Ranking the 10 Best NFL Head Coaches of All Time

While football technically takes place on the field, it all starts on the sidelines. NFL coaching staffs are entrusted with devising a game plan and making adjustments during the game to counter their opponents.

Coaching prowess can be difficult to quantify and requires a multi-prong approach, but there are some that clearly rise above the rest, building reputations and legacies that their peers are unable to match.

Here’s a look at the 10 best NFL head coaches of all time.

1 Bill Belichick

Belichick’s regular and postseason success in the modern era makes him the greatest head coach ever

Bill Belichick’s time with the New England Patriots may not have had a storybook ending, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s the most successful coach of the Super Bowl era and the greatest head coach in NFL history. Belichick did a little bit of everything for the organization.

He was a defensive mastermind who consistently led top-ranked scoring defenses and made several key moves as an executive to keep New England’s dynasty intact. The infamous Belichick coaching tree that mostly features failed head coaches speaks to Belichick’s uniqueness and innate coaching prowess.

Even those who were around him for years failed to implement his ways elsewhere. As of now, Belichick has won six Super Bowls and 302 games as a head coach. He’s off the sideline for the first time in decades, but he hasn’t ruled out a return in the future.

2 Vince Lombardi

Lombardi was a consummate winner

Vince Lombardi’s name became so synonymous with greatness that the NFL named the trophy given to the Super Bowl champion after him. If that’s not a testament to his greatness, then what is?

Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers won a total of five NFL titles in his nine seasons with the franchise, the last two of which put them in the first two editions of the Super Bowl, which was then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The Packers, of course, won both.

Statistically speaking, Lombardi was more likely to win a championship in a given season during his tenure than some coaches were to win an individual game. He was known for intensity and intolerance for failure and weakness, but above all, Lombardi was lauded for his natural ability to lead. Green Bay went 89-29-4 under Lombardi and was the dynasty of its time.

3 Don Shula

Shula’s Dolphins dominated the regular season

Some records aren’t fully appreciated until they’re critically analyzed. Imagine winning 10 games for 30 consecutive seasons as an NFL head coach. This sustained success would be unprecedented and make for a perennial contender across generations.

With that said, that still wouldn’t be enough to catch Don Shula’s all-time regular-season wins record of 328.

Shula spent 33 seasons in the NFL, 27 of which came with the Miami Dolphins. He won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973 and four AP Coach of the Year awards. The ’72 Dolphins, of course, remain the only undefeated Super Bowl winner in history.

The overall career 19-17 postseason record is really the only knock on Shula, and even then, it’s not considered a major blow to his legacy.

4 George Halas

Halas helped shape the NFL into what it is today

George Halas took versatility to a whole new level.

As one of the founders of the NFL, he was an owner of a football team before it was deemed cool. At this time, the league was struggling to turn a profit and was in danger of folding. Halas’ passion for his Chicago Bears and the game of football as a whole led to him taking on several roles.

He was an owner, head coach, and player all in one. After retiring as a player in his early 30s, Halas became a full-time coach and executive and won five more championships with Chicago, giving him a total of six. Halas retired with 318 career wins and won championships in four different decades.

5 Chuck Noll

Noll was at the forefront of the Steelers’ dynasty

The 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the greatest collections of talent in NFL history. Greatness was in abundance on both sides of the ball and the sideline. Chuck Noll had a colder personality and often kept his players at arm’s length. Not everyone loved Noll’s ways, but they couldn’t deny his effectiveness.

Under Noll, the Steelers went from an unsuccessful franchise to the gold standard, winning four Super Bowls in a six-year span. Noll does, however, lose points for his stubbornness.

As the “Steel Curtain” began to fade and the new era of Steelers football arrived, Noll seemed stuck in the past and was unable to adjust. Still, he turned one of the most important franchises in league history into a juggernaut and was perfect for the 1970s NFL.

6 Bill Walsh

Walsh changed the passing game forever

Legendary San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh is another example of someone who wasn’t a head coach for very long but made a massive impact on the sport.

Yes, Walsh won 92 regular-season games and three Super Bowls in his 10 seasons with the 49ers, but he also changed how the game itself was played.

Walsh is considered to be the founder, or at least the man who popularized what is now known as the West Coast offense. This style of play that is based on horizontal passing, timing, and progressions is still in use today and was great for maximizing Joe Montana and Jerry Rice in the 1980s.

7 Curly Lambeau

Lambeau founded the Green Bay Packers

Before passing the torch to Lombardi, Curly Lambeau was the mastermind behind the Green Bay Packers dominance. He won six championships in his 29 years with the Packers and won a total of 226 games.

Lambeau is considered one of the first pass-oriented coaches in NFL history. Although it would take decades for his vision to be realized, it speaks to his forward-thinking and understanding of the game.

8 Tom Landry

Landry experimented with new ideas on offense and defense

Tom Landry embodied both innovation and leadership for the Dallas Cowboys. Landry galvanized a woeful Dallas franchise, bringing the Cowboys from a winless team in his first season in 1960 to two-time Super Bowl champions in the 1970s.

He was also responsible for schematic changes on both sides of the ball, including the utilization of the multiple offense (a hybrid offense that uses plays and formations from various schemes) and flex defense (a 4-3 defense aimed at stopping counter plays).

Landry manned the sidelines for America’s Team for 29 years and racked up 250 regular-season wins, currently good for the fifth-most in history.

9 John Madden

Madden made his mark in his relatively short coaching career

The great John Madden impacted the game of football in innumerable ways, so much so that his legacy as a head coach has been overlooked by many.

Admittedly, Madden doesn’t have the career win totals and championships of others on this list, but that was due to his decision to retire from coaching at 42 years old and begin a legendary career as a commentator.

Madden’s .759 win percentage is the best of the Super Bowl era. He was able to retire so young because he had already conquered the NFL, having won a Super Bowl and recording 10 consecutive winning seasons for the Oakland Raiders.

10 Andy Reid

Reid has staked his claim as one of the greats in recent years

For years, Andy Reid was harrowed by his inability to win the big game. No one could deny his offensive brilliance and respect across the league, but Reid lacked the resume to gain serious consideration for the top 10.

It’s incredible how much can change in five years. Since the start of the 2019 season, Reid has won three Super Bowls and become one of the faces of the NFL’s latest dynasty.

While Reid enjoyed success before Patrick Mahomes’ arrival to the Kansas City Chiefs, the legendary quarterback has put to rest any remaining narrative that besmirched Reid’s reputation.

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

Related

Ranking the 10 Greatest Dynasties in NFL History

Are the current Kansas City Chiefs already one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history?