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Being an NFL head coach is not for the faint of heart. While the financial rewards are huge, these unique individuals must eat, sleep, and breathe the game of football, while applying their skills in high-pressure situations.
The head coach turnover rate is tremendous as ten new franchise leaders have been hired over the last two offseasons. It's a tough gig, and just like any position in the NFL, there are wide gaps between the "elite" coaches and the ones who won't keep their office in the team facility for long. As a part of our offseason power rankings series, it's time to decide the pecking order of NFL coaches – from 32 to one.
Career resumé and previous success will be a factor when ranking these coaches, but it won't be the "end-all, be-all" since it's a 2023-focused power ranking. There's sure to be plenty of debate and claims of egregious selections in this article, but that's always part of the fun. Let's dive in!
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32. Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Regular Season Record: N/A, Playoff Record: N/A
Gannon's defense led the NFL in sacks last season by 15 with 70 total sacks, but we'll see if he was simply a product of the personnel or if he's a bonafide defensive mastermind.
31. Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts
Regular Season Record: N/A, Playoff Record: N/A
Steichen engineered an explosive Philadelphia Eagles offense and is credited with helping Jalen Hurts improved mightily as a passer. He has some work to do with Anthony Richardson, so let's see how it plays out.
30. DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
Regular Season Record: N/A, Playoff Record: N/A
Ryans is an exciting head coaching prospect after leading some elite San Fransisc0 49ers defenses. The Texans are likely in for a lengthy rebuild, so hopefully, its front office gives him time to build the foundation of the organization.
29. Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
Regular Season Record: 17-28, Playoff Record: N/A
After flaming out in Denver over a decade ago, McDaniels' first season with the Raiders was an utter disaster. He'll have to rely on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2023 to potentially save his job.
28. Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Regular Season Record: 3-14, Playoff Record: N/A
Eberflus took over a mess in Chicago, so he's down in the low-20s by default after posting a 3-14 record as a rookie head coach.
27. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Regular Season Record: 34-50, Playoff Record: 0-1
Bowles failed to make the playoffs in four seasons as the New York Jets head coach and lost his playoff debut last season with Tom Brady at the helm. The Bucs made the playoffs despite going 8-9, so there's nothing to get too excited about in his coaching future.
26. Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Regular Season Record: 15-38, Playoff Record: N/A
Allen struggled as the Oakland Raiders head coach and didn't have a great year as Sean Payton's replacement in 2022, so there's no evidence he'll turn it around moving forward.
25. Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
Regular Season Record: 19-16, Playoff Record: 0-1
Staley's team lost a win-tie-or-go-home game against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, then blew a 27-point lead in the Wild Card game against the Jaguars in 2022. The biggest two games of his coaching career ended in disaster, so his reputation and spot in the rankings are down.
24. Robert Saleh, New York Jets
Regular Season Record: 11-23, Playoff Record: N/A
Saleh could very well be a great coach, but it's hard to judge his 11-23 record since Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White have been his three primary starting QBs. The Jets must deliver big results in 2023 with Aaron Rodgers, or he could be on his way out of a job.
23. Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Regular Season Record: 14-20, Playoff Record: N/A
Smith catches a ton of flak for his run-first identity, but with Marcus Mariota out and Desmond Ridder in, could the Falcons' offense have a new look? He better hope so, because the seat is getting hotter.
22. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Regular Season Record: 26-24, Playoff Record: 1-1
Stefanski will be judged closely in 2023 now that Deshaun Watson's rust should be knocked off. The Browns have high-end talent at all key positions, so it's make-or-break time for the coach who brought the organization its first playoff win since 1994 just a few seasons ago.
21. Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
Regular Season Record: 98-90, Playoff Record: 3-5, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
Rivera's run in Carolina was impressive and he was close to bringing the Commanders to the playoffs last season, but he might be out of touch with the modern NFL game given Washington's identity. Outside of the QB spot, the Commanders are largely talented, so he could be on the way out if he fails to lead the franchise to the playoffs in 2023.
20. Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers
Regular Season Record: 40-33-1, Playoff Record: 1-2
Reich had ups and downs in Indianapolis, but hopefully Bryce Young will provide him with the elusive QB stability he's failed to have. He was once a vastly underrated coach, so a change of scenery could change public perception.
19. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys
Regular Season Record: 155-97-2, Playoff Record: 11-10, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
The ring on McCarthy's resumé can't be taken away, but like LaFluer, I'd like to see him excel without one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history before we crown him as a top-15 coach in the league.
18. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
Regular Season Record: 47-19, Playoff Record: 2-3
LaFleuer's win-loss record is among the best in the NFL, but the jury is out now that Aaron Rodgers is gone. If the Packers remain afloat under Jordan Love, he'll be up the rankings in no time.
17. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
Regular Season Record: 12-21-1, Playoff Record: N/A
Campbell has the Lions looking like a serious contender in the NFC. The organization hasn't won a playoff game since 1991, so if Campbell wins one soon, he'll be revered as a top-flight head coach.
16. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Regular Season Record: 9-8, Playoff Record: 0-1
McDaniel comes from the Shanahan tree and he brought a similar look to the Miami Dolphins running game in 2022. However, Tua Tagovailoa and the passing game were on fire under his tutelage, so he deserves to be ranked in the top half of all head coaches.
15. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Regular Season Record: 13-4, Playoff Record: 0-1
O'Connell is yet another product of the Sean McVay coaching staff, and he turned around the mediocre Vikings in his first season as head coach. Minnesota ranked sixth in passing yards per game last season, as Justin Jefferson saw favorable matchups with O'Connell's offensive creativity. The defense let the team down mightily and needs to be addressed, but O'Connell's Vikings could be in contention for years to come in the lackluster NFC.
14. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Regular Season Record: 62-35, Playoff Record: 4-5
McDermott has enjoyed plenty of success during his time in Orchard Park, but since he has all-world QB Josh Allen and a loaded roster, his playoff failures over the last few seasons leave a lot to be desired. If his team elevates and wins a Super Bowl, his place in the rankings will obviously look foolish a year from now.
13. Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Regular Season Record: 9-7-1, Playoff Record: 1-1
Daboll is another contender to rise these rankings quickly. After taking the Giants to its first playoff win since 2011 with Daniel Jones at the helm, it's all but confirmed that he can coach football. New York added Darren Waller this offseason, so his offense could flourish a bit more in 2023.
12. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Regular Season Record: 28-36-1, Playoff Record: 5-2, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
Joe Burrow rightfully gets most of the credit for putting the Bengals on the map as a true Super Bowl contender, but Taylor has to be given some credit too. The young coach comes from the Sean McVay staff and is a perfect fit for today's NFL landscape.
11. Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Regular Season Record: 48-34, Playoff Record: 2-3
Vrabel elevated the mediocre Titans franchise and reached an AFC Championship game in 2019. Tennessee then clinched the top seed in the AFC in 2021, despite the team breaking the record for the most players used due to injuries and COVID-19 inactives. The Titans got off to a 7-3 start in 2022 but lost its last seven contests while dealing with the injury bug once again. The team will struggle to take the next step without an elite franchise QB in the loaded AFC, but Vrabel has done more with less than just about any coach in NFL.
10. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
Regular Season Record: 23-11, Playoff Record: 2-2, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
Sirianni could move up this least with another great season in 2023, but the 10 spot feels appropriate for now. He lost his offensive and defensive coordinators after an impressive run to the Super Bowl last season, so we'll see how the team adjusts as it runs it back with a loaded roster.
9. Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Regular Season Record: 54-45-1, Playoff Record: 5-3, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
Pederson's claim to fame is defeating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl with Nick Foles at QB. He was unanimously viewed as a top head coach in the league after that but was let go by the Eagles after a 4-11-1 season in 2020. After a year away from coaching, he led the Jacksonville Jaguars, who went 3-14 in 2021, to a 9-8 record and a playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He belongs in the top 10 of this list.
8. Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Regular Season Record: 161-112-1, Playoff Record: 11-11, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 2x Super Bowl Appearances
Carroll was criticized mightily in the mid-to-late 2010s after the 2013 and 2014 Super Bowl appearances for failing to get Seattle back to real contention and not "letting Russ cook." However, he reminded everyone how great of a coach he is with a successful season under new QB Geno Smith after Wilson departed. The Seahawks had a young roster in 2022 but exceeded expectations and put Carroll's excellence back in the spotlight.
7. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Regular Season Record: 152-89, Playoff Record: 9-8, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
Payton's New Orleans Saints had plenty of ups and downs, but the offense was always firing on all cylinders, and he brought the historically mediocre franchise to a Super Bowl victory over Peyton Manning's Colts. The Payton-Drew Brees combo is another all-time great pairing, and he'll be tasked with revitalizing Russell Wilson's career in Denver moving forward.
6.) Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Regular Season Record: 52-46, Playoff Record: 6-3, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
Shanahan's regular season record doesn't capture the extent of his excellence. His 49ers have posted a few poor seasons, but those down years were largely due to injuries at the quarterback position. However, Shanahan has kept the team afloat whether Jimmy Garoppolo, C.J. Beathard, Nick Mullens, Trey Lance, or Brock Purdy has been at the helm.
He continues to win playoff games over the likes of Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, and Aaron Rodgers – despite lacking a "special" QB.
5.) Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
Regular Season Record: 60-38, Playoff Record: 7-3, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 2x Super Bowl Appearances
McVay reached the Super Bowl in two of his first five seasons as a head coach and cemented himself as the next "big" thing as an offensive mastermind. McVay comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, but he's already achieved more than Shanahan. Assuming he doesn't retire early (like he was rumored to this offseason), he could be on his way to being an all-time great head coach. He's only 37 years old at the time this is written.
4.) Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Regular Season Record: 163-93-2, Playoff Record: 8-9, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 2x Super Bowl Appearances
Through 16 NFL seasons as a head coach, Tomlin has never posted a losing record. Ranking him at four could even be considered low for some people, but since he hasn't won a playoff game since 2016, I'll give Harbaugh a slight edge over him. Tomlin's teams will continue to be competitive every week, but we'll see if he can get the Steelers back to real Super Bowl contenders.
3.) John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Regular Season Record: 147-95, Playoff Record: 11-9, 1x Super Bowl Champion, 1x Super Bowl Appearance
Harbaugh has 10 playoff appearances in 15 seasons with the Ravens and led Baltimore to a Super Bowl victory with Joe Flacco at the helm. Harbaugh isn't known as an offensive or defensive genius, but he's clearly a great CEO and has provided stability for one of the greatest franchises of the 21st century.
2.) Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Regular Season Record: 298-152, Playoff Record: 31-13, 6x Super Bowl Champion, 9x Super Bowl Appearances
Belichick's resumé is the most impressive among current and former NFL coaches, and he'll likely retire with the most total wins all-time to go along with his six Super Bowl victories. He and Tom Brady formed the most legendary QB-coach duo of all time, and the early 2000s titles can mostly be attributed to Belichick's elite defenses. New England has struggled since Brady left, but its defense continues to be one of the best in the league. That said, Belichick could fall down the rankings a bit if he doesn't turn things around soon.
1.) Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Regular Season Record: 247-138-1, Playoff Record: 22-16, 2x Super Bowl Champion, 4x Super Bowl Appearances
Reid was an excellent coach with the Eagles, but pairing up with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City has taken his career to the next level. While Bill Belichick is arguably the greatest head coach ever, Reid's offensive mind and play-calling wisdom make him a better coach for the modern NFL game. Big Red takes the top spot.
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