NFL Head Coach Rankings Headed Into the 2026 Offseason

1. Mike MacDonald

Mike MacDonald, despite being a head coach for only two seasons, now finds himself in the #1 spot after leading Seattle to a Super Bowl title in year 2 at the helm. Although the likes of Andy Reid still has three times as many Super Bowl titles, MacDonald’s title is more recent and Reid’s Chiefs and in particular his offenses have left much to be desired in the past couple of seasons. MacDonald is a defensive mastermind, and his Seattle defense allowed the fewest points in the league this past season. Seattle’s defense under MacDonald really flexed its muscles towards the end of this season and into the playoffs. Holding an elite 49ers’ offense led by the offensive wizard in Kyle Shanahan to a total of 9 points in 2 games. While also holding the Patriots who had the #2 scoring offense in the NFL to only 13 points in the Super Bowl.

 

2. Andy Reid

Andy Reid still has won three times as many Super Bowls as any other active head coach but as stated previously his teams and in particular his offenses with his offensive background have underwhelmed in recent memory. As the Chiefs failed to make the playoffs this past season while getting obliterated in the previous year’s Super Bowl. Both years and even in their Super Bowl winning year the year prior, the Chiefs’ offense led by Reid felt very stagnant and closer to average. However, Reid is still arguably the brightest offensive mind in the NFL, and his offensive knowledge is not the only thing that makes him great. He clearly has a feel for the other two phases of the game, and his teams are consistently very buttoned up and strong come playoff time.

 

3. Sean McVay

The Rams’ head coach is a star as a head coach and has already won a Super Bowl and has gotten close multiple times since to winning it again. It would not surprise me at all if McVay lifted another Lombardi Trophy as a head coach. Perhaps McVay is a tad bit overrated as his success has only been with #1 overall pick QBs in Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford, but McVay is elite, nonetheless. As despite the raw talent of those two players, McVay has always gotten the most out of them.

 

4. Kyle Shanahan

Kyle Shanahan is perhaps the sharpest offensive mind in the sport and maybe ever, but I cannot rank him any higher than four because he has yet to win a Super Bowl title like the three coaches ahead of him. I doubt if even Andy Reid, Sean McVay or any other head coach in league history could consistently make backup to average talents at QB in Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy, Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub look like MVPs. Shanahan also clearly has a feel for the defensive side of things and recognizing strong minds in that regard, his essential signing off on the hires of Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans. However, Shanahan’s teams have consistently faltered late in big games and given the regularity with which it happens and how it has likely cost him multiple Super Bowl titles, he finds himself just at four.

 

5. DeMeco Ryans

DeMeco Ryans as a defensive minded head coach could certainly be viewed in the same exact light that Mike MacDonald is viewed in to be quite frank. No defense over the past few seasons has striked as much fear into me and felt as intimidating as the Texans’ defense led by the defensive minded Ryans. Perhaps Ryans does not understand the offensive side of the ball quite as well as MacDonald does, but that may not be the case at all, and Houston just may lack strong players on offense. DeMeco Ryans is firmly in the mix for being discussed as the premier defensive mind in the NFL.

 

6. Jim Harbaugh

One could make a very strong case that Harbaugh should be #1 on this list given all that he has accomplished in his career with multiple college teams and multiple NFL teams. No other coach in football history has shown they can be elite with multiple college teams and an NFL team or multiple NFL teams and a college team. Whereas Harbaugh has proven he can be elite with multiple NFL teams and multiple college teams, which is remarkable. Harbaugh turned around Stanford football from one of the weakest power 5 programs to a perennial BCS bowl game participant. Harbaugh made three Conference Championships and a Super Bowl with the 49ers despite having backup caliber QBs start for him. Harbaugh won a National Championship at the University of Michigan and had a great first year turnaround with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, Harbaugh has not won a playoff game in the NFL in over a decade and is 0-2 in the playoffs thus far with the Chargers losing by multiple possessions each time. Whereas almost all the coaches ahead of him have consistently made Super Bowls in recent memory. Jim Harbaugh is likely better than the sixth best head coach in the NFL, he may even be the best, but he does not deserve to be recognized as any higher than six as of now.

 

7. Mike Vrabel

The Patriots head coach coming off winning the Coach of the Year award and guiding his team to a Super Bowl appearance finds himself in the top ten. Vrabel’s first season with New England should certainly be viewed as one of the greatest year 1 turnarounds by a head coach ever. As he took a team that went 4-13 the year prior to his arrival and had them in the Super Bowl in year 1. Vrabel as a defensive head coach does not seem to be as sharp in terms of defense as the likes of DeMeco Ryans and Mike MacDonald, however. His defenses as the head coach of the Titans consistently underwhelmed and although his defense in year 1 with New England was elite, it did not have a next gear to it or feel intimidating like Houston’s, Philadelphia’s or Seattle’s did. However, he clearly is a sharp defensive mind who maybe with time can prove to be as sharp of a defensive mind as the likes of MacDonald and Ryans. However, Vrabel’s understanding of the offensive side of the ball as a coach with a defensive background seems to be top notch. Without having an elite offensive coordinator with the Titans, he consistently had Ryan Tannehill, an average talent at QB, play like an MVP. In his time with New England so far, Drake Maye has looked like an MVP so far as well under the watch of Vrabel. Vrabel’s leadership skills and culture building skills seem to be elite as well.

 

8. Sean Payton

Payton is an elite offensive mind and who knows Drew Brees may not be the hall of famer that he is without the tutelage of Payton. As Brees was just a good but not a great QB who was undersized before joining forces with Payton. Sean Payton in his time with the Broncos thus far has done a good job. Leading the team to the playoffs in the first two seasons of the Bo Nix era and coming within three points of making the Super Bowl this season despite being on a backup QB. One could certainly argue Payton to be in the same class as Reid/McVay, but Russell Wilson flopped with him and Bo Nix has looked good but not great under him as well.

 

9. John Harbaugh

Harbaugh with a Super Bowl title was recently terminated by the Ravens but has since gotten a new head coaching job with the Giants. Harbaugh is such a strong head coach that he got another job right away after being let go by Baltimore. Who knows, maybe Lamar Jackson isn’t Lamar Jackson without the presence of John Harbaugh. I view his brother Jim Harbaugh to be perhaps the best head coach in league history, but John beat him in the Super Bowl with a similar caliber talent at the QB spot.

 

10. Dan Quinn

Although Quinn has had his ups and downs as an NFL head coach, I still regard him as one of the premier defensive minds in the game today and one of the greatest defensive coordinators in league history. Despite his ups and downs as an NFL head coach, he has still made multiple Conference Championships with multiple teams as a head coach, and 99.999% he has already won a Super Bowl title as a head coach as well (Falcons historic Super Bowl collapse under Quinn). The ups and downs that I refer to in regards to Quinn as a head coach primarily are in regards to his defenses as a defensive-minded head coach typically underwhelming and not being nearly what they are with him as a defensive coordinator. However, that can be a bit misleading but still true to a certain extent. For instance, in year 1 with the Commanders the team ranked below average in PPG allowed but really rounded into form come playoff time. Holding an elite Bucs offense to only 20 points and forcing a historically great Lions offense to have five turnovers. Quinn’s first year with the Commanders as head coach should also be viewed as one of the most notable turnarounds a team has seen with a first-year head coach going from 4-13 the year prior to his arrival to then the Conference Championship in year 1 with Quinn. With more time, a healthier QB spot, and better players to work with, I still firmly believe that Quinn can prove to be in the same class as Vrabel, Ryans, and MacDonald as a defensive head coach.

 

11. Nick Sirianni

Although one could argue that he should be lower than this, Sirianni wins far too much to rank any lower. Since he has taken over as the head coach of the Eagles, the only coach who has won more than him has been Andy Reid of the Chiefs who is #2 on this list. Although the rosters that General Manager Howie Roseman constructs for Sirianni to work with have been top notch and the coordinators that he has had to work with have been great as well, the bottom line in terms of wins and losses and Super Bowl titles as a head coach is indisputable. Let’s also not act as if Sean McVay was not given two #1 overall pick QBs to work with, and as if Andy Reid was not given Patrick Mahomes and a stable organization to work with as well. Sirianni has had his pitfalls as a head coach, the Eagles’ 2023 collapse to end the year and the Eagles’ poor offensive production this past year led by the offensive minded Sirianni. However, the bottom line in terms of his production as a head coach is what it is. Maybe Sirianni isn’t the 11^th best head coach in the NFL, but he doesn’t deserve to be recognized as any lower in all honesty.

 

12. Dan Campbell

Campbell is known as a tough alpha guy who builds cultures and is a very strong leader of men. While that all may be true, one cannot also deny that he clearly has a strong football acumen and also has his shortcomings as a head coach. The Lions’ offense under Campbell has been explosive and elite and was great in a historic context on one occasion as well. Campbell is known as a culture guy who turned around perhaps the most losing culture in North American Professional Sports to one of the premier NFL teams on a perennial basis. However, his over aggressiveness and recklessness in his relentless pursuit of being alpha and aggressive consistently has cost him. It likely cost him a Super Bowl title during the 2023 campaign as Detroit squandered a 24-7 lead in the Conference Championship that year by foolishly going for it on 4^th down multiple times and failing. Perhaps if Campbell can reign it in and lead Detroit to a Super Bowl title, he will skyrocket up this list.

 

13. Liam Coen

NFL teams are constantly trying to find the next Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay to guide their franchise, and Coen is perhaps the primary person who I thought could live up to those expectations when he accepted the Jaguars’ head coaching job. The job he did in coordinating the Bucs’ offense in 2024 was remarkable. QB Baker Mayfield had been a backup or a borderline starter for his whole career and Coen made him look like an MVP with Tampa possessing average caliber players around him as well. Coen’s job in coordinating that Tampa offense reminded me so much of what Kyle Shanahan did with Matt Ryan during his MVP year. So far as a head coach, Coen has lived up to the billing as well. Although his Jaguars failed to win a playoff game, the first year under Coen is still one of the greatest turnarounds that a team has seen with a first-year head coach. As Coen turned a team around that went 4-13 the year prior to his arrival to then 13-4 in the first season with him as head coach. QB Trevor Lawrence under the tutelage of Coen also began to fulfill his MVP potential as well.

 

14. Zac Taylor

Zac Taylor is an interesting coach to rank on this list, and this may be too high for him or too low for him. One could make a strong argument that Taylor has seen the success he has seen mostly due to Joe Burrow. But on the other hand, one could also make a strong argument that Joe Burrow is not as good as Joe Burrow has been thus far in the NFL without the presence of Taylor as we have not seen Burrow with a head coach not named Zac Taylor yet. Taylor is one of only a few active head coaches with multiple Conference Championship game appearances and a Super Bowl appearance which nearly was a win. He is the only AFC head coach to have beaten Mahomes/Reid in the playoffs. Taylor as a disciple of Sean McVay clearly seems to understand offense and has seemingly gotten the most out of Joe Burrow. Even quarterbacks that Taylor has worked with that have not been named Joe Burrow have played well under him. Jake Browning looked like a pro bowl caliber player for the 2^nd half of the 2023 season taking over for an injured Burrow. Joe Flacco playing for the Browns this past season looked washed but then seemed to recapture some of his elite prime form playing for Zac Taylor and the Bengals.

 

15. Robert Saleh

Saleh, despite not being a head coach for a few years, and not having coached a snap for the Titans yet finds himself at #15. Saleh cannot be disputed as a very sharp defensive mind, and I think he will excel with the Titans. Saleh in his time with the Jets produced topflight defenses with regularity. Take out his first season on the job where the team was rebuilding and he didn’t have much to work with and take out his last season on the job where he was unfairly fired five games into the season, and his defensive track record with New York was remarkable. In the two seasons in between the Jets had the highest graded defense in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus both years with Saleh as a defensive minded head coach. The Jets had their struggles, but the team lacked a capable QB although Saleh absolutely deserves some culpability for the team’s subpar record and offensive production. Perhaps Saleh has learned and grown since then and can be an even better head coach for the Titans than he was for New York. Saleh is fully capable of joining the elite defensive head coach class with Mike Vrabel, DeMeco Ryans, and Mike MacDonald in all honesty.

 

16. Ben Johnson

Considered the hottest young coordinator on the market entering this past season, Johnson had a very successful first season with the Bears. As he turned around a team that went 5-12 the year prior to his arrival to then going 11-6 and winning the division in the first season with him at the helm. Johnson is a very sharp offensive mind who coordinated one of the greatest offenses in league history with the Lions just before taking the head coaching job with the Bears. Although the Bears’ offense was good but nothing special in the first season with Johnson, Johnson still did a good job in winning as much as he did and having QB Caleb Williams improve as much as he did. The Bears in year 1 with Johnson as the head coach were a very strong and disciplined team. They had the best turnover differential of any team in the NFL by a margin, showing their discipline. They also were better in close games and had more comeback wins than any team in the league as well, showing their toughness. Johnson instilling a winning culture of discipline and toughness is certainly something he deserves a ton of credit for. It remains to be seen however how sharp of an offensive mind Johnson truly is as Detroit remained an elite offensive team without Johnson and the Bears were not elite offensively this past season either.

 

17. Kellen Moore

Moore is perhaps the most underrated overlooked coach in the game today and will soon emerge as one of the premier offensive head coaches in my estimation. The Eagles’ Super Bowl winning offense under Moore was electric and explosive and amongst the league’s best. The first year without Moore coordinating the offense, it went from a top 5 caliber unit to a bottom 10 caliber unit, despite retaining almost all the same players and the same offensive minded head coach. Although his Saints struggled in his first season in charge, going just 6-11, New Orleans almost always seemed to put up a fight. 2^nd round pick rookie Tyler Shough had a strong rookie season posting a 90+ passer rating and was graded by Pro Football Focus in a similar light to Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels, and Lamar Jackson under the tutelage of Moore despite being a rookie and not being nearly as talented. Moore will begin to emerge as one of the brightest young offensive minded head coaches in the league beginning next season in my estimation.

 

 

18. Kevin O’Connell

Kevin O’Connell had a very disappointing season with the Vikings this past year as the team missed the postseason after going 14-3 the year prior. Quarterback J.J McCarthy really underwhelmed under the tutelage of O’Connell and former QB Sam Darnold seemed to continue to thrive despite no longer being coached by O’Connell. However, the season the Vikings had the year prior to this one was still remarkable, going 14-3, and Kevin O’Connell is still arguably the primary party responsible for resurrecting the career of Sam Darnold. O’Connell after the 14-3 record and having Minnesota perform at an elite offensive level despite being on a backup QB and having a mediocre offensive line was viewed as the next offensive coach to join the likes of the McVay/Shanahan/Reid class. After this past failed season and the success of former QB Sam Darnold outside of O’Connell, along with the lack of success of new QB J.J McCarthy under O’Connell, that perception has diminished big time. However, perhaps O’Connell can begin to re-establish that narrative starting next season again.

 

 

19. Brian Schottenheimer

The Cowboys head coach did a good job in year 1 on the job as with an offensive background he had the Cowboys as one of the premier offenses in the sport. This was despite QB Dak Prescott being closer to average as a talent, the Cowboys personnel on offense being average at best, the Cowboys having a rookie offensive coordinator, with Dallas also having perhaps the league’s worst defense. QB Dak Prescott also likely had the best year of his career thus far under the tutelage of Schottenheimer as still just a rookie head coach. Schottenheimer had his growing pains however as a head coach as Dallas missed the postseason and Schottenheimer clearly seems to lack an understanding of the defensive side of the ball as well. As Dallas allowed the most points in the NFL despite having a proven capable defensive coordinator in Matt Eberflus. It will be interesting to see the trajectory that Schottenheimer’s career takes as we see him go into year 2 onwards.

 

 

20. Mike McCarthy

The now head coach of the Steelers is clearly capable as an NFL head coach but feels as if he was a very safe pedestrian hire in all honesty. One could certainly say McCarthy having won a Super Bowl belongs in the same class with Sean Payton, John Harbaugh, etc but not quite Reid/McVay, but it does not feel that way. Aaron Rodgers had the best season he has had in years after McCarthy departed and Prescott had arguably his career best season in the first-year post McCarthy despite having a rookie head coach and offensive coordinator. However, McCarthy was still a solid hire in my estimation and going 12-5 three years in a row with the Cowboys and consistently making Conference Championships with the Packers cannot be scoffed at.

 

21. Matt Lafleur

Lafleur is a QB whisperer who is a disciple of Sean McVay and clearly is a bright offensive mind. Aaron Rodgers had one of the best seasons of his career and the best he has had in several years despite being at an advanced age under the tutelage of Lafleur. Lafleur molded Jordan Love into a franchise caliber QB and had him perform at an MVP level for a season. However, relative to other offensive coaches, Lafleur is starting to feel a bit run of the mill and outdated, especially with Jordan Love’s regression the past few seasons. Perhaps Lafleur can continue to climb this list, or he may be better suited as a coordinator.

 

22. Shane Steichen

Ten games into this season the Colts had the top offense in the AFC if not the NFL and were the favorite to reach the Super Bowl coming out of the AFC to many. Steichen, as an offensive-minded head coach, deserves credit for the Colts success in particular on offense and reviving the career of Daniel Jones as well. However, the Colts had a historic collapse to end the season and QB Anthony Richardson failed to progress under the tutelage of Steichen. Additionally, the Colts had arguably the best offensive personnel in the AFC and Daniel Jones was still a top 10 pick for a reason as well and many competent offensive position coaches could have had the offense humming. Steichen may be on the hot seat at some point next season but could very well prove to be a fine head coach as well.

 

23. Kevin Stefanski

Despite being in an elite small group of very few head coaches ever to win multiple coach of the year awards, Stefanski finds himself in the bottom ten of this ranking. Stefanski, as an offensive minded head coach, had his offense with the Browns be in the discussion for the worst in the league this past season. Perhaps his multiple coach of the year awards were more so due to inheriting poor circumstances with the Browns that he had the opportunity to turn around rather than him being an elite head coach. Quarterback Baker Mayfield was a bust with Stefanski but since leaving him has established himself as a legitimate starter and a borderline MVP at a certain point as well. The hire of Stefanski with Atlanta was certainly understandable but perhaps his resume is greater than his capabilities. However, perhaps he is the rare caliber of head coach capable of winning multiple coaches of the year and the Falcons have netted themselves an all timer to lead their franchise.

 

24. Dave Canales

The Panthers head coach at a certain point after being the primary person responsible for resurrecting the careers of both Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield was viewed as the next great offensive head coach in the sport. He has been solid with Carolina thus far but has not lived up to that billing in all honesty. Perhaps as he gets more time and better circumstances in working with the Panthers he can eventually start to live up to that billing. However, he had a successful season with Carolina in 2025 making the playoffs and nearly beating the NFC finalist Rams in the playoffs. QB Bryce Young has yet to live up to his potential with Canales guiding him, but perhaps as he does, Canales can climb this list.

 

25. Todd Bowles

Bowles as a head coach with a defensive background has consistently seen his defenses underwhelm. More times than not as both a defensive coordinator and head coach, his defenses rank below average. Bowles was on the hot seat this offseason after Tampa missed the playoffs with a subpar defense but retained his job. Perhaps Tampa Bay should have gone in a different direction as the success the Bucs have seen in the Baker Mayfield era has been more-so due to stout offensive play and coordinators as opposed to an intimidating defense. However, Bowles still does deserve some credit for multiple playoff appearances, and his defenses do impress from time to time. But for now, he ranks 2^nd to last out of all NFL head coaches who were not first-time hires.

 

26. Aaron Glenn

Glenn had as abysmal of a first season as a head coach could possibly have in year 1 on the job with the Jets. The Jets went a horrid 3-14 and were amongst the worst defensive teams in the sport despite Glenn’s defensive background. The Jets were actually historically awful on defense, being the first team in league history to go an entire season without recording an interception. Glenn is likely on the hottest seat of all current NFL head coaches, and the Jets may go in a different direction soon.

 

First Time Hires

 

1. Jesse Minter

In ranking the coaches who are first time head coach hires entering the season, Jesse Minter is my #1 choice. Minter is perhaps the sharpest young defensive mind in the sport, and I think he was a home run hire for the Ravens. Minter was the defensive coordinator for college football’s best defense during Michigan’s 2023 title run. He then followed Jim Harbaugh to the Chargers and oversaw a defense that was elite over a two-year stretch. The turnaround the Chargers saw on defense pre-Minter to post-Minter was historic and nearly unprecedented as well. As Los Angeles went from having one of the league’s worst defenses just before Minter arrived to one of the best in year 1 with Minter. Minter serving as the right-hand man for the past several years to Jim Harbaugh who is a natural born winner also shows me that he is the right man to lead the Ravens. As great people recognize other great people.

 

2. Klint Kubiak

Kubiak coordinated one of the top offenses in the NFL for the Super Bowl winning Seahawks and fully deserved the head coaching job with the Raiders. Despite Darnold’s talent and the turnaround of his career, Seattle QB Sam Darnold has still been a backup for much of his career with average physical traits and Kubiak got the most out of him. The Seattle personnel on offense surrounding Darnold was good but nothing special and head coach Mike MacDonald had a defensive not an offensive background as well. So, Kubiak, working with an average QB talent, good but not great offensive personnel, and a defensive minded head coach had Seattle be elite on offense in route to winning it all. The Raiders nailed this head coaching hire, and I think they finally have their head coach for the long haul in Kubiak.

 

3. Todd Monken

Monken as offensive coordinator of the Ravens got the absolute most out of Lamar Jackson and the Ravens under Monken were historically great on offense during Lamar Jackson’s last healthy season. Monken now working with the dual threat Shedeur Sanders and/or Deshaun Watson will be primed to do the same with the Browns. Hopefully for Cleveland’s sake, Monken can get the most out of the dual threat QBs on the Browns’ roster just as Monken did with Baltimore and the dual threat Lamar Jackson as offensive coordinator of the Ravens.

 

4. Joe Brady

The hire of Joe Brady seemed a bit safe and comfortable, but it may end up working out for the Bills. Brady’s experience in working with and molding superstar QBs in both Joe Burrow in college and now Josh Allen in the NFL cannot be overlooked. However, the Bills’ offense despite the presence of Allen who is the league’s best player to many never was great in a historic context. Perhaps Joe Burrow and Josh Allen are not Joe Burrow and Josh Allen without Joe Brady, so maybe Buffalo has snagged a boy genius as an offensive mind who will put the Bills over the hump.

 

5. Mike LaFleur

A disciple of both Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, Mike Lafleur was the offensive coordinator for the league’s top offense this past season. Being the only coach I can think of who was hired by both Shanahan and McVay, two of the greatest offensive minds ever, Lafleur clearly is sharp. Matthew Stafford had the best season of his career working with Lafleur as the coordinator. Although Stafford is very talented as a number one overall pick and Sean McVay is an elite offensive head coach, being the offensive coordinator for the league’s MVP at quarterback and the top scoring offense in the NFL is nothing to overlook. The Cardinals may have gotten their head coach of the future in LaFleur.

 

 

6. Jeff Hafley

In an offense leaning league the Dolphins have hired a defensive minded head coach whose defenses never blew me away with the Packers. The rank of a team’s defense in terms of points allowed etc cannot be the only criteria for evaluating the strength of a defensive coordinator hired as a head coach, but it certainly should be factored in to a large extent. The Packers defense under Hafley was always good but nothing special in terms of rank and this hire has left me feeling underwhelmed for the Dolphins. It very well could work out however as Green Bay’s defense was intimidating from time to time with Hafley running the show.