While there are endless debates regarding who is the greatest NFL player of all-time, there aren’t as many discussions concerning the best head coaches in NFL history.
Sure, rival fans argue over whether their favorite team’s coach is superior to all the others, but it’s tough to have a meaningful, not to mention rational, discussion with fanboys. So, let’s look at things a little more objectively.. While career wins are a major contributing factor in determining an NFL coach’s status among the elite, it’s not the silver bullet. Considering all facets of the job, here’s our top five NFL coaches of all-time.
5. Chuck Noll – Pittsburgh Steelers
The man behind the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 1970s dynasty was head coach Chuck Noll. Following a short stint as a defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Colts, Noll took the head coaching job in Pittsburgh and turned a flailing franchise into an NFL powerhouse within three years.
Noll led the Steelers to their first-ever division title in 1972 and their first of four Super Bowl titles just two years later. Under Noll’s leadership, the Steelers went 4-0 in Super Bowls and are still the only NFL team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice.
4. George Halas – Chicago Bears
Former New York Yankees outfield George Halas coached the Chicago Bears, a team he also owned at the time, for 39 years. During his time at the helm, he amassed 318 wins, 148 losses, and 31 ties, making him the second-winningest head coach in league history.
Halas is also the only NFL coach to have won a Super Bowl title in four different decades, winning his first in 1921 and his last in 1963. Over the course of his coaching career, Halas won eight titles.
3. Don Shula – Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula sits alone at the top with 328 regular-season wins and 347 total wins. Over the course of his 33 years coaching, Shula had 31 winning seasons and his 1972 Dolphins team is still the only NFL franchise to finish the season with a perfect record.
Following a seven-year stint as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, Shula headed down south to take over a Dolphins team that had only won 15 games in their first four years as a new franchise.. During Shula’s first six seasons as coach, the Dolphins went 75-19-1, winning three AFC titles and back-to-back Super Bowls. Miami posted a 32-2 record during their ’72 and ’73 Super Bowl seasons.
2. Bill Belichick – New England Patriots
New England head coach Bill Belichick is the only head coach on our list that is still actively leading an NFL team. No. 3 all-time in career wins, Belichick is the only head coach in NFL history to win nine conference titles and six Super Bowl titles.
Behind Belichick’s leadership, the Patriots put together a dynasty that spanned roughly 20 seasons, which included 19 consecutive winning seasons, 17 straight playoff seasons, and 17 division titles.. The only hiccup in Belichick’s career was his failure to finish the Patriots’ perfect season, as Eli Manning and the New York Giants stole Super Bowl XLII.
1. Vince Lombardi – Green Bay Packers
Despite having the shortest career among our top five, Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi left such an impression on the NFL that the league named the Super Bowl trophy in his honor following his death in 1970.
In just nine seasons as an NFL coach, Lombardi won five titles in a seven-year span. His Packers were also the last team to win three consecutive championship titles that included the first two Super Bowl games.. Along with a career .738 regular season winning percentage and a 9-1 postseason record, Lombardi was the first coach to select African-American players in the first round of the NFL Draft.