I think it's safe to say the dust has finally settled in the AFC South. After the Jacksonville Jaguars suffered a heartbreaker against the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Texans won their Wild Card game and proceeded to have an offense implosion against the New England Patriots in the divisional round. As a result, no team from the AFC's southern division will appear in the Super Bowl despite this being one of the most manageable tournament brackets in quite some time.
Of course, there are two teams in the division who were never going to punch their ticket to the big dance either way. The Indianapolis Colts' quest was derailed by a season-ending injury to Daniel Jones and a humongous trade for Sauce Gardner that couldn't return the value they needed. The Tennessee Titans' voyage to glory never left the port.
Now, all four teams are focused on 2026, and the Titans just made a huge hire to lead their football operation forward. Recently, it was announced that San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh would be Tennessee's new head coach. As Jags fans already know, Saleh already has history with one of the division's rising stars. However, the former New York Jet was also DeMeco Ryans' mentor in the Bay Area once upon a time.
The possibilities and storylines created by Saleh's entrance into the AFC South give us the perfect opportunity to rank the region's current roster of coaches yet again! Who will take the top spot this time?
Spoiler alert: it will not be the Indianapolis Colts' Shane Steichen
Shane Steichen shouldn't get all the blame for the Colts' current situation. However, the coach's tenure doesn't give Indy's fanbase a lot of reasons to be confident either.
Once again, the Indianapolis Colts were unable to beat the Texans in a season finale. They were eliminated from the playoffs beforehand, but they still had a chance to finish with a winning record. Not only did Steichen's team fail to claim their concession prize, but they lost to Houston after they benched their starters in the middle of the game.
Steichen isn't a bad coach, but he's been unable to develop a young quarterback or connect with a veteran who could establish themselves as the franchise's long-term answer. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon made it clear that she expects the team to start - and finish - the 2026 season with the same record-breaking pace it had during the first 10 games of its most recent campaign.
That doesn't mean the former Philadelphia Eagle is on the hot seat, but it certainly signals that it's playoffs or bust in The Hoosier State.
Robert Saleh is the new guy in town and an interesting wild card for the Tennessee Titans to keep track of
Robert Saleh is a complete wild card since he 1) just got hired and hasn't coached a practice yet, and 2) comes into an organization that just drafted its third would-be savior of the decade.
The New York Jets were in a state of transition when they decided to draft Zach Wilson and give up on Sam Darnold's development. In contrast, Cam Ward provides a sense of reliability since the Titans should know what his floor is by now.
If the former 49er opts to focus on rebuilding Tennessee's defense, he can do so with a field general who plays a scrappy style of ball on the offensive end. Finding an OC who can improve Ward's protection of the ball should be a somewhat easy task.
I don't want the Titans to shock the world anytime soon, but solid ball control, punishing defense, and consistent game management would fix the team quickly.
After all, that's the formula that got the next head coach's team back on track.
DeMeco Ryans built the defense the Houston Texans needed to make their first AFC Championship Game
The Houston Texans had the defense needed to make their first conference championship game in franchise history. Unfortunately, the team's offense completely collapsed in the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots.
DeMeco Ryans has a defensive background, so he should get mountains of credit for Houston's ferocious pass rush and suffocating secondary. However, CJ Stroud's regression in Foxborough wasn't an anomaly. That problem has been a growing trend for the past two seasons.
Ryans has a huge problem on his hands, but the dynamic leader still found a way to make history in 2025. His most recent campaign was the first time Houston ever qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card team. Some may call it hyperbole, but I believe he's the best hire the Texans have ever made.
In my last article ranking the AFC South's head coaches, I applauded Ryans for his ability to keep the team steady while Davis Mills covered for Stroud during his recovery. His confidence and composure helped his squad claw back from a 0-3 start, which is another historic feat in its own right.
Believe it or not (and I know it may be hard for some), there's a coach in the division who gave us an even better performance, and reports coming in from the national media show that everyone else agrees.
Liam Coen won the division, developed Trevor Lawrence, and put the Jacksonville Jaguars back on the map
Along with being the third AFC South Champion in Jaguars history, Coen found a way to make Trevor Lawrence a finalist for the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award and a legitimate MVP candidate in the same season. Naturally, that made him an official nominee for the AP Coach of the Year Award as well.
Words can't describe how much Shad Khan hit this hire out of the park. From defending the market's honor to developing multiple assistants, Coen has done everything you'd want a head coach to do in his first season. Ryans may have gotten further in the playoffs, but he did so with a franchise that won back-to-back division titles beforehand.
Coen rebuilt a four-win team with very little turnover at the top end of the roster. In some spots, his general manager actually hindered his chances of success. Rehabilitating Lawrence's play on the field gives the Jags a chance to approach their future with a QB-first mindset. This makes things much easier for an organization that doesn't have a first-round pick in the upcoming draft and a long list of expiring contracts.
On a random note, I can't wait for Coen and Saleh to shake hands in the middle of the field as division rivals for the first time. The Jaguars and Titans haven't liked each other since Bill Clinton was in office, and somebody's world is gonna get rocked if the guy in two-tone blue has his way. I don't expect either team's QB to have a prolific day at the office that game, but we'll be entertained all the same.