Here are all 14 coaches that are heading to the postseason ranked worst to first.
The NFL Playoffs are finally here. And, we have an absolutely loaded field of head coaches. Five of the fourteen have won a Super Bowl as a head coach, and another three have won a conference championship. A few more have coached in a conference championship game, too. In fact, all but two of the fourteen have a playoff win.
This list does take into account historical success, but also takes into account how well these coaches did this year and their overall reputation as coaches.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles
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I don’t think many would argue that Todd Bowles is the worst head coach left. Common sentiment around the NFL is that he holds the Buccaneers back and that they should promote offensive coordinator Liam Coen to the top job. Bowles is a solid NFL head coach, but in this field of head coaches, he’s the worst.
13. Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans
A year ago, Ryans was considered by many to be one of the best young coaches in the NFL after turning around the Texans. But, he’s shown flaws in game management this year, and his star his dimmed greatly.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin is going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. He has eighteen consecutive non-losing seasons, two Super Bowl appearances, and has raised the Lombardi trophy once. But, his teams don’t seem to respond to him like they used to, and much of the Pittsburgh fan base wants him gone. Still, the fact that he’s ranked twelfth shows just how strong this field is.
11. Washington Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn
Again, this field is so strong, and Dan Quinn is a fantastic head coach. But, he and the Falcons’ huge choke against the Patriots in the Super Bowl influenced these rankings. Still, this is a very good head coach, and the best one the Commanders have had since the first iteration of Joe Gibbs.
10. Buffalo Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott
McDermott is one of the best culture builders in the NFL, and his players love him. But, his frequent mistakes in the playoffs mean that he’s well down the list.
9. Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni
It’s funny to say, considering the Eagles went 14-3 this year, that most Eagles fans wanted Nick Sirianni to be fired after a 2-2 start. Credit to Sirianni for stabilizing things and deciding to lean on the run game. But, he still makes some pecuilar choices in terms of game management and he hasn’t fully earned the trust of many around the NFL.
8. Green bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur
There’s no doubt that Matt LaFleur is a superstar head coach, and will be a head coach in the league for a long time. But, the Packers have stumbled a bit down the stretch, and he hasn’t been able to beat the top of the NFL this year. That will need to change as he looks to finally reach a Super Bowl after a couple of close calls.
7. Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell
He doesn’t yet have a playoff win in his three seasons in charge. But, he very well may have done the best head coaching job in the NFL this year, and it’s hard to argue that Super Bowls won’t be in his future. Getting this team to a 14-3 record in a tough division was quite the feat.
6. Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh, like a few others on this list, will likely be headed to Canton at some point. And, he does have a Super Bowl title on his resume. But, he and his team has fallen short time after time in the playoffs since, and he’s yet to get the best out of Lamar Jackson in the playoffs. Still, this is a very good head coach that’s still in his prime.
5. Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton
Remember last year when many said that Sean Payton was washed and the Saints fleeced the Broncos when Denver traded for him? Yeah, about that. Payton led a Broncos team this year that few gave a chance to get close to .500 to an impressive 10 wins and expertly mentored Bo Nix. Given his past playoff success as a Super Bowl champion, and the fact that he was robbed of another appearance by one of the worst calls in NFL history, the Broncos should not be counted out to pull an upset or two.
4. Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
There’s a serious argument to be made that Jim Harbaugh is the best all-around football coach on the planet, given his success at both the NFL and college level. He’s done a marvelous job with the Chargers in his first season in Los Angeles, and is a phenomenal head coach.
3. Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell
This ranking will be controversial, as some don’t like Dan Campbell’s reliance on analytics. I love it, because he rarely makes the wrong call based on the numbers. More importantly, his players believe in his gameplans, his team culture, and his analytics-based approach. Campbell checks a lot of boxes as an NFL head coach, and could be bringing a Super Bowl back to Detroit.
2. Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Sean McVay
The boy genius is a little more grown up these days. But, do not underestimate arguably the greatest coaching mind of his generation’s ability to get his team to play their best football in the playoffs. He’s done it before, and the Super Bowl champ and two-time conference champ can do it again.
1. Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
Remember when the criticism against Andy Reid in Philadelphia was that he couldn’t get over the hump? Yeah, about that. The three-time Super Bowl Champ and five-time conference champ is three wins away from cementing a spot on the NFL head coach Mount Rushmore. While Jim Harbaugh might the best all-around head coach due to his work in college, no NFL coach is better than Andy Reid. Few have ever been better, frankly.