By Marvin Moore – August 1, 2023
The number of outstanding head coaches is a big reason why the NFL remains America’s top professional sports league. From action-packed Sunday battles to nail-biting division races, the game plans of these sideline generals offer fans a ton of gridiron excitement. Bill Belichick is, without a doubt, one of the greatest head coaches in the history of the NFL. But who is currently the league’s best head coach? Here is our list of the top 10 NFL head coaches heading into the 2023 season.
1. ANDY REID, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The only NFL head coach to win 100 games and appear in four consecutive conference championships with two different franchises, Reid has posted 10 or more wins in nine of his last 10 seasons. The two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach has compiled 269 career victories, including 22 playoff wins. The Chiefs have captured seven consecutive AFC West titles, and the 65-year-old offensive guru has won 13 division titles during his Hall of Fame career. Reid and Patrick Mahomes are the two biggest reasons Kansas City will open the new season as the favorite to win back-to-back Vince Lombardi Trophies.
2. MIKE TOMLIN, PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Tomlin has the longest streak in the NFL, with 16 consecutive seasons without a losing record. The 51-year-old finished first or second in the AFC North from 2013-21, and the Steelers have never ended the season in the division’s cellar with Tomlin roaming the sidelines. The Virginia native has tallied a career 171–102–2 record, and the Steelers could become playoff warriors once again if former first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett develops into a franchise-caliber quarterback.
3. BILL BELICHICK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
One of only three NFL head coaches who have won six titles, Belichick is regarded by many as the greatest head coach in league history. The defensive guru has posted a career record of 329–165 and
has won 31 of 44 playoff games for an eye-catching .705 winning percentage. The 71-year-old future Hall of Famer guided the New England Patriots to 10 or more wins in 17 straight seasons, which included eight Super Bowl appearances and five Vince Lombardi Trophies.
4. PETE CARROLL, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
A defensive wizard, Carroll is one of four head coaches to win a college football national championship and an NFL championship. The California native posted an incredible 83–19 career record at the collegiate ranks and led the Seattle Seahawks to nine consecutive winning seasons from 2012-20. Carroll
guided the Seahawks to the Super Bowl XLVIII title and is regarded as one of the top defensive minds in the NFL’s storied history.
5. SEAN PAYTON, DENVER BRONCOS
Payton is an offensive guru who transformed the New Orleans Saints into Super Bowl champions with a high-powered passing attack. The offensive units of the 59-year-old head coach scored more points and gained more yards than any other squad in a coach’s first 100 games in league history. Payton won seven division titles and advanced to three NFC Championship games in New Orleans while compiling a career 161–97 record. The California native will direct a Russell Wilson-led Broncos offense this upcoming season in Denver.
6. SEAN MCDERMOTT, BUFFALO BILLS
McDermott is the only head coach on this list who has not won a Super Bowl ring as a coach or player. The former defensive coordinator has steered the Buffalo Bills to three consecutive AFC East titles but has lost to Patrick Mahomes (twice) and Joe Burrow in the playoffs. The 49-year-old has posted a 66–40 career record, including 47 wins over the past four seasons. The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Kansas City or Cincinnati, and McDermott must figure out a way to slow down two of the league’s best young passers.
7. KYLE SHANAHAN, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
One of the best offensive minds in the league, Shanahan almost guided the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl last year with Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, under center. Yes, the 49ers have been blessed with one of the league’s top-rated defensive units. But San Francisco has risen to the upper tier of the NFC without a legitimate franchise quarterback. Although the 43-year-old has an unimpressive 58–49 career record, the 49ers have won six of nine playoff games with Shanahan calling the plays.
8. JOHN HARBAUGH, BALTIMORE RAVENS
The only head coach in league history to win a playoff game in six of the first seven seasons of a coaching career, Harbaugh’s eight road playoff wins are the most by a head coach. The 60-year-old has led the Baltimore Ravens to four AFC North titles, three AFC Championship game appearances, and a victory in Super Bowl XLVII. Harbaugh has posted a career record of 158–104 and could see the Ravens become serious AFC contenders once again, with quarterback Lamar Jackson playing in a modern passing game for the first time in his NFL career.
9. DOUG PEDERSON, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Pederson is another offensive-minded head coach who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title in 2017 with Nick Foles as the starting quarterback. The 55-year-old was let go by the Eagles in 2020 but returned to the NFL last year and led the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC South title and their first playoff appearance and victory in six seasons. The 55-year-old has a 56–48–1 career record, and with 2021 top
overall pick Trevor Lawrence under center, Pederson and the Jaguars should be perennial playoff contenders for the next decade.
10. MIKE VRABEL, TENNESSEE TITANS
A three-time Super Bowl champion as a player, Vrabel and the Titans won back-to-back AFC South titles before injuries derailed a promising 7-3 start last year. The former collegiate All-American has tallied a 50–37 career record with three playoff appearances in five seasons. Despite injuries to key players, which led to seven straight setbacks to end the 2022 campaign, four of those losses were by five points or less. The 47-year-old is an underrated head coach who only needs a quality quarterback to take the Titans to the next level.
