Johnson and Mike Mcdonald, who are two of the youngest leading a team, at 39 and 38 years old, respectively.
Where once the seasoned head coaches were all the rage, it is the younger lot that has a new way of thinking that have been given bigger chances. That may be the case for Doyle. He is only 28 years old, and is now running his second offense in the league.
Should he be able to turn the Ravens offense around, he could follow suit with LaFleur and land a head coaching position just two years after being a coordinator.
ESPN's Ben Solak seems to also think that could be the case.
"Doyle might be next on that list. He was the league's youngest offensive coordinator last season at 28 under the Bears' Ben Johnson, and this season he'll call plays for the Ravens in his second OC stint. He gets the unique advantage of calling plays for quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP who is almost an offense unto himself given his unique dual-threat ability. If Doyle matches his reputation as a fast-rising coaching star, he'll have head coaching interviews by the time the 2026 season finishes," Solak wrote.
Doyle has already been impressing his fellow coaches and Baltimore players.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver spoke about the young coach having a "rolodex of plays" in his head and the ability to use them at will. Jackson called the new offense "mind-blowing," while Zay Flowers referred to Doyle as a "genius."
There can be a ton of praise hurled at Doyle, but things have to come together in a significant way. If he can get Jackson and the offeense to return to their 2024 form, he could shoot right up the list of candidates for organizations in 2027.
Then again, the Ravens might also attempt to keep him for one or more years. However, the usual case for coordinators who are trusted and efficient are to move into becoming head coaches rather quickly.
Doyle could be that next candidate, especially if the Ravens return to the postseason and make some noise in the AFC.
