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Who are the greatest head coaches from all 32 NFL franchises? Which head coaches made the greatest impact during their team history.
Every NFL Team's Greatest Head Coach of All Time - All 32 Franchises
In this ranking, we will identify every NFL team’s greatest head coach of all time. We will look at several parameters to determine the representative for each team, such as wins, Super Bowls, games, and team statistics. Let’s dive in.
Arizona Cardinals: Ken Whisenhunt
Despite holding a 45-51 record, Ken Whisenhunt is the greatest coach in Arizona Cardinals history. He represents Arizona on this list, given his playoff experience. Whieenhunt led Arizona to six playoff games (the most of any coach in team history) and held a strong 4-2 record during his stint. He led the team to their first Super Bowl appearance in 2008 but could not win a championship.
Atlanta Falcons: Mike Smith
Mike Smith stands alone in team history regarding their head coaches. Smith won 66 games and held a strong .589% winning percentage, which was the highest mark among Falcons head coaches. In addition, Smith coaches a team-high 112 games. He also led them to five playoff games but was only able to win one of them.
Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh is only the third head coach in Baltimore Ravens team history but easily stands at the top of the list. Across 276 games, Harbaugh has held an impressive 172-104 record (.623% winning percentage) and six AFC North titles. During the postseason, Harbaugh has held a modest 13-11 record but led the Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in 2013.
Buffalo Bills: Marv Levy
Marv Levy led the Buffalo Bills to a remarkable four straight Super Bowl appearances but could not get the job done. However, Levy was nominated into the Hall of Fame as he posted a strong 112-70 record. During the postseason, he held an 11-8 record. In addition, Levy was named Coach of the Year twice in his career.
Carolina Panthers: Ron Rivera
Ron Rivera narrowly beat out John Fox to represent the Carolina Panthers on this list. Both coaches hold similar records, with Rivera holding a slightly better 76-63-1 compared to Fox’s 73-71 record. While Fox did make one more playoff game, Rivera led the Panthers to their best season in franchise history. In 2015, Rivera led the Panthers to a near-perfect 15-1 record, which ended in a Super Bowl loss to the Denver Broncos.
Chicago Bears: George Halas
George Halas is not only the greatest head coach in Bears history but also the team’s founder. “Papa Bear” held a stellar 318-148-31 record across 497 contests. He led the Bears to nine playoff games and six championships. Halas has the second-most coaching wins in NFL history and is considered one of, if not the greatest, head coach of all time.
Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Lewis
Marvin Lews was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals for 256 games, which is more than double the games of any other head coach in team history. Across this 15-year stint, Lewis held a 133-122-3 record. However, while Lewis led the team to seven playoff games, he could not win any of them.
Cleveland Browns: Paul Brown
Paul Brown stands alone amongst the head coaches in franchise history. Brown held an impressive 158-48-8 record (.767% winning percentage). Blanton Collier has the second-most wins in franchise history (76), which is 82 less than Brown. In addition, Brown was very successful in the postseason, as he posted a 9-5 record and led the team to seven championships.
Dallas Cowboys: Tom Landry
Tom Landry made the Dallas Cowboys into “America’s Team.” Over 418 games, Landry held a stellar 250-162-6 record and led the team to two Super Bowls. During the postseason, Landry led Dallas to 36 playoff games and won 20 of them. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame and named UPI Coach of the Year twice.
Denver Broncos: Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan holds the most wins in franchise history (138) and led the Denver Broncos to two Super Bowl championships. He held a strong .616 winning percentage across 224 contents. During the postseason, Shanhan posted a strong 8-5 record. In addition, he led the team to seven double-digit wins and nine total winning seasons.
Detroit Lions: Buddy Parker
Even though Buddy Parker was only the head coach for 72 contests, he represents the Detroit Lions on this list. Across his tenure, he held an impressive .671 winning percentage. In addition, he led the team to two championships and a near-perfect 3-1 record in the postseason. He was also named UPI Coach of the Year in 1956.
Green Bay Packers: Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi holds a .754 winning percentage, which is significantly higher than the No. 2 and No. 3 head coaches in Green Bay history (Mike Holmgren and Matt LaFleur), who are tied with a .670 percent winning percentage. Lombardi led the Packers to five championships in just five seasons with a near-perfect 9-1 record in the postseason. He also won the first two Super Bowls with the Packers.
Houston Texans: Garry Kubiak
Garry Kubiak is one of only two head coaches in the history of the Houston Texans who have coached 100 games, the other being Bill O’Brien. However, Kubiak was able to turn around an expansion team that struggled during their first two seasons. Kubiak led them to four playoff games and has only two losing seasons in his tenure.
Indianapolis Colts: Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy enjoyed a remarkable tenure with the Indianapolis Colts. During his 112-game tenure, Dungy posted an impressive 85-27 record. He was named 2005 SN Coach of the Year and led the team to a Super Bowl Championship (XLI) in 2007. In addition, he was later nominated into the Hall of Fame.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin was the lone coach in Jacksonville Jaguars history with a winning percentage above .500. During his 128-game stint in Jacksonville, Coughlin held a 68-60 record. He also led them to eight playoff appearances (most among head coaches) and posted a modest 4-4 record. He also enjoyed three double-digit win seasons.
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid
Even though Hank Stram makes a strong case to represent the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid will receive the honors on this list. During his time in Kansas City, Andy Reid posted a stellar 143-53 record, leading them to a remarkable 26 playoff games. Reid has led the Chiefs to three Super Bowl victories and 18 total playoff wins. He was double-digit games in all but one of his 12 seasons in Kansas City.
Las Vegas Raiders: John Madden
John Madden is the only coach in Raiders history to eclipse 100 wins. Across 142 contests, Madden led the Raiders to 102 wins, 37 losses, and seven ties. Across his 16 playoff contests, Madden held a 9-7 record in the postseason and a Super Bowl victory. Madden had six double-digit victory campaigns and never had a losing season.
Los Angeles Chargers: Sid Gillman
Sid Gillman is the only coach in team history (minimum 20 games) to hold a winning percentage of over .600. During his 145-game stint with the Chargers, Gilam won 86 games and led them to five playoff games. However, he was only able to win one of them. He also led them to their only championship in team history during the 1963 season.
Los Angeles Rams: Sean McVay
Despite only serving as the head coach since 2017, Sean McVay has already won the most games in franchise history (80). Earlier this season, he surpassed John Robinson’s total (75 wins), who held this record since 1991. In addition, McVay has led the Rams to 13 playoff games (the most in team history) and led them to a Super Bowl championship.
Miami Dolphins: Don Shula
Don Shula is widely considered the greatest coach of all time. Shula stands alone with 328 career wins, which are the most in NFL history. During his tenure with the Miami Dolphins, Shula held a 257-133-2 record and appeared in 31 playoff games. He won 17 playoff games and captured two championships. In addition, he won four AFC Titles.
Minnesota Vikings: Bud Grant
Bud Grant is the only coach in team history who eclipsed the century mark in victories. Across 259 games, Grant held a 158-96-5 record (.621 winning percentage). During his tenure in Minnesota, he had just five losing seasons and led them to 22 playoff games. However, he has held a modest 10-12 record in the postseason.
New England Patriots: Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick sits with the third-most wins in NFL history and six Super Bowls, which is the most in the league’s history. Across his long 387-game tenure in New England, Belichick held a remarkable .687 winning percentage. In the postseason, he was just as successful as he held a 30-12 record. He captured nine AFC titles and was the leader of the greatest dynasty in professional sports.
New Orleans Saints: Sean Payton
Another current-day coach is on the list, but not with his current team. Sean Payton rose to fame with the New Orleans Saints and helped shape them into a formidable franchise. He led the Saints to their only Super Bowl victory (XLIV) and is the only coach in history to have at least 100 wins. In 241 games, Payton racked up 152 victories with nine total playoff wins.
New York Giants: Bill Parcells
Even though Steve Owen and Tom Coughlin have more total victories as the head coaches of the New York Giants, Bill Parcells will represent Big Blue on this list. During his time in New York, Parcells posted the highest winning percentage (.610) among coaches who logged at least 85 games. Parcells led the Giants to a stellar 8-3 record in the playoffs and two Super Bowls.
New York Jets: Weeb Ewbank
Weeb Ewbank is responsible for bringing the New York Jets their lone championship. In addition, he sits with the most wins in franchise history (71) and second-highest winner percentage (.480) among coaches who logged at least 100 games. Ewbank led the Jets to three-straight 8-1 seasons and eventually was nominated to the Hall of Fame.
Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson
Even though Andy Reid holds the most victories in Eagles history, he is more known for his success in Kansas City and will likely enter the Hall of Fame as a Chief. As a result, Doug Pederson will get the nod on this list. Pederson was responsible for bringing the city of Philadelphia their first-ever Super Bowl. During his 80-game stint, he held a 42-37-1 record and a 4-2 record in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Chuck Noll
Despite Mike Tomlin’s incredible stretch of consistency, Chuck Noll still stands at the top of head coaches in Steeler history. Noll’s 193 wins are still the most in franchise history, even though he has a lower winning percentage than Tomlin. However, Noll earns this spot on this list due to his championships. He led the Steelers to four Super Bowls and a strong 16-8 postseason record.
San Francisco 49ers: Bill Walsh
Bill Walsh led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowls during his tenure. Across 152 games, Walsh held a strong 92-59-1 record and had seven double-digit winning seasons. During the postseason, Walsh held a near-perfect 10-4 record. In addition, he was eventually voted into the Hall of Fame and was awarded Coach of the Year twice by the UPI.
Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll is the only coach in Seahawks history to not only win a Super Bowl but also win over 100 games. During his 227-game tenure in Seattle, Carroll posted a strong .606 winning percentage. He led the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances but held an overall 10-9 record in the postseason. He also enjoyed eight double-digit win campaigns.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bruce Arians
Bruce Arians made his mark despite having one of the shortest tenures in team history. Arians posted an impressive .633 winning percentage, the highest in team history. In addition, he held a stellar 5-1 record in the postseason and led them to a Super Bowl victory (LV). While Jon Gruden led the team to the other championship, he sits with a modest .509 winning percentage.
Tennessee Titans: Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher is the only coach in Titans history to log over 100 games, and Fisher served as the head skipper for a remarkable 262 contests. During his long tenure, he held a 142-120 record. He led them to 11 playoff games and posted a modest 5-6 record in them. Fisher led the Titans to a Super Bowl appearance in 1999 but lost to the Rams in that contest.
Washington Commanders: Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs is the only coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with three different quarterbacks and won them all with Washington. During his 248-game tenure, Gibbs held a .621 winning percentage with 154 wins, the most in team history. Gibbs performed very well during the postseason, having a 17-7 record across 24 games.
