NFL Head Coach Rankings

1. Andy Reid

The three-time Super Bowl Champion head coach comes in at the #1 spot on this list. In his previous tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles coach Reid consistently came close to winning it all making 4 consecutive conference championships and a Super Bowl but never getting over the hump. This was without stellar quarterback play as although Donovan McNabb was talented, he was nothing special and part of McNabb producing at such a high level was because of Reid’s coaching. Now that Reid has nabbed a superstar quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, he has consistently been winning Super Bowls.

2. Jim Harbaugh

Jim Harbaugh could certainly be in the #1 spot on this list but remains at 2 just because coach Reid has three Super Bowls compared to Harbaugh never having won a Super Bowl as of yet. In terms of impact on wins and losses and the impact a coach can have on your franchise or program, I struggle to find any coach ever that I would take over Jim Harbaugh in all honesty. Once he wins a Super Bowl, I would have no problem ranking Harbaugh #1 on this list. As Harbaugh has proven he can win on both the collegiate and professional levels where coach Reid has not as of yet. As Jim Harbaugh is the only coach ever to win coach of the year honors on both the college and professional levels. Jim Harbaugh is also prone to turn around the fortunes of losing franchises or programs at a greater rate than maybe any coach ever. As he took over a Stanford program that went 1-11 in the year prior to his arrival and had them at 12-1 just four years later. With the 49ers, the team went 6-10 the year before his arrival and then narrowly lost in the conference title in his first season as head coach of the team. Michigan went 5-7 the year prior to Harbaugh’s first season and went 10-3 in year 1 with Harbaugh. Likewise, the Chargers went 5-12 the year prior to Harbaugh’s arrival and went 11-6 in year 1 with Harbaugh as the head coach. Not even Andy Reid has proven to turn around losing teams that quickly and not even Andy Reid has shown he can thrive on the collegiate level like Jim Harbaugh has.

3. Sean McVay

Sean McVay has never had a tier 1 quarterback in his career but still has clinched a Super Bowl championship despite that. McVay excelled in his first season as a head coach as a Rams offense that scored the least points in the NFL in the year prior to McVay’s arrival scored the most points in the NFL in the first year with Sean McVay as head coach. McVay is as smart of an offensive mind as there is in the NFL today and he also has the personality to lead a team as well. McVay’s personality and leadership skills to go alongside his football smarts along with his Super Bowl title puts him one spot ahead of the #4 coach on this list. McVay could easily rank at #2 but if push came to shove, I am still taking Jim Harbaugh ahead of him despite McVay having a Super Bowl win and Harbaugh not having one.

4. Kyle Shanahan

Kyle Shanahan is as smart of an offensive mind as there is in the NFL today and has come dangerously close to winning a Super Bowl on multiple occasions as a head coach and as an offensive coordinator. The 49ers have never supplied coach Shanahan with an elite quarterback and many say the starting quarterbacks he has had in Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy were not even tier 2 quarterbacks with many even being of the mindset that they are just high-end backups. Despite that coach Shanahan has led the 49ers to multiple Super Bowl appearances where his team was in position to win each one but could not close it out at the end. No other NFL head coach maybe ever has proven he can lead offenses of such a high caliber and teams who are as consistently good as the team’s Kyle Shanahan leads despite not having a star quarterback.

5. John Harbaugh

The second of the Harbaugh brothers comes in at #5 on this list despite having a Super Bowl championship that his brother does not have as of yet and even beating his brother in the Super Bowl he has won. As a special team’s coordinator who became a head coach, Harbaughs background before being hired was unique. Harbaugh has a Super Bowl championship on his resume without a superstar quarterback as Flacco who he won a title with was closer to average as a starter. The Ravens with Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh have consistently been the most dominant regular season team and if they can put it all together in the postseason, them winning a Super Bowl feels inevitable. I have been critical of John Harbaugh as the mistakes his team has made in postseason losses, especially the past two seasons, I point to him to correct and hold him mostly accountable for that.

6. Sean Payton

Sean Payton comes in at #6 and has won a Super Bowl championship. Many are of the mindset that Drew Brees was able to have such an illustrious career in large part because of Sean Payton as the head coach. Brees was never anything special as a quarterback and in terms of raw physical talent is the opposite of special as a quarterback. Before arriving with the Saints and Payton in New Orleans he was good but not great as a quarterback but with Sean Payton he became one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Payton and rookie quarterback Bo Nix looked stout in year 1 together and it remains to be seen how much they will improve going forward. Payton is one of the smartest offensive minds in the NFL and the Broncos have one of the better if not one of the best head coaches with him at the helm.

7. Pete Carroll

Pete Carroll despite not coaching a season ago is still the premier defensive head coach in the NFL. The defenses that he was the head coach for with the Seattle Seahawks a little over a decade ago rank among the greatest defenses in NFL history. Pete Carroll has won a Super Bowl title in the NFL and came within a yard of winning another one. Carroll has also shown that he can thrive on both the NFL and collegiate levels, winning a national title as a college head coach as well.

8. Mike Tomlin

Tomlin along with Carroll are the two premier defensive head coaches in the NFL as both coaches have won a Super Bowl each. I gave Carroll the slight edge however because Carroll has shown the ability to have his defenses be historically great, Carroll came much closer to winning a second Super Bowl, and Carroll has shown he can be great on the collegiate level as well. Tomlin, however, consistently wins as a head coach in the NFL and his defenses as a defensive minded head coach are consistently elite as well.

9. Nick Sirianni

Nick Sirianni had a bad reputation with the Philadelphia Eagles after his poor opening press conference and the teams collapse to end the 2023 season. However, one cannot deny the Eagles’ results with him as the head coach. In his first season the team made the postseason before losing to the eventual champion Buccaneers in the first round who were led by Tom Brady. In his second season they started off the year 13-1 finishing 14-3 and making the Super Bowl where they held a 10-point lead at halftime but failed to close it out. In his third year the team started off 10-1 but unfortunately collapsed to end the season finishing 1-5 in the regular season and losing their first playoff game. In year 4 of the Sirianni era the team won it all and played one of the best Super Bowls a team has ever played being up by as much as 34-0 on the three-time Super Bowl champion Chiefs in that matchup. Although Jalen Hurts is very talented and general manager Howie Roseman is almost inarguably the premier general manager in the NFL, Sirianni as the head coach deserves a ton of credit for the Eagles’ success as well.

10. Dan Campbell

Dan Campbell is perhaps the primary person who turned around a moribund Lions franchise and culture from an organization which was consistently discussed as amongst the weakest in professional sports to now a perennial Super Bowl contender. Campbell with an offensive background has had the Lions be one of the premier offenses over the past few seasons. The Lions were up 24-7 in a conference title game in the 2023 season and clinched the #1 overall seed in the NFC the following season. Dan Campbell preaches an alpha tough guy aggressive culture with Detroit and the Lions winning a title with him as the head coach seems almost inevitable.

11. Kevin Stefanski

Kevin Stefanski is one of only five NFL head coaches ever who has won NFL head coach of year honors multiple times. The head coach of the Browns has never had an elite caliber quarterback however and it would be interesting to see how stout the team would be if the Browns were to find one for coach Stefanski. The Browns won a playoff game and came up one possession short of the eventual AFC champion Chiefs in year 1 with Stefanski as the head coach. This was after being sub-500 the previous 12 seasons without Stefanski and being one of the weakest professional sports franchises on a year-in-year-out basis without him. In that first season as the Browns head coach, he won his first NFL head coach of the year award. The second time he won coach of the year honors he led the Browns to an 11-6 record and a postseason appearance despite going through 4 different starting quarterbacks. If Stefanski were to be paired with an elite caliber quarterback the Browns would be a very formidable franchise with Stefanski as the head coach.

12. Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel despite not coaching a season ago finds himself in the top 12 coaches in the NFL because of his track record with the Titans in his previous head coaching tenure. The Titans have been one of the weakest franchises in recent memory and Vrabel’s starting quarterback with the Titans in Ryan Tannehill was closer to average. Despite that Vrabel led the Titans to an AFC Championship along with clinching the #1 seed in the conference in a separate season. Now Vrabel gets a potential star quarterback in Drake Maye and Patriots fans should be excited about the direction of the franchise led by Vrabel and Maye.

13. Kevin O’Connell

Kevin O’Connell is one of the smartest young offensive minds in the NFL today and as he accumulates more experience in the NFL and perhaps gets an elite caliber quarterback, he can certainly climb this list. With a backup quarterback the Vikings led by O’Connell went a remarkable 14-3 this past season. In 3 seasons with the Vikings as the head coach, Minnesota has won 13+ games on two occasions which is not easy to come by. This is without a star quarterback and with O’Connell even needing to use a backup quarterback for the majority if not the entirety of the season in two separate seasons. Kevin O’Connell once he accumulates more time in the NFL and perhaps if gets a star quarterback could certainly join that group with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.

14. Zac Taylor

Zac Taylor as the head coach of the Bengals led by superstar quarterback Joe Burrow, has found himself within striking distance of winning it all on multiple occasions. Many still question his overall capabilities as a head coach as many attribute his success to Joe Burrow and how good he is. But as an offensive minded head coach part of the reason why Burrow has been as good as he has been thus far in the NFL is likely due to Tayor’s presence. As a disciple of Sean McVay, he is obviously a very bright offensive mind but with the Bengals missing the playoffs a season ago despite having Burrow healthy at quarterback, his seat is getting warmer. However, in 2 of 3 seasons with a healthy Burrow and Zac Taylor as the head coach, the Bengals have come within a possession of reaching a Super Bowl and winning another one. So, the Bengals with Taylor and Burrow can certainly return to form next season and many of the question marks surrounding Taylor would vanish.

15. Sean McDermott

Sean McDermott has been the head coach of the Bills for a while now and even with superstar quarterback Josh Allen he has yet to even reach a Super Bowl. McDermott as a defensive minded head coach has had his defenses with the Bills be consistently elite in the regular season although on more than a few occasions it has been average caliber in totality during the regular season. His defenses have consistently let down the Bills come playoff time. As in every postseason loss the Bills have suffered with Josh Allen, McDermott’s defenses have been perhaps the primary reason why. McDermott is absolutely an NFL caliber head coach and one of the premier defensive minds in the NFL but one certainly questions if superstar quarterback Josh Allen is being underserved with him as the head coach. As although his track record of consistently putting out elite defenses in the regular season at least and consistently making deep playoff runs is nothing to overlook, as of now he is still closer to average as an NFL head coach.

16. Dan Quinn

The former defensive coordinator for the Seahawks legendary Legion of Boom defense finds himself at the #16 spot on this list. Quinn is one of the most accomplished defensive coordinators in NFL history and nearly won a Super Bowl as a head coach as well. However, his head coaching stint with the Atlanta Falcons was indeed questionable as his defenses consistently underperformed and the team nearly won the Super Bowl primarily because the offense was so stout led by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Quinn’s team had a historical collapse in that Super Bowl loss as well and for the most part his defenses with the Falcons as a head coach were below average. He returned as a defensive coordinator with the Cowboys and had another very strong run in that position before accepting another head coaching job. So far with the Commanders it’s been similar to his Atlanta head coaching run where the team advanced deep into the postseason primarily because the offense was so stout but eventually lost as the below average defense led by Quinn let them down. It remains to be seen if Quinn is the right man for the Commanders head coaching job or if he is just an elite defensive coordinator.

17. Matt Lafleur

Matt Lafleur is a very sharp young offensive mind and has had star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love produce at an elite level for the Packers. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, despite being at an advanced age, had a career year under Lafleur, a type of year he has not had in several years as the starter for Green Bay. Jordan Love has blossomed before our eyes with Matt Lafleur guiding him as an offensive minded head coach. Many still question if Lafleur is truly next level as an offensive mind as many state that the success of Rodgers and Love under Lafleur with Green Bay is more so due to the electric talents that those two quarterbacks indeed are.

18. Todd Bowles

Bowles is perhaps better suited as a defensive coordinator but the Buccaneers have been a very tough out the past few seasons with him as the head coach. In the 2023 season the Bucs were top 5 in points per game allowed before losing by one possession in the playoffs to the Lions who should have won the conference. The Bucs led by defensive minded head coach Bowles struggled on defense this past season ranking below average in all the major categories but still were a very formidable team with Bowles as the head coach. Bowles is sub .500 as a defensive minded NFL head coach in a league that is shifting towards offensive minds at the head coach position. However, with him as the head coach, the Bucs have been as good as anyone outside of the Lions and Eagles in the NFC the past two seasons. Although that may be more-so because of the presence of elite offensive coordinators in Liam Coen and Dave Canales.

19. DeMeco Ryans

DeMeco Ryans is one of the smartest defensive head coaches in the NFL and the Texans defense led by him had maybe the highest ceiling of any defense in the sport a season ago. In two seasons as the head coach of the Texans he has won a playoff game in each year which is not easy to come by. His defense this past season forced Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff, and Josh Allen to each have amongst their career worst games.

20. Mike McDaniel

Head coach Mike McDaniel was once regarded as the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan and certainly can still evolve into that given time. However, he remains lower on this list because in three seasons as a head coach in the NFL he has still yet to win a playoff game. He still is an incredibly sharp offensive mind and with a healthy Tua the Dolphins winning in the postseason with McDaniel feels as if it will occur at some point.

21. Shane Steichen

Steichen, after serving as the offensive coordinator for an Eagles team that reached the Super Bowl, accepted a head coaching job with the Colts. Once regarded as the next McVay or Kyle Shanahan he has had a hit and miss tenure with the Colts thus far. Perhaps if he can consistently get high level quarterback play, we will see him fulfill his potential. With Anthony Richardson going into his second full season as starter maybe Steichen can begin to emerge as a household name as a head coach.

22. Dave Canales

Dave Canales was perhaps the primary person responsible for turning around the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield who before being coached by Canales were backups but have now turned into stars. In his first season with the Panthers, he did go 5-12 as there were some growing pains with Bryce Young at quarterback but Carolina eventually formed into a solid team as the season progressed. The Panthers came up one possession short to both Super Bowl finalists and nearly beat Tampa Bay who was a playoff team, and they did indeed beat the Arizona Cardinals who nearly made the postseason. With the coaching of Canales, quarterback Bryce Young began to play like a number one overall pick as the season waned.

23. Brian Daboll

The man who is perhaps the primary person responsible for cleaning up Josh Allen’s erratic tendencies as a quarterback and having him evolve into one of the premier quarterbacks in the game today comes in at #23. Given his lack of success with the Giants, New York was considering moving on from Daboll as the head coach but decided to retain him for at least another year. It will be interesting to see how Daboll looks if he is paired with a high-level quarterback talent such as Russell Wilson or Jaxson Dart who the Giants both acquired this offseason.

24. Raheem Morris

Raheem Morris as a defensive minded NFL head coach in a league that is transitioning to becoming more of an offensive oriented league has a 29-47 record as a head coach in the NFL in four seasons with the Bucs and Falcons and has never made the playoffs. Heading into year 2 with the Falcons now having a young electric quarterback talent in line to start he will be on the clock to prove his capabilities as an NFL head coach. He has a long track record with multiple teams working on the defensive side of the ball and was the defensive coordinator for a Super Bowl winning Los Angeles Rams team as well.

25. Mike MacDonald

MacDonald after having a remarkable run as the defensive coordinator of the Ravens where his defense led the league in points allowed in year 2 of his stint despite having talent closer to average then accepted a head coaching job with Seattle. In year 1 with the Seahawks his defense was above average by any metric and the team nearly made the playoffs. He is still an unproven defensive minded head coach in a league that is transitioning to favoring offensive minded head coaches however, which is why he remains so low on this list.

26. Jonathan Gannon

Gannon was the head man for an Arizona Cardinals team that nearly made the postseason this past year. As a former defensive coordinator with a defensive background his defense this past season left much to be desired however as the Cardinals were an average to a mediocre defensive team this past season. The Cardinals nearly made the playoffs more so because of how electric of a talent QB Kyler Murray was and how explosive the offense could be at times. Gannon is like some of the coaches ahead of him, an unproven defensive minded head coach in a league that is transitioning to the offensive side of the ball more, which is why he ranks so low. He will be on the clock to prove his capabilities as a head going into his second full season with Murray hopefully healthy at the QB spot. The Cardinals have made some key acquisitions on the defensive side of the ball this offseason and Gannon will be on the clock to have his defense play better. Gannon was the defensive coordinator for an Eagles team who made the Super Bowl and lost. He then left the team to become a head coach. The Eagles’ defense then nosedived the year following his departure which shows his value, however.

27. Brian Callahan

Callahan held the offensive coordinator position for the Bengals, leading an offense that saw Joe Burrow play at a historically great level. Callahan was the offensive coordinator for a team who came within a few plays of winning a Super Bowl and making another one. His first season with the Titans was a failure however as the team finished tied for the league’s worst record and they found themselves picking first in the draft. As an offensive minded head coach, the Titans offense was near the bottom of the league in nearly every major category as well. It will be interesting to see how Callahan looks going into year 2 with the Titans with quarterback Cam Ward. However, because of his failed first season with Tennessee and the Bengals not skipping much of a beat on offense without him, Callahan remains the lowest ranked head coach out of all the head coaches with NFL head coaching experience.

28. Ben Johnson

Johnson comes in at #28, the highest ranked of the new hires, because of his success as the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. The Lions with Johnson as the offensive coordinator were a historically great offense a season ago, accounting for the 4^th most offensive touchdowns in NFL history. Teams 1-3 on that list were quarterbacked by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Patrick Mahomes who are arguably the three greatest quarterbacks in league history. Although Lions quarterback Jared Goff is very talented, no one confuses him with being on that level. So, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson deserves a ton of credit for the Lions’ offensive success. Johnson gets to inherit an elite quarterback talent in Caleb Williams and the Bears could be an electric team to watch next season.

29. Liam Coen

Ben Johnson was the biggest name coordinator who was hired this past offseason but Coen may end up being an even better hire. Although Johnson deserves a ton of credit for the Lions success on offense this past year, Detroit’s offensive personnel was top 2 in the NFL, Jared Goff is amongst the most talented QBs, and Johnson had an offensive minded head coach to assist him. Coen, who was the Bucs offensive coordinator this past season, had good but not great offensive personnel, a defensive minded head coach, and although quarterback Baker Mayfield is talented, he is not as talented as Jared Goff is. Despite that the Bucs were top 5 in every major offensive category with Coen as the offensive coordinator. The Jaguars with Coen and Trevor Lawrence could be a very fun team to watch next season.

30. Kellen Moore

Moore was the offensive coordinator for an Eagles team that won it all this past season with Philadelphia scoring over 50 points in the conference title and 40 points in the Super Bowl. Moore has always been one of the bigger names as an NFL offensive coordinator with the Cowboys, Chargers, and lastly the Eagles. I am skeptical of him as an NFL head coach as the Eagles offensive personnel was likely the best in the league a season ago, with quarterback Jalen Hurts being very talented, and head coach Nick Sirianni being a bright offensive mind as a head coach as well. In his previous tenures with the Chargers and Cowboys he was good but nothing special as the offensive coordinator as well.

31. Aaron Glenn

Glenn, after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Lions for four seasons, has accepted a head coaching job with the New York Jets. Glenn is clearly a bright defensive mind but is totally unproven as a head coach and in a league that is transitioning to favoring offensive minded head coaches, him never being a head coach as a defensive oriented mind remains at #31. Glenn could, however, be very successful with the Jets as a head coach but as of now remains at #31.

32. Brian Schottenheimer

Many question whether Schottenheimer was even qualified for the job to begin with but none the less he is the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Being promoted from within, the Cowboys trusted him to lead Dallas in the right direction given his familiarity with the franchise. He very well could succeed but based on his track record before being hired and not having any experience as an NFL head coach, he remains 32/32 on this list.