The National Football League is one of the most competitive leagues in sport.
Millions of NFL betting fans around the world tune in every Sunday to watch the best touchdowns, top tackles and crazy trick plays.
The ultimate aim for every team at the beginning of a new season is to win the Super Bowl.
Only the best teams can do that though and only the best NFL head coaches can lead their side to victory on American football’s biggest stage.
Best Coaches In NFL History:
Almost all of the greatest head coaches in NFL history have won the Super Bowl – many have won multiple Super Bowl titles.
Without further ado, it is time to look at our all-time NFL head coach rankings. So scroll down for our take on each NFL legend head coach.
10 – Bill Parcells
Parcells led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl triumphs during his spell with the team – an impressive feat given it was his first NFL head coach role.
Following a short break, Parcells returned to the NFL and took the New England Patriots from one of the worst teams to Super Bowl competitors in just three years.
Nicknamed ‘The Big Tuna’, Parcells also enjoyed success at the New York Jets but fell short in his stints at the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.
However, his man management skills were unrivalled in his era and the ability to transform players from perennial underachievers to challengers was his greatest trait.
9 – Tom Landry
Landry sits fourth in all-time wins by an NFL head coach and that is enough to secure a spot in our rankings. In terms of NFL legends, Landry is right up there.
Having thrived as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants for five years, Landry was appointed as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys – a position he held for 29 seasons.
Landry kept the Cowboys competitive throughout his tenure, leading his teams to a winning record in 20 consecutive years during his head coaching stint.
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Landry’s longevity and consistency at the highest level is enough to give him the edge over many of his peers.
8 – George Halas
Second on the NFL all-time wins list, Halas is the only head coach to win an NFL title in four different decades – a record that is unlikely to be matched.
Halas won his first NFL title in 1921 and his final championship in 1963, a record that shows his unique ability to adapt throughout various eras of football.
He leaves a long-lasting legacy in the sport, with many recognising Halas as the first head coach in NFL history to study film of opposing teams.
Halas became the first head coach to lead a team to a 13-0 regular season record but the Chicago Bears fell short in the playoffs, scuppering their hopes of a perfect campaign.
7 – Joe Gibbs
Gibbs spent his entire 16-year NFL head coach career at Washington, leading the team to four Super Bowl matches, including three victories, from 1982-1991.
To this day, Gibbs is the only coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks. The Washington legend ended his career with a 154-94 regular season record.
The NFC was competitive during the era but Gibbs’ Washington side featured in more Super Bowls than any of their rivals during their epic 10-year stretch.
Washington had some close contests with the likes of the San Francisco 49ers during the era but Gibbs was a key reason for his team’s success. With only one or two negatives on his record, the Gibbs tenure was phenomenal.
6 – Chuck Noll
Noll was one of the key figures during Pittsburgh Steelers’ dynasty era in the 1970s, helping to turn a struggling team into an NFL powerhouse in the space of three years.
Having finished 1-13 in his first season in charge, Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl just two years later before winning three more Super Bowl titles in the next five seasons.
To this day, Noll’s Steelers are the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice. His head coaching style was simple yet effective – and that is why it worked.
Pittsburgh’s 1974 NFL draft class was unbelievable and Noll was pivotal in their selections during that event. His final 12 years were disappointing but Noll left a winning legacy in the city.
5 – Don Shula
Shula has more regular season wins (328) and total wins (347) than any other head coach in NFL history. In 33 seasons as an NFL coach, he had 31 winning seasons – a sensational feat.
To this day, his 1972 Miami Dolphins team are the only team in NFL history to finish the season with a perfect record.
When Shula arrived at Miami, the Dolphins had won just 15 games in four years. In his first six years, Miami posted a 75-19-1 record with three AFC titles and back-to-back Super Bowls.
Shula modernised the NFL, with an offensive mindset focusing primarily on success in the passing game. His teams were incredible and his impact helped NFL replace baseball as the top sport in the United States.
4 – Paul Brown
The sixth-winningest NFL head coach, Brown was pivotal in the formation of the Cleveland Browns in 1946. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Cleveland enjoyed early success under Brown before joining the NFL in 1950 and they were crowned NFL champions in their inaugural season after posting a 12-2 record.
Unfortunately, things turned sour for Brown in 1962 after he was relieved of his duties. The Browns won their fourth NFL title in 1964 while Brown was appointed head coach of the newly formed Cincinnati Bengals in 1968.
Brown was a central figure in Cleveland’s early years and he was a mentor for 49ers legend Bill Walsh – who served as his offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.
3 – Bill Walsh
While Walsh failed to hit 100 regular season wins mark, he left a major impact on the sport after inventing the West Coast offence during his tenure at the San Francisco 49ers.
With Joe Montana under center, Walsh transformed the passing game during the 1980s and his influence can be seen throughout the National Football League in the modern era.
The 1984 team is one of the best in NFL history. The 49ers became the first team to win 15 regular season games before trouncing the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl.
He may be a tad fortunate to rank so high on this list given his lack of longevity but in terms of his influence on the sport, Walsh leads the way.
2 – Vince Lombardi
There’s a reason why the Super Bowl winners are awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy. One of the greatest head coaches in NFL history, Lombardi was a man before his time.
The only head coach to win five titles in a seven-year period, Lombardi led the Green Bay Packers to unprecedented levels of success during his nine seasons at Lambeau Field.
Preparation was Lombardi’s thing – he had every player ready to go. A pioneer of the sport, Lombardi was the first NFL coach to draft African American players in the first round.
Lombardi finished his career with a .738 regular season winning percentage while his Green Bay side went 9-1 during the postseason.
1 – Bill Belichick
Now up to third in NFL head coach most wins charts, Belichick is our choice for the greatest coach in NFL history – though he has been helped by legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
With nine conference titles and six Super Bowl titles, Belichick is the most decorated head coach in football, with the New England Patriots posting 19 consecutive winning seasons under his stewardship.
With a .721 postseason win ratio, Belichick has a superb record and he has led the Patriots to eight successive appearances in the AFC Championship Game.
Belichick has built the NFL’s greatest dynasty at New England, with the failure to record the perfect season in 2007 the only blemish on his impeccable record.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 16th September 2020
