NFL Management Summit: Ranking the league's 32 head coaches
theScore evaluates the leadership positions within each NFL organization to determine which franchise possesses the best staff.
- General managers
- Head coaches
- Coordinators
- Owners
- Final results
32. Tennessee Titans - Mike Mularkey
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
32nd | 29th | 32nd | 32nd |
Mularkey was the most boring head coach "hire" of the 2016 offseason. His 2-7 record as interim coach last season was one win better than the fired Ken Whisenhunt's 1-6. Ugh. Good luck with that, Mr. Mariota. - Mitch Sanderson
31. Philadelphia Eagles - Doug Pederson
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
27th | 32nd | 29th | 31st |
Pederson takes over for Chip Kelly after three years at the helm of a relatively underwhelming offense in Kansas City. That in no way indicates how he'll fare as a head coach, but it seems possible the Eagles desperately wanted to get back to the Andy Reid years. - Dan Wilkins
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Dirk Koetter
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
28th | 31st | 27th | 30th |
Koetter built a great rapport with his players as the team's offensive coordinator; whether that translates to results in his first year as head coach remains to be seen. - Arun Srinivasan
29. New York Giants - Ben McAdoo
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
30th | 28th | 25th | 29th |
McAdoo will unfairly live in the shadow cast by Tom Coughlin until proven otherwise. Known to be an offensive innovator, McAdoo for all intents and purposes is on probationary status until there's a body of work to evaluate. - Srinivasan
28. San Diego Chargers - Mike McCoy
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
29th | 25th | 30th | 27th |
McCoy was able to turn his apprenticeship under Peyton Manning into a playoff appearance in his first season, but back-to-back misses, a non-existent rushing attack, and reliance on Philip Rivers has put this coach's ability in doubt. - Sanderson
27. Miami Dolphins - Adam Gase
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
24th | 30th | 28th | 28th |
After successful coordinator stints with the Broncos and Bears, Gase gets a chance to prove himself as a head coach. In time we may realize Gase deserves to be much higher on this list, but as a first-year coach in an unstable Miami situation, he’ll be swimming upstream in 2016. - Justin Boone
26. Jacksonville Jaguars - Gus Bradley
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
26th | 27th | 31st | 25th |
Patience is the key with Bradley. Now that he finally has a roster headed in the right direction, he'll have every opportunity to earn a spot much higher on this list. - Wilkins
25. Atlanta Falcons - Dan Quinn
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
22nd | 26th | 23rd | 26th |
Quinn looked like he was headed to the Hall of Fame when Atlanta started 6-1 during his first season as a head coach. Unfortunately, the Falcons went 2-7 the rest of the way and Quinn made some rookie mistakes in the process. - Boone
24. Cleveland Browns - Hue Jackson
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
25th | 23rd | 24th | 23rd |
Jackson didn't deserve to get fired after his first season at the helm in Oakland. He finally gets another shot five years later, and the Browns were lucky to land him. Jackson is both an offensive guru and a strong leader. - Wilkins
23. San Francisco 49ers - Chip Kelly
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
20th | 24th | 26th | 22nd |
As a head coach, you need to earn the respect of your players, something Kelly appeared to struggle with during his time in Philadelphia. Maybe he’ll learn from it and improve in his second NFL stop. - Boone
22. Detroit Lions - Jim Caldwell
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
31st | 21st | 18th | 20th |
Lions fans were likely looking for Caldwell to be sent packing after a 1-7 start last year. Steadying the ship and going 6-2 down the stretch, however, showed why management has maintained confidence in his ability to lead. - Wilkins
21. Indianapolis Colts - Chuck Pagano
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
19th | 22nd | 16th | 24th |
Pagano led the Colts to three consecutive playoff appearances before sputtering to an 8-8 record in 2015. However, he was hailed as a defensive mind, and he's failed to build a capable unit during his four years with the team. - Srinivasan
20. Los Angeles Rams - Jeff Fisher
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
21st | 19th | 17th | 21st |
Fisher's job was saved this offseason by the Rams' move to LA. He's the only coach who's been through a relocation before, but his lackluster offense and low-ranked defense have begun to outweigh his experience. - Sanderson
19. Washington Redskins - Jay Gruden
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
18th | 20th | 19th | 19th |
After an embarrassing first year in Washington, Gruden surprisingly turned things around, leading the team to a division title. Washington now has a legitimate chance to post it’s first back-to-back winning seasons since the 90’s. - Boone
18. Oakland Raiders - Jack Del Rio
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
17th | 16th | 22nd | 17th |
Many of today's coaches have become more of the analytical type, but Del Rio is a classic motivator. As a former Pro Bowl linebacker, he's also the ultimate player's coach with respect from his roster, which is no push-over. - Sanderson
17. Buffalo Bills - Rex Ryan
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
16th | 18th | 20th | 16th |
Ryan's first season with the Bills was much like the latter half of his tenure in New York. The flashes of brilliance have to be met with more consistency if his teams are ever going to live up to the hype. - Wilkins
16. Dallas Cowboys - Jason Garrett
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
23rd | 17th | 13th | 15th |
Against all odds, Garrett emerged as the picture of continuity with six seasons under his belt despite largely middling results. Garrett is credited with building one of the league's foremost offensive lines, but needs to propel his club to new heights in order to ascend this list. - Srinivasan
15. New York Jets - Todd Bowles
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
14th | 14th | 14th | 18th |
Bowles is an innovator and host to some of the NFL's most inventive blitz packages and the Jets were a Week 17 loss away from the playoffs. Look for Bowles to emerge as a household name very soon. - Srinivasan
14. Chicago Bears - John Fox
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
15th | 10th | 21st | 13th |
Not many coaches can say they brought two different teams to a Super Bowl. Fox has yet to get there with the Bears, but his past record with the Broncos and Panthers says Chicago could be on their way back to former glory. - Sanderson
13. Houston Texans - Bill O'Brien
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
9th | 15th | 15th | 14th |
O’Brien took over a 2-14 team and led them to winning records in each of his first two seasons. The Texans are set up well for the future under O’Brien, especially if he can work his quarterback-whispering magic on Brock Osweiler. - Boone
12. Minnesota Vikings - Mike Zimmer
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
10th | 11th | 12th | 10th |
Not all great coordinators are meant to be head coaches, but Zimmer has made a flawless transition. He’s responsible for the advanced development of the Vikings young defense and in just two seasons has turned Minnesota into a contender. - Boone
11. Denver Broncos - Gary Kubiak
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
12th | 9th | 10th | 12th |
Kubiak's 61-64 record with the Texans doesn't factor in here. In his lone season with the Broncos, Kubiak won a Super Bowl. You can't do any better than that. - Srinivasan
10. Cincinnati Bengals - Marvin Lewis
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
11th | 13th | 8th | 8th |
Lewis has been a model of consistency throughout his time in Cincinnati, and the result have been particularly impressive over the past seven years. Finally getting over the hump in the playoffs is the next step. - Wilkins
9. Kansas City Chiefs - Andy Reid
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
7th | 6th | 11th | 11th |
Kansas City's performance last season after losing Jamaal Charles was nothing short of amazing. Say what you will about Reid's brutal time-management skills, but his ability to get the most out of his players is among history's elite. - Sanderson
8. New Orleans Saints - Sean Payton
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
13th | 12th | 5th | 4th |
New Orleans' struggles can't be pinned on Payton's coaching abilities. He undoubtedly remains one of the game's top offensive minds, and has actually done well to overcome some limitations placed on the roster of late. - Wilkins
7. Green Bay Packers - Mike McCarthy
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
8th | 7th | 7th | 9th |
McCarthy often gets unfairly admonished for his late-game management, but numbers don't lie. With seven straight playoff appearances and a 104-55-1 record, McCarthy is certainly one of the NFL's elite. - Srinivasan
6. Carolina Panthers - Ron Rivera
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
6th | 5th | 9th | 7th |
It's tough to find a Panthers player who didn't have the best season of their career last year under Rivera. He's won two coach of the year awards in the past three seasons and led his team to the sixth 15-1 record in NFL history. - Sanderson
5. Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Tomlin
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
5th | 8th | 4th | 5th |
Tomlin is an expert motivator who keeps his teams competitive every year. The Steelers have reached the Super Bowl twice during his nine campaigns in Pittsburgh, and had it not been for a few key injuries they might have represented the AFC last season. - Boone
4. Baltimore Ravens - John Harbaugh
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
4th | 4th | 3rd | 6th |
It took Harbaugh eight seasons to finally post a losing record as coach of the Ravens and he had a lot help from the injury bug. His players and peers hold Harbaugh in highest of regards due to his character and performance. - Sanderson
3. Arizona Cardinals - Bruce Arians
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
2nd | 2nd | 6th | 2nd |
NFL teams ought to be shaking their heads at the thought they allowed Arians to go this long without a lead job. A combination of leadership and aggressiveness consistently allows him to get the most out of a stacked roster. - Wilkins
2. Seattle Seahawks - Pete Carroll
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd |
Carroll injected life into a dormant Seahawks franchise with his contagious, vibrant energy. Few, if any, coaches in the NFL are better at relating to their players than Carroll and it's propelled the team to rampant success during his tenure. - Srinivasan
1. New England Patriots - Bill Belichick
Boone | Sanderson | Srinivasan | Wilkins |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
For the second straight day Belichick finishes at the top of our rankings. While some may debate his merits as a GM, no one can question Belichick’s status as the best coach currently in the game, and the best coach in NFL history. - Boone